Commonwealth Flagsip

[Dominic]

An interesting idea, a Commonwealth Flagship - details at ;

<A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.valiantappeal.org/customer/home.php>http://www.valiantappeal.org/customer/home.php</A>

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[Birdseye]

Surely the Commonwealth (a.k.a.Empire) is obsolete axcept perhaps as a jolly for diplomats. Just a leftover from the past.

<hr width=100% size=1>this post is a personal opinion, and you should not base your actions on it.

 

[Rowana]

We sold the Commonwealth. .

. . down the river when we went into the EU.

We COULD have had the best trading partners in the world, but instead we HAD to go into Europe, despite not being attached physically. With Australia, NZ, India, Canada and all the other Commonwealth nations, we COULD have been far better than we are at present.

We wouldn't have had so many daft rules and regulations, and we would have been the envy of many. One only has to look at the recent successes of the UKIP to see that I am not alone in this opinion.

It would be interestinging to hear what Oldsaltoz and others from the antipodes have to say!

All IMHO, of course! (ducks for cover)

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[mirabriani]

Re: We sold the Commonwealth. .

Hear Here!!!
I've been boring everyone for years with exactly that argument.
Regards Briani

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[mikewilkes]

Re: We sold the Commonwealth. .

What a pleasure it is to read your own thoughts written by someone else. Thank you.

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[MainlySteam]

Re: We sold the Commonwealth. .

<<<...what... ...others from the antipodes have to say>>>

Couldn't comment on what is best for the UK, but can certainly say that am very glad that we are not in the EU and so can trade unfettered internationally (perhaps with the exception of with the EU!) by parochial rules and standards.

Certainly, since the UK's entry into the (then) EEC both Australia and NZ have been forced to realise that in fact 99% of the world's customers live outside of the UK and are better for that in terms of products available to us and the markets to which we export (and 90% of the world's customers live outside of the newly enlarged EU).

A Commonwealth cartel, as suggested, with its members being variously resource rich, industrialised or/and labour rich would have been an interesting proposition.

John

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[Birdseye]

Re: We sold the Commonwealth. .

A Commonwealth cartel - or Empire preference as it was known - was one of the major reasons behind the UK's woeful economic performance before it joined the EU / EC / EEC. It was trade protected by barriers against competiton from other major economies.

Cant say I thinkt the current EU is a good setup (far too many disparate countries to be effective) but I really dont understand the basis on which people moan about its past benefits to the UK. We have one of the largest economies in the world - does anyone really think we could ever have been the largest had we stayed out? How could we have done better cut off from our geographical neighbours?

We have had 60 years of peace in Europe, one of the longest ever. Does anyone think this is nothing to do with the EC and the accomodation between major European countries? In the past, wars have been fought for access to markets - you dont have to do that if you already have access.

The anti Europe campaigns of the tabloids reminds me of the sort of nationalistic winding up perpetrated by Milosevic. Its fun to point the finger at foreigners, whether in Brussels or asylum seakers. But that sort of activity easily slips into uncontrolled hate.

So lets hear three cheers for the EC and its bureaucrats in Brussels. /forums/images/icons/smile.gif

<hr width=100% size=1>this post is a personal opinion, and you should not base your actions on it.

 

[MainlySteam]

Re: We sold the Commonwealth. .

Perhaps the word "cartel" was a little unclear as to how I meant it. Was more thinking of a group competing for world markets co-operatively using their various economic advantages rather than trading only among themselves parochially as the old preference arrangement was.

Regards

John

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[IanPoole2]

Re: We sold the Commonwealth. .

By now you would of been fed up with Kangaroo Burgers in Maple Syrup - do they make anything else in the colonies?

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[Rowana]

Funnily enough. .

I have a pair of kangaroo leather shoes that I bought when I was working over in Oz. They're the most comfortable pair I've ever had in my life.

I also liked their footy game as well, but that's another story . . .

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[MainlySteam]

Re: We sold the Commonwealth. .

You may have ended up with some better boats than those CE stamped pop out of the mold ones you all have to drive these days if you want a new boat /forums/images/icons/smile.gif.

John

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