Re: Black page in EU history
Originally Posted by
AnnieS
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I thought we were talking about war in Europe. Among the countries that were always at war before the EU.
I don't understand what deprivation in the UK has to do with the EU. It has always existed but post war and beyond we had a very generous welfare state which became unaffordable. I remember a time when everything we take for granted now was very expensive and beyond the reach of ordinary people. You had to save up for new clothes, or a tv. We now have cheap goods but far less welfare. It's nothing to do with the EU and everything to do with capitalism expanding to economies that were previously undeveloped. They are far more affluent now as a result.
Large organisations answer to shareholders and have to make a profit to survive. If their shares drop they are vulnerable to takeover. The foreign organisations you describe are global.
Looking at fuel, British energy was acquired and then sold to EDF by the British government.
You can blame Thatcher for the housing market situation. There will be more homeless because of the changes in the structure of welfare. While rents have gone up, social housing and housing benefit have gone down. I'm not sure what this has to do with the EU. It's a usual Tory policy which has been spurred on by the Financial crisis of 2008.
Deprivation in the UK has a lot to do with the EU. Firstly,
3 million jobs, were given to EU nationals, job descriptions were altered, and full time jobs were reduced to part time, creating enough of those jobs needed. Part time wages were supported by tax credits, which was money coming from the EU . Child tax credit is classified as a ‘family benefit’ under EU law and working tax credit is classed as a ‘social advantage’ .
Did you not receive phone calls begging you to apply for tax credit when they first came out in 2003..? I did, I was plagued with phone calls and forms even though I knew I wasn't entitled to anything. All around the same time as Blair agreed to the 3 million entering the UK workplace. So deprivation walks hand in hand with hours and wages being reduced to fit another agenda involving other EU nationals on the move. Coincidentally, ten more countries joined the EU in 2003/4 the Treaty of Accession was signed in 2003 for the following countries (Czech Republic, Estonia, Cyprus, Latvia, Lithuania, Hungary, Malta, Poland, Slovenia, Slovakia. )They needed work !
Money from the ERDF , to councils. Money wasted over and over again. I know as I worked in council and saw, witnessed and was flabbergasted at the waste, as if there would be no tomorrow. The amazing 2000's was all on the back of the EU money, of which we contributed more than most other countries, so it was our own money coming back for the benefit of EU nationals. One big mixing pot. Along with the influx of people, there were not enough houses being built for rent. Private landlords was the new way of solving the problem, which did start with Maggie Thatcher. Our builders were paid to go and work in Germany if you remember as we had no building going on at the time and in 1976/77 at that time I was working in the Inland Revenue and we were printing cards by the thousands as forms of builders ID. So the process was being arranged on a massive scale, not just the hope that if we have no jobs here, they will go to Germany... it was designed ! The same as everything else has been designed. UK leaving has upset their apple cart, but who should we consider more important, our own people or those from the next seven countries waiting to join and reap the benefits .
If the order is followed, it is noticeable that for every country joining the EU there is an industry which they will predominately acquire to keep the home fires burning, so to speak. As examples France has energy and nuclear, Germany has cars and transport, UK has Tourism and Services,
others have meat produce, others agriculture. That is how the global companies have taken over in private business, every form of industry has been or will be consolidated under one ownership. Hopefully, what we have remaining in the UK will stay with the UK.