every smith
  • MS: Max Smith's blog
  • History to the Defeated
  • every smith: independent creative consultants
  • Words: Max - a brief bio
  • Sites to see

Leamington Letters #8: The French Market and the Single Market

12/12/2011

4 Comments

 

“Whereof one cannot speak, thereof one must be silent.” 

I have always admired this proposition of Wittgenstein, and have always taken it literally. (I’m not smart enough to do otherwise.) But if you were wondering why this blog has never addressed the so-called Euro crisis, it’s because I once discovered Proposition 7 on a good day.

As Dylan pointed out, however, “things have changed”. Over the weekend, Cameron displayed the British bulldog spirit, which had been urged upon him by his back-benchers, by running away from the argument, and from Europe. (At my school, not Eton, British bulldogs stood and fought their corner rather than, to mix a metaphor, leaving the game and taking their bat and ball home with them.) Is this the only “veto” in history that didn’t actually veto anything?

The disagreement between Cameron and Sarkozy (plus all the other European leaders) did not affect the French market in Leamington Spa, which added some Gallic charm and class to the rubbish which usually occupies our main street during Sundays at this time of year. Few of the marchands had any time for Sarkozy; even fewer of their customers had any time for Cameron. But everyone, as we bought our cheeses, our boudin noir and our rillettes d’oie , agreed that it was, if not une catastrophe, certainly une dommage.

Although we are, most of us, sceptical of all politics—and therefore by definition also Eurosceptic—we are naturally aligned with Europe. I live part of the year in France, and love the country, its people and its culture. But Sarkozy, at least on the domestic front, frightens me. So does the fact that he is less popular, currently, than Le Pen fille. I understand and share any apprehension about joining with people like this in a fiscal or, especially, federal union.

But I do not believe that the interests of the City are the same as “British interests”, as Cameron claims. It seems to me that the Euro crisis is primarily a banking crisis rather than a fiscal crisis, with only Greece and maybe Ireland clearly living beyond their means. The rest of us are picking up the bills for the greed, irresponsibility and incompetence of the international banking community, whose interests Cameron has determined to protect. This morning’s judgement on the appalling collapse of the Royal Bank of Scotland demonstrates how little these bankers require protection and how desperately they need regulation. But the egregious Fred Goodwin is still a knight of the realm and still draws his pension, just as all the others who have been rewarded for failure.

The rewards are shameful. The failure catastrophic.

But these are the guys that support that part of the Government which dined at Chequers and greeted Cameron in their Bullingdon-esque triumphalist manner on his return from Europe. These are the guys in whose hands lies our future. These are the guys we need to pension off quickly.

Today’s listening: wish James had uploaded a recording of last night’s Swaps gig, but in its absence, some authentic blues: The Howlin’ Wolf London Sesssions.

4 Comments
Ann Wood
13/12/2011 02:19:47

Pretty much sums it up Max. I've been trying to think of another veto that didn't actually stop anything/something happening....USA/Russia/China are always vetoing stuff at the UN and so nothing happens re whatever they vetoed..... EU trundles on regardless as far as I can see. My dislike and distrust of politicians is deep rooted and these days matched by similar distaste for bankers whose initial letter I usually swap with another one.... why they need protecting godonlyknows.....no doubt DC and pals are getting back handers which one day will come out in the wash. I'd better stop - mixing metaphors is always a bad sign:-)

Reply
James Knight
13/12/2011 05:30:23

Well...there's always this from the last time: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_c40LqkupoI&feature=context&context=C26a0dADOEgsToPDskKHj3qx0_CRZqYvWUwCYGBp.


Reply
Linda Robertson
13/12/2011 13:51:33

Max at his best !

Reply
parn123 link
13/12/2011 15:28:39

Brilliant, Max! But I can't help thinking of the people with huge credit card and other debts who are unable to pay the banks back what they borrowed from them, just like Greece et al. When we bought our first electric cooker many years ago, it was on something called "hire purchase" at a whopping interest rate. If we couldn't pay the monthlies, they'd just come and take the cooker away. These days it would have been at zero percent interest over 5 years, but you'd lose your house if you couldn't pay in the end. You could say that the banks are simply giving the people and governments what they want, knowing that the latter can always print more money (aka QE) or devalue if they can't meet their debts. Hence the big bonuses etc.

If you didn't hear big brother David M on the radio, it's worth listening to his take on Cameron's Phantom Veto here:
http://audioboo.fm/boos/584929-david-miliband-it-was-a-phantom-veto.
In Brussels they are now scheming to screw the City even more than they would otherwise have done.
I think the French couldn't normally care less - they've got used to the Biftecks' half-hearted membership of the EU and there are more entertaining things to worry about. But perhaps now they are hoping that Sarko will kick the UK out if he gets re-elected. (I'm saying all the above under my Estonian ID - wouldn't dare criticise therwise!).

Reply



Leave a Reply.

    Picture

     Max Smith

    European writer, radical, restaurateur and Red Sox fan. 70-something husband, father, step-father. and grandfather. Resident in Warwick, England.

    Picture
    Picture
    Picture

    RSS Feed

    Categories

    All
    Art
    Baseball
    Books
    Film
    Food + Drink
    French Letters
    Leamington Letters
    Media
    Music
    People
    Personal
    Politics
    Sport