Driving Licence Renewal

[Alan305]

Let’s just agree we have different views. Still worth reading, plenty of collaborators to show many of his points were true. “Greek problems were similar to British ones???”

Over to you for the last word.

[Phil xxkr]

2 hours ago, Linas.P said:

Not sure what else you trying to find in these number - 96% are still 96% and 4% still means 4%... and all together this means that UK has almost always got what it wanted. You can't just always win!.. if 4% means 72 times... then it means (if we extrapolate based on percentage), UK was in support of ~1800 decisions and legislation was passed in favour of UK.

Besides, although UK was 4th largest contributor to EU budget (14%), it's contribution per GDP was the lowest of any country in EU (0.64%) - in short UK never paid it "fair share" into EU. Besides, by contributing 14% of the budget (vs. rest of EU states who obviously contributed remaining 86%) and getting 96% of favourable decisions it seems clear to me that UK was very successful in this game.

I mean if you feel that 14% of contribution in return of 96% of favourable decision is not "hugely influential and successful in legislative terms", then I don't know what it is. I am sure that average brexshi ter still lives in British Empire and feels that the odds should be 0% contribution in return to 100% decision power (like British Empire did in all the countries it has aggressively occupied and exploited). However, the reality is that we don't live in 19th century and in year 2021 there are no such thing as British Empire - time to wake up!

What did EU (and UK was part of it) did to Greece? Greece was the one which didn't pay the rules, it took structural funds for infrastructure improvements and spent it on wealthfare support, then refused to return, threatened bankruptcy and then asked for more loans.

If there is any blame which could be attributed to EU then it would be insufficient screening on existing (Greece since 1981) and new eastern entrants to the EU, and supplying loans to the members which had fundamental issues with corruption and unsustainable fiscal policy.

Linas, dear boy, you are entitled to your own opinions but not your own facts! UK NET I repeat NET contributions were second to Germany who, to all intents run the EU. As to gross contributions it's not a simple GDP multiple as you infer. I think you are confused with NATO GDP based contributions of which the UK and Greece come anywhere near their original commitments. As to the British Empire, well as it was never a formal entity therefore it couldn't end as such. But of course it still has 14.overseas territories, the Commonwealth and has gifted the world the English Language of which you are just one of billions of recipients. As to our aggressive behaviour, well, as Christopher Columbus opined "One does not discover new lands without consenting to losing sight of the shore for a very long time. Would you have that courage? If not then be thankful that you are standing on the shoulders of giants my friend. 

[Las Palmas]

On 5/5/2021 at 4:31 PM, true blue said:

Hi oh dear a can of worms opened here ,I don't want to get too involved in this but I do have one question for Linas  where does he get his figures to. substantiate ' headlights on 24/7 make it much safer to drive on the continent ' apart from the fact that this is not proven ,for many years I was a motorcycle instructor for the local council and daytime /running headlights was always a bone of contention until they were made compulsory .The only proper documented tests to this theory I have seen  were carried out by 2 American states where the results showed an INCREASE in collisions with lights on .The conclusions were that knowing lights were on lulled riders into a false sense of security ,and if you are not paying attention and  looking you will not see ,lights or otherwise

Dave

 

That is a strange conclusion. That you see the other car coming on the road is more dangerous than not seeing it?

[Spacewagon52]

I love France. Just a shame the French live there!

[Linas.P]

sorry... I probably should have said "problem with Greek attitude was the same". The actual problem was indeed very different.  What is the same is that both Greek and British politicians thought they could take advantage of EU - divide and rule, play on the basis of internal populism and win the argument. 

The reality is that EU is super-state and such attempts will never work. 

Some things are true in his book, but perspective and context is wrong. EU is machine created to extract value, increase leverage etc. that it does well. EU is rule maker, not rule taker. The question is on which side of that machine you are... and Greeks and Brits found themselves on the wrong side and they thought they could make or negotiate their own rules... No I am sorry - that is not how it works.

5 minutes ago, Phil xxkr said:

not your own facts!

UK NET I repeat NET contributions were second to Germany who

As to the British Empire, well as it was never a formal entity therefore it couldn't end as such.

has gifted 💩the world

In terms of NET contribution, this fluctuates from year to year and depending on how UK economy is doing, so it may go up or down the ladder. Indeed in 2017 specifically UK was 2nd largest contributor, not the case for every year. So let's not take an exception and say "it is fact that UK is second largest contributor" and even if that is the case, in context of decision making UK still has far bigger advantage than it's contribution would entitle it otherwise.

The rate of contribution is not static either, but UK was consistently contributing LEAST as percentage of GDP compared to any other country: https://www.theguardian.com/news/datablog/2012/nov/22/eu-budget-spending-contributions-european-union These I think are 2010 figures, but UK was consistently last or second to last. 

Yes British Empire was informal, but that doesn't mean it wasn't de-facto empire, nor that it didn't commit terrible crimes against humanity, which was direct result of British rule.

I would be careful using world "gifted" in context of extermination, slavery and borderline genocide. 

I appreciate that exploration resulted in some... let's say "collateral damage" which was inevitable, but that does not make the real crimes, less of the crimes.

[Alan305]

14 minutes ago, Spacewagon52 said:

I love France. Just a shame the French live there!

Now, now, we had a French Au Pair when the kids were young. She was very nice.

