.jpg)
Scotland with 5 million inhabitants (although actually we have a few more than that) will be the 14th richest country in the world per capita, ahead of France at 18th and Germany at 19th.
No one in France much cares about the UK, hence the absence of where it is in the table (no one gives a damn) but you can bet it ain't ahead of France of Germany!
Well not unless you're a banker, or a royal, in which case all bets are off.
It's a pity that French tv is able to provide us with this information, and the BBC is not.
Still French tv isn't waiting for the English culture secretary to give or withhold permission to raise the licence fee and put in place the return of the good old days of expenses, expenses, expenses.
The one good thing about UK tv is.... uhhh....
Nope, I can't think of it. Sorry! Answers on a post card.
PS... I was asking on the last post if anyone had an entry for the daftest scare story in the debate. But no one did. However, you can add one here if you want. The prize is a picture of Munguin in his office...
Now there's something you can't turn down...
Bonne nuit les gars...
Oh and just incase you missed this gem, which was added rather latterly to the last post: here it is again!
This is just like QI. have you got the klaxon ready?
ReplyDeleteSpace invasion.
It's probably a bit more like Family Fortunes. We don't aspire to subtlety here!
DeleteLet no one ever accuse Munguin of delusions of grandeur!
Yes. Philip Personality Hammond.
Actually today we are being invaded by three figures from a planet far farther away than Mars. Maybe that's what the maligned man was prophesying.
The RAF will bomb Scottish Airports.
ReplyDeleteAnything by George Robertson.
Bless him, the aristocrat from Port Ellen.
DeleteA little man, promoted by Dick Cheney to be his puppet in Nato.
You're right. Every time he opens his mouth he reminds you why you want out of the UK. War, clout, army, clout, Nato, clout, house of the living dead, clout, expenses, clout.
Actually you're headline claim that 'France doesn't care' about a UK or not is entirely inaccurate.
ReplyDeleteIt is, and has been for quite some time, in the French government that they want a strong united kingdom to help offset a strong united Germany inside the EU.
I really meant by that statement that French PEOPLE aren't that interested in what is happening in the UK. I've no idea what the French government thinks about Scotland, but I note that Monsieur Hollande hasn't made any statements of support, unlike the American president (with whom Mr Cameron arranged an endorsement), the Canadian prime minister or Crosby's puppet in Australia.
DeleteI also note that for all you say about them wanting a strong UK in the EU, they have absolutely refused to back Cameron's plans for reform which might, just might, keep the UK there.
What I meant was that while Britain thinks it is at the centre of the world, Monsieur Tout le Monde in France is far more interested in what Germany, Spain or Italy, and other neighbours like Belgium, Luxembourg, Switzerland are doing, than what the remote Brits are doing. At least in my experience in café chat.
This was my explanation for the fact, which might shock some british, that the French broadcasters were interesting in comparing Scotland with not just themselves, but Germany, rather than the UK.
Going back to Francois Hollande's lack of endorsement, it is perhaps not surprising given his politics, compared with Cameron's, but I note Dave has failed to get Merkel's approval. And they are supposed to be political allies.
As an aside, my personal friends in Switzerland, France, Belgium, Luxembourg and Québec are all 100% behind independence from Scotland.
How's China? They don't much like Cameron as I recall, and I note that their government has failed to rally to Mr Cameron's call.
Seriously, have you settled in?
You've probably all seen it over on Wings, but if you haven't the Monbiot article in the Guardian is right on target.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/sep/09/yes-vote-in-scotland-most-dangerous-thing-of-all-hope?commentpage=1
Tris, I can assure you China is dead against Scots independence. It might inspire uncomfortable questions about home rule, self government and secession over here.
ReplyDeleteAnd the people here respect (for now) the official trade off: 'you stay out of politics, we'll stay out of you're lives'...
I can certainly see that they would be worried about Tibet and other non Chinese areas of their empire, but they have their own ways to ensuring that the people of their "regions" are kept faithful to Beijing. Europe is a long way away and the news is very "selective".
DeleteI'm surprised, given that, that the Chinese government is so friendly with Salmond and that at the same time it allowed the People's Daily to print an horrendously critical piece about Britain while Cameron was actually in their country... basically the most incredible humiliation for him as the state owned paper said that Britain was a small island off the coast of Europe good only for tourism and students visiting for a degree, but of no import at all.
A nasty blow at any time, but when the man was on a trade mission in the country an absolute hammerblow. And I can't believe the PD would have printed that without permission from the highest levels.
I'm wondering where you have heard their opinions ... on tv, in the People's Daily?
Or is that just the opinions of people you are working with?
I'm just asking myself how often I think about the constitutional settlement in China...
DeleteUnfortunately I rarely if ever think about it, (except when Cameron gets on his high - somewhat hypocritical - horse about human rights.
I imagine the exact same could be said about people in China and their thoughts - or lack there-of - on Scotland - government included.
Team-UK fan-boys like to think other countries do little else but think about the UK, we're not so afflicted in Scotland.
I expect China's interest in Scotland begins and ends in Whisky supply.
Well, that and smoked salmon.
DeleteI believe that Mr Salmond managed to get a pretty big export thing going with China.
But apart from that I doubt most people in China give us much of a second thought.
I guess that is so with most countries.
We care what the American government thinks because it affects us. Likewise what Russia and China are up to matters, possibly even Germany.
Apart form that it doesn't really matter much what they think of things in smaller countries. It's important to them of course, but it has little affect on us what Slovakia or Slovenia thinks... why would it matter to them what we think?
German TV news channels N24 and n-tv are full of the referendum campaign, and RTE and Newstalk radio in Ireland likewise. A friend had a call from his brother in Italy to say the same thing there on TV and radio, and TV in the USA has been so full of it that a friend in New York thought the vote was taking place today!
ReplyDeleteDoubt that would be happening if next Friday they expected the status quo.
DeleteIn terms of scare stories. It was Ruth Davidson talking about trident then mentioning Ukraine. She just sort of nodded & winked then said 'aye aye?'
ReplyDeletePatrick Harvey's face said it all.
Oh yeah, I'll never forget Patrick's face.
DeleteShows how incredibly unprepared that woman is for any kind of leadership.
ReplyDeleteAucun six points d'avance
De quoi Anon? De richesse ou de Oui?
DeleteAfter a Yes vote, will Dean and Nico open a Chinese take-away together in Cyprus?
ReplyDeleteThe Torylitebite?
They can call it "Niko Lo Dean"...
DeleteThis is something interesting, especially the place and the time:
ReplyDeletehttps://uk.search.yahoo.com/search?fr=mcafee&type=B111GB691D20140720&p=M%3Cargo+MacDonalds+funeral+The+Proclaimers
Douglas... just getting a yahoo search page here?
Delete