CAN ANYONE STOP MIDDLE EASTERN WARS ?

It is sad to record, to repeat even, that in 1945 the EU countries were agreed that the next "WAR" would not be in Europe ! 

They were of the opinion that the next war would be in the Middle East !  Europe had suffered enough losses.

No one who had suffered, one way or the other, wanted a repeat of either the first world war or the second which ended on 8 May 1945 !

Now wars are "underway" in many midle-eastern  countries.   The issues are not very clear.  Are these religious wars lead by Islamic extremists ?  Or are these "revolts" based on socialist principles ?

Does anyone know, politicians or other leaders, what the enfranchised voters  really want ?  

That countries want more elections of a democratic nature is understandable.  However, must there be bloodshed all the time ?

Do none of the agitators want to accept Democratic Elections ?

Finally, all the "powerfull countries" stand by.  The issues are more political than anything else ! That is why no one moves !

That is "DIPLOMACY" ! 

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FUTURE NATIONAL PENSION COSTS ARE UNDERESTIMATED IN THE EU;

Countries in the EU have National Pension Scheme liabilities, i.e. pensions payable to retired workers, which are funded by the contributions made by current active workers. When contributions comfortably exeed the cost of pensions payable, there is no problem. 

However, when the retirement age of workers is reduced and pensioners also live longer, a shortfall of funds available for the payment of pensions due quickly becomes a problem !  

Added to these "variable" factors is another element, the fall in the National birth rate, which long term can have a big effect.  The birth rate in Germany has  decreased and for this reason immigrants are more welcome there because they compensate birthrate shortfalls. Their work also benefits National Pension schemes.

In the Private Sector,  Insurance Companies are obliged to follow closely these problems and must therefore make actuarial appraisals for the funds they are managing.

In the Public Sector, Governments well know all the problems involved but they have serious political hesitations. No one wants to lose their seat or even their majority by making unpopular increases in pension contributions or by reducing pension benefits.  At present they prefer to absorb any immediate, smallish  shortfall of funds out of current tax income. 

To put it another way, the next Government can deal with the problem if it thinks a review is necessary !

There are no EU directives which specifically impose rules on governments.  Long term rules should impose actuarial valuations and the effect of shorfalls should be covered.  

Have we not already seen problems in this area in the case of  Greece ? Are there not now problems in Portugal ?  What about new countries which are on the verge of joining the EU ?  Do they have coverage for their National Pension liabilities ?      

Should not the President of the European Commission, Manuel Barroso, provoke a review of the situation.  Or are EU national accounts always accepted at their face value ?

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FRANCOIS HOLLANDE, TERNE ET EMBARRASSE !

Pendant une trentaine de minutes, le Président Hollande s'est exprimé depuis le Palais de l'Elysée en ce 14 juillet 2013, le second de son quinquennat.

Répondant aux questions de deux journalistes de FRANCE 2 et de TF1, il a tenu un discours embarrassé, terne, sans révélation et sans élan.

Après avoir maintes fois répété au cours des mois antérieurs qu'il n'y aurait plus d'impôts nouveaux, François Hollande a nuancé aujourd'hui avec le flou qui le caractérise: "je ne ferai d'augmentations d'impôts que si elles sont nécessaires et dans l'idéal, le moins possible".

Les Français auront apprécié...

DML

PAKISTANI GIRL INVOKES HELP OF UNO !

A Pakistani girl aged 16, named Malaya Yousafzai, who a year ago had been shot in the head by a Taliban gunman, because she said she wanted schooling for girls, addressed the UNO Assembly yesterday and said she would not be silenced !  Education should be free for all.

She received a rousing, standing ovation from the UN Assembly after her speech in perfect English.  She had been inroduced by the Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon.

Since her operation she has been living in Birmingham, England.  The real questions are:

     -   Will she continue to get help from the UN even after Ban Ki Moon leaves his office end 2015 ? 
     -   Would UNO be prepared to intervene in China and other Asiatic countries to promote schooling for children under the age of at least 14 ? 

Everyone knows that cheap goods, produced by child labour in Asia, flood into Europe and other places on a daily basis.  This creates unemployment in Europe. 