[Sundance]

[Las Palmas]

7 hours ago, dutchie01 said:

Is France / Macron really intending ( as he says )  to stop all electricity supplies to this nation of Jersey, thereby putting lives at risk .....  hospitals, the old and vulnerable  the disadvantaged, poor and needy .........  oh, and the EV owners to re-charge their cars ...........  coz he needs the Jersey fishing grounds which are sacrosanct to the rightful owners of those grounds ...  Jersey

oh dear, we thought Brexit was done and dusted 😲

 

I don't want to scare anyone but Fishing grounds have been quite a popular topic in starting a war. Just look at the Dutch - Anglo fishing wars in the 16 and 17 hundreds. Having said that it might be helpful to remember that the French are probably the best negotiators within the EU and this fierce rhetoric from Macron will serve another goal. In the end the French always seem to get their way.. If only they built better cars hey!

 

I think this is interesting. French cars:

I think some of these are excellent. One of these is a piece of art in my eyes.

 

[Las Palmas]

11 minutes ago, Sundance said:

 

 

 

 

Tear down the wall.

[NemesisUK]

[Alan305]

Agree be great to have an old DS.
Had a few Citroen cars, best and worst was my XM. Superb ride but the electrics, dear oh dear, left waiting for a breakdown truck 3 times. Renault 25 GTS and Espace were also good.

[Las Palmas]

9 minutes ago, Alan305 said:

Agree be great to have an old DS.
Had a few Citroen cars, best and worst was my XM. Superb ride but the electrics, dear oh dear, left waiting for a breakdown truck 3 times. Renault 25 GTS and Espace were also good.

Had a Peugeot 205 Rally and among the faults in it was that common ground for several of the electric parts were in front of the car making them unstable in winter in North Europe with salt on the roads, so light was blinking and most other things were functioning - now and then.

[Malc]

34 minutes ago, NemesisUK said:

.......... on the said British Empire ................

 

I think St. Helena is still a part  ..........  wasn't one of Macron's predecessors given a free holiday pass to there a while ago .............  will the nation pay his EasyJet fare .....  oh sorry, you have to go via the Azores I believe ................and a simple ( UK Govt paid for ) new small runway installed ...........  probably for future RAF sorties ............  as we have such huge interests in that part of the " new " world

Malc

[dutchie01]

Renault 25 that brings back memories. Dark blue and cream interior. Not leather but super comfortable cloth type. Engine great and reliable but yes electronics... Everytime i did start it up a female voice said, Welcome i am the on board computer ( In French !!).  This was in the EEC days, no EU yet, no Schengen treaty, no Euro. Bordercontrols when entering and leaving, Rows of lorries waiting for the needed stamps on the documents, French Francs, you get the picture.

Why would it be that for instance French and Italian cars are not as reliable as Japanese? What is the explanation? could it be cultural?

[Malc]

18 minutes ago, dutchie01 said:

Why would it be that for instance French and Italian cars are not as reliable as Japanese? What is the explanation? could it be cultural?

nope, there is none ............ Saki ( or even Japanese whisky )  is better than some wines maybe 

.............. thank the lord  this has moved away from being Brexit related ..............  please 

Malc

[Las Palmas]

25 minutes ago, dutchie01 said:

Why would it be that for instance French and Italian cars are not as reliable as Japanese? What is the explanation? could it be cultural?

The Peugeot 504 diesel pick-up is reliable as few. Still, some of the 40 - 50 year old still drive on impossible pistas (dirt roads) in the mountains in Morocco. I had a 604 and mishandled it completely, used it to open the iron garage port if too lazy to go out (could be raining) and beautiful it was not, but did stand up to the abuse without problems.

[ColinBarber]

28 minutes ago, dutchie01 said:

Why would it be that for instance French and Italian cars are not as reliable as Japanese? What is the explanation? could it be cultural?

Partly, though more a manufacturing philosophy of continual improvement. The culture of the workforce is one of a team, everyone is responsible for quality and if an issue is seen then production must be stopped and the problem resolved.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toyota_Production_System

 

[NemesisUK]

5 minutes ago, ColinBarber said:

Partly, though more a manufacturing philosophy of continual improvement. The culture of the workforce is one of a team, everyone is responsible for quality and if an issue is seen then production must be stopped and the problem resolved.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toyota_Production_System

 

I would say much more a cultural thing, IMHO. I have worked with a number of Japanese companies and each and everyone of their teams would take extreme pride in the work done. There was never any of this "someone will sort that" or "that's not our job".

Visited Japan a couple of years back (vacation) and was mightily impressed with how everyone undertook their jobs. Refuse trucks spotlessly clean and polished. Even those in what might be considered lowly jobs, took obvious pride in both their work and appearance, construction workers in clean and pressed overalls ... 

The only country I've visited where I've felt totally at ease and very safe. Even wandering around Tokyo and Kyoto in the early hours..

[Alan305]

12 hours ago, ColinBarber said:

Partly, though more a manufacturing philosophy of continual improvement. The culture of the workforce is one of a team, everyone is responsible for quality and if an issue is seen then production must be stopped and the problem resolved.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toyota_Production_System

 

Another book worth reading about how some of the motor industry changed from a MIT study.

“The Machine that Changed the World” by Womack, Jones & Roos

[Sherra]

Okay ,so back to the licences who like me still holds their original paper one and obviously not had a photo type. Dealerships hate having to unfold it when they need a photocopy😁