Is Germany the model country?

[DodgyAgent]

Unfortunately the word 'investment' has been the subject of double speak, so I'm not sure what you mean. It should mean any process that raises the value of your time, i.e. someone is willing to value your time more than someone else's. On a national scale this means increases in productivity, innovation and creativity.

Investment has come to mean the acquisition of debt, or financial capital. Such inward investment should not be welcomed uncritically, after all, Africa sits around all day waiting for this type of 'investment' and look where it's at.

Britain too is a pass master at the latter, but with it brings dependency, lack of self belief and exporting of 'directing minds' & power. Is this the medicine you prescribe for France?

let me put it simply: no one wants to invest in setting up or starting businesses in france. as far as the Uk's debt is concerned, as you can see the whole world is linked to the responsibility of debt. Part of Germany and France's problems have also been attributable to a lack of available credit for investors. In the Uk we have very high house prices that act as collateral from which most people can invest whether it is buying to let or starting a business. Also the UK economy has a service sector that France and Germany does not have, so these things balance out. France has and will have huge problems financing its pensions as everyone there will have to rely on the state. The French have virtually no assets through property as they are taxed to heaven if they have property of value.
Africa is a poor comparison because its countries have no solid legal constitutions, few property rights, feeble legal systems and embedded corruption on a scale that makes the Euroopeans look like mother Teresa.

There is nothing wrong with debt. Money is a commodity that is used to create more money. If everyone stuck to the presbetyrian attitudes that some of you wobble on about we would have a land of very little and no place for the lesser souls of society to progress.

If you look at the terms under which new countries can join the EU these countries need to conform with the ability for companies to operate safely and securely. In other words they need banks, rule of law, property ownership rights and democratic govt.

I would say in response to milan (justifying his own sad decision) if london and the UK is such a dreadful place why does it attract so many more people to live here from countries all over europe? The majority of these people are young, which includes making London the fourth largest French city.

But Milan you do have a point France is probably up there with Eastbourne as a "nice place" to retire and die in.

[sasguru]

let me put it simply: no one wants to invest in setting up or starting businesses in france. .

Where do you get facts from?

"In 2006, [France] attracted foreign direct investment (FDI) of €58.4 billion (including company buyouts and financial transactions), making us the world’s third-largest recipient.... This figure has risen by 33% over one year"

http://www.ambafrance-uk.org/Christi...es-latest.html

Looks like an increasing number want to invest in France

By contrast inward investment in the Uk grew by only 17% in the same period:

http://www.ukinvest.gov.uk/1/d/4012317/en/GB/1.0.html

[richard-af]

Great guy, loves his stereotypes but is often correct.

Huh? He's some sort of omniscient superbeing, then? No - he's an opinionated car freak. That's all. Nothing else. Just that. End of.

[milanbenes]

DA,

I have no argument that Britain has no faults as a place to reside if one is filthy rich

however,

if one is not filthy rich then in many countries of continental europe you can get more quality of life for your buck than in the UK

you agree or disagree ?


Sas,

with regard to DA's arguments, you must not forget a lot of it is his own fiction, interpretation, hearsay etc from like minded souls

Present DA with the facts and he runs away like NFP


but I am not one to criticise as the world and forum would be boring if we were all the same

and I do like to listen to DA, I picture him as an old man, from a previous generation or era, sat in a leather chair with a pipe and a heavy roll neck pullover and corderoy trowsers, reminiscing about how things were in the past and not really having a grasp of how things are today, but happy and content in his naivety

And if one is happy and content in life then one has succeeded !

All the best,

Milan.

[Clippy]

I picture him as an old man, from a previous generation or era, sat in a leather chair with a pipe and a heavy roll neck pullover and corderoy trowsers, reminiscing about how things were in the past and not really having a grasp of how things are today, but happy and content in his naivety

I pictured him like this: http://www.comedy-zone.net/tv/progra...gaffer-the.htm

[darmstadt]

I have to say the German economy is generally sh**te but there are no TV programmes about buying houses.

Yes there are, Einsatz in vier Wandern I believe is just one...

[darmstadt]

from keeping out Polish plumbers

Didn't keep English plumbers out though did they? The top plumber in Frankreich is an Englishman, recently awarded a prize by old Sarkozy himself...

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/m...de/6959277.stm

[shaunbhoy]

Milan,
you have such an insecurity problem. You constantly try and "big-up" life on the continent as it is clearly the only environment in which you seem to be taken seriously. Britain has it's problems, always has had, but if you factor in everything it has to offer then it is still as good as anything on the continent, provided you have the bollox to step up to the plate. You are like a Championship player that has been spurned by the Premiership clubs bleating on about quality. Give it up man!!

[milanbenes]

Morning Shaun,

got a bad head today.

Milan.

[DodgyAgent]

No need to get personal, boys.
We are merely talking about the relative merits and demerits of the various European economies.
And DA, you haven't answered the biggest point we have raised: that the current "success" may be an illusion based on borrowed money.

I think you will find that the French have little to teach the brits about thrift. This quote from your own precious BBC site:

Amid growing concern about the size of France's public debt, which is now more than 66% of its gross domestic product,

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/6606863.stm