Prof Eman;47687 wrote: .............
As regards turkeys for Christmas, wait for the outcome.........................
Just one day to go Prof Eman and I just couldn't stop thinking about your students. They need something solid to debate instead of the hairy fairy "Its not fair " motions.
"Life after the election" seems a solid mainstream topic so I've delved into the archives to pull out some meaty facts. Here is the first 10 for your young, intelligent and idealistic students to debate. Feedback your results asap. T.May may be able to deliver on all of these.
1. Centralised power is the wrong way to go
People thrive most in societies in which power is distributed as thinly and widely as possible. In such environments they are happier, healthier, wealthier, freer, and they achieve more. The EU, by design, centralises power in Brussels. We are moving into an age of decentralisation and localisation. The EU is the wrong model for the times. Do you agree the EU are using the wrong model Prof Eman?
2. Fringe nations perform better
Since the inception of the EU in 1993, the economies of Norway, Switzerland and Iceland (even with its financial crisis) – the fringe nations – have on a per capita basis dramatically outperformed their neighbouring EU economies. We would be a fringe nation and that would suit us. I bet your students agree with this Prof Eman?
3. Regulation should be local
Around 65% of regulation is now set in Brussels. It is of a one-size-fits-all variety, and so often inappropriate to local circumstances. Rather than facilitate progress, regulation hinders it. Yet, once in place, regulation is hard to change. Rather than get cut, it is added to. We already have too much in our lives. What we need would be much better set locally, according to local needs and circumstances. Surely this is something we can all agree on Prof Eman?
4. The economic disaster that is southern Europe. In 2016 we had around 39% youth unemployment in Italy, 45% in Spain and 49% in Greece. These countries are unable to do the things they need to do to kickstart their economies because decisions are being taken on their behalf; not locally, but in Brussels. There is not a case for supporting an organisation that has inflicted such misery on its people. Reform of a bureaucratic organisation like that from within is an impossible undertaking Prof Eman.
5. Immigration policy is becoming ever more important.
There are more and more people in the world and – whether it’s those displaced by wars, by lack of water, by poverty, hunger or lack of opportunity – more and more of them are on the move. We are in a migration of people of historic proportions. The UK, cannot continue support its current level of immigration levels (over 300,000 a year and growing) . We just don't have the infrastructure Prof Eman.
6. Trade deals are a red herring.
As a percentage share, British trade with the EU, despite the single market, has fallen by almost 20% since 1999. British trade with the US, on the other hand, has grown. We have no official trade deal with the US. see UK: Exports of goods and Services. Source: Oxford Economics/ Haver Analytics. There is no point having a common market if the economies of the countries you’re in that market with are dying.
Were clearly better off organising our own trade arrangements Prof Eman.
7. Further integration with the EU = economic decline
When Britain joined the Common Market in 1973, the EU (as it is now) produced 38% of the world’s goods and services – 38% of global GDP. In 1993, when the EU formally began, it produced just under 25%. Today the EU produces just 17%. The obvious explanation for this is the rise of the Asian economies, which have taken on a bigger share of global GDP. But the US share has only fallen by 27% compared with a drop of 55% for the EU. We're better without more decline Prof Eman?
8. Democratic accountability matters
The EU is not a democratically accountable body. We didn't vote for the administrators and we can't vote them out - we can’t do anything. And if you want some idea as to the esteem in which they hold democratic process, how about this from the president of the European Commission, Jean-Claude Junker: “prime ministers must stop listening so much to their voters and instead act as ‘full time Europeans’.” Or how about another one of his remarks: “when it gets serious, you have to lie”. Just what you want in a president. Do you remember voting for him? I don’t. Is this fair Prof Eman?
9. Land ownership and the Common Agricultural Policy
There is no greater manifestation of the wealth divide in the UK than who owns land and who doesn’t: 70% of land in the UK is owned by fewer than 6,000 people. Yet these people are not paying tax on the land they own, they are receiving subsidies for it. Landowners are being paid by the EU to own land. Of the EU budget, 40% goes on agricultural policy. This has created vast amounts of waste. It has propped up inefficient businesses that have failed to modernise. It has re-enforced monopolies which should be broken up. Worst of all, it has meant that African farmers have been unable to compete, depriving millions of a livelihood (not to mention cheaper food for the rest of us). Why endorse an organisation that does this and shows zero inclination to change its ways. It can't be fair Prof Eman.
10. The Common Fishing Policy
60% of EU water is British or Irish. We have not been given any continental land (why should we be?), yet we have had to cede control of our waters to gain EU membership. What was once a huge industry and the largest fishing fleet in Europe has all but disappeared. The French, Italians, Spanish and Greeks had fished out the Mediterranean. They were given access to our waters and our quota was reduced to 13% of the common resource. Let’s have our waters back. It is only fair Prof Eman.
Hope to hear about your students deliberations by Friday.