Reply to: Is Germany the model country?

[pisces]

Having worked in Germany in the late 90s and being back there now I have noticed a couple of things;

Firstly, the working environment is far more relaxed now than then. People will work their contracted hours and no more (I believe working more than 40h/wk is illegal but I have no direct source). No one is under any pressure to work more hours (unlike the UK). They take a proper lunch break rather than the sandwich at the desk, as was before. But most importantly - The work gets done! (unlike the UK). That said, finding someone to take responsibility for anything is nigh on imposible.

Secondly, Management consult the workforce. The staff councils are brought into any and all business related discussions and as such the workforce have less of a 'them and us' mentality.

Public Transport - €1.65 gets me across the city and a ferry over the river. Trains are every 3 mins, clean and modern. Other day the ferry left 4 mins early but went back so that he left on time.

The only things I really here locals winge about is taxes, especially the solidarity tax to pay for infrastructure in the East. And depending on where you live, education. Apparently it's becoming more expensive and kids have to provide their own text books.

All in all it seems like they have the work/life balance a bit better than we do and I haven't heard a single person bleat on about house prices. Not saying it's a utopia though

But what we're all dying to know is have the women starting shaving yet?

[DBA_bloke]

Never mind perjorative rhetoric, you just revealed your true colours with your personal delusions of superiority, not to mention a somewhat racist post.

I bet you set the video for Call My Bluff.

[DBA_bloke]

Breeding is just something else I happen to be good at sg. I think it is just nature's way of stirring up the gene pool and keeping the nation's intellect at an acceptable level. What's with this oracle-chap anyway? Bit anal don't you think, even if they are located in London?

Hadrian's Wall: Roman gene pool protection.

[Joe Black]

Lies, damned lies and statistics

"The United Kingdom was the world’s largest recipient of inward FDI...USD 165 billion (€125 billion)"

"The value of foreign acquisitions in the UK during the first half of 2006 were £42bn (€62 billion)"

It's amazing what you can do with a few numbers.

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

[shaunbhoy]

I wouldn't go near your sister

You wouldn't be allowed, not while she still has her eyesight and faculties.

[oracleslave]

How would you know, have you tried?

I wouldn't go near your sister

[shaunbhoy]

Breeding with your sister doesn't count.
.

How would you know, have you tried?

[oracleslave]

Breeding is just something else I happen to be good at sg. I think it is just nature's way of stirring up the gene pool and keeping the nation's intellect at an acceptable level. What's with this oracle-chap anyway? Bit anal don't you think, even if they are located in London?

Breeding with your sister doesn't count.
.

[shaunbhoy]

I wouldn't take it sriously. Alas that's what passes for humour in SB's withered and tired old neurons.

The first fix would perhaps be to ensure that the likes of SB are unable to breed, thus drastically raising the national IQ

Breeding is just something else I happen to be good at sg. I think it is just nature's way of stirring up the gene pool and keeping the nation's intellect at an acceptable level. What's with this oracle-chap anyway? Bit anal don't you think, even if they are located in London?

[sasguru]

Never mind perjorative rhetoric, you just revealed your true colours with your personal delusions of superiority, not to mention a somewhat racist post.

I wouldn't take it sriously. Alas that's what passes for humour in SB's withered and tired old neurons.

The first fix would perhaps be to ensure that the likes of SB are unable to breed, thus drastically raising the national IQ

[shaunbhoy]

Never mind perjorative rhetoric, you just revealed your true colours with your personal delusions of superiority, not to mention a somewhat racist post.

Oh sod off you PC-indoctrinated numbat.

[oracleslave]

Can't see many fixes coming from your direction, just the same tired old pejorative rhetoric. And as you are unashamedly a "Londoner", the chances are you are simply a retarded hybrid mongrel with delusions of adequacy as opposed to the likes of me, a pure-bred Celtic warrior type.

Never mind perjorative rhetoric, you just revealed your true colours with your personal delusions of superiority, not to mention a somewhat racist post.

[shaunbhoy]

About the level of contribution I'd expect from a corporal.
PS What makes you think I'm not a native Brit? Or do you think identifying flaws and pointing out ways to fix them makes you a traitor?

Can't see many fixes coming from your direction, just the same tired old pejorative rhetoric. And as you are unashamedly a "Londoner", the chances are you are simply a retarded hybrid mongrel with delusions of adequacy as opposed to the likes of me, a pure-bred Celtic warrior type.

[sasguru]

So why don't you Feck off to France then you cherry-picking malcontent surrender monkey? It's not as if YOU bring much to the table with your interminable whining!
Leave Britain to us native Brits to worry about.

About the level of contribution I'd expect from a corporal.
PS What makes you think I'm not a native Brit? Or do you think identifying flaws and pointing out ways to fix them makes you a traitor?

[shaunbhoy]

The 2 economies are almost identical in size now, whereas in the earlier 20th century the UK was much larger. So in the long run they have done better.

So why don't you Feck off to France then you cherry-picking malcontent surrender monkey? It's not as if YOU bring much to the table with your interminable whining!
Leave Britain to us native Brits to worry about.