MALAYA YOUSAFZAI is fighting for the Human Rights of children !   But will UNO help or intervene in any way ?  Alas any hopes of an intervention sponsored by UNO to stop the extermination of citizens in Syria by Bachar al Assad, have already come to nothing ! 

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UK CIVIL SERVANTS GET CREDIT CARDS FOR EXPENSES !

The Daily Mail newspaper reports this morning that more than 137 000 Whitehall Officials and Civil Servants have been given "taxpayer funded credit cards".  Costs for last year (2012) amount to 1.1 billion pounds despite promises by David Cameron that the use of Credit cards would be "curbed" !

This Blog published an article on October, 14, 2009 entitled "BRITISH MEMBERS OF PARLIAMENT FIDDLE THEIR EXPENSES" when the scandal hit the Socialist Government.  Now it seems to be more a question of Civil Servants rather than British MPs.  However, the control of expenses by a British Government, left or right, seems to be a complete mystery !

One cannot expect the Prime Minister to supervise personally a system of Credit cards usage, but should the Minister of Finance, like Chancellor George Osborne, not be responsible for, or aware of, what is going on and control matters ?

When a Father gives his Children credit cards to pay  expenses, he still has to survey the costs which are being charged to his Bank account !  If the father does not check what is going on, he still has to pay !

However, if the Father places a limit on the Credit Card, so that there is what is called an "impressed limit", expenditure above this amount will not be paid by the Bank !  The card holder must replenish his credit card account ! In the case of civil servants this would mean submitting expense accounts.

Politicians or other important people generally do not want to be bogged down with administrative duties.  In particular they do not like refusing expense claims. This alas is the reason why expenses are not properly checked !  However, if the money is coming out of private pockets, instead of Company or Government accounts, checks are made ! 

Professional Accountants know full well what happens when expenditures are not properly controlled.  Thieves get rich but it is never anybody's fault !  In the end the unwilling taxpayer has to pick up the bill !

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POSSIBLE ACCOLADE FOR ANDY MURRAY !

A well merited accolade for ANDY MURRAY winning the Wimbledon Tennis Championship,  after a lapse of 77 years since Fred Perry became the last British winner in 1936, would be to mark the occasion with a special postage stamp !

Have we all forgotten that all British winners of Gold Medals at the London Olympics last year were honoured with a postage stamp of their achievement ?  Incidentally Andy Murray then also featured on a stamp as he won the Mens' Tennis Tournament ! 

Other countries have already featured great athletes on stamps.  In particular, Switzerland issued a stamp in 2007 in honour of ROGER FEDERER ! 

This could once again serve to encourage young sportsmen to emulate their stars.  The problem is "Who in the Government will give the instructions to make this "honour" possible" ?  

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POLITICAL RECESS FOR MPs AND MEPs

Most of the European National Parliaments, as well as that of the EU, will close shortly for a well earned Holiday.  At last our elected and "appointed" politicians can get away from their chores.

For some this will be the chance to spend more time with their families and friends.  For others this will be the chance to go on expenses paid Fact Finding Missions to one of many exotic locations to find ways to improve the living conditions for their electors.

Something electors could ask themselves is "How many local MPs in their area could they name ?  Also, what is the Name of their MEP who represents them in the EU Parliament " ? 

The reality of political life in the EU will quickly return after September 22.  Then a General Election in Germany will reveal if Merkel has been re-elected and also if she has managed to keep her position as Chancellor with the help of a coalition.

That there will be no changes in EUROZONE politics concerning the future management of the EURO is, in the opinion of this Blog, not at all certain.

How long can Germany continue to underwrite financially the EURO by averting the Bankruptcy of EUROZONE countries ?  How long will German electors be prepared to back such a Policy ?

The countries in the EUROZONE or even in the EU, are not like the States in the USA.  EU countries generally want to protect their National Traditions and ways of life.  Their aim in the EU is to profit from what they can get. 

They are so heterogenic, or widely different, that they do not want to adopt all the mandatory EU principles in all their walks of life. They also want control of their local currency and even have the right to devalue when necessary, which was the rule before the EURO was adopted.

The last quarter of 2013 risks being turbulent !

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