Economic question?
Looks like you answered your own question, but I'll throw my 2c in... Here's the same answer from earlier - I got 1 thumb down. Let's see if I get more love this time... "The Wall Street Casino is more to blame than the mortgage crisis. Wall Street caused this, enabled by the government, allowed by a public of sheeple, abetted by the fractional reserve Federal Reserve and the rest of the banksters. The derivatives markets are measured in the hundreds of trillions of US dollars. This much wealth only exists in the magical fantasy world of the imaginations of these 'financial wizards' (?). This is the heart of the crisis. This is the engine which drives the entire world's financial markets. And it's running on fumes." ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ You could argue the real estate bubble and accompanying sub-prime collapse simultaneously bursting was what made a bad situation worse. It's kind of a chicken and egg thing. They're closely related and they made each other worse. Bottom line, the real cause of this mess is the Federal Reserve. It's a Ponzi scheme by any definition. They created money by fiat. It was always meant to collapse. What goes up...
Why doesn't Ireland leave the EU and align with the UK? They wouldn't need a hard border then.
The answer is a definite NO. Ireland has done very well from being a member and the Irish standard of living is far better now than ever before.I speak as an English man with an Irish wife. We both voted leave in the referendum and would not change our minds no matter what. We have family in Ireland and I have found that the older generation would vote leave if given the chance but the young under 40 years old have grown up being citizens of the EU and they have not known anything else. The history of Ireland and its connection to the UK is fast becoming just that, History!The Irish fought long and hard through blood sweat and tears as well as lives lost to gain their independence from British rule, and quite rightly so. Over 40 years ago they joined the Common Market which over the years has developed into the the EU we see today and slowly but surely the people of Ireland have given their independence away. They are now a Province of the EU called Ireland. The EU still call all its members countries but they are only that in name. The true fact is they are controlled by the EU Commission, the EU parliament is no more effective than what happens at the vote in the Eurovision Song Contest and the Ruling body of the EU just give them lip service and call all the shots. As bad as that is, this system suits nearly all of the smaller provinces including Ireland. It is far better for Ireland being one of the smaller parts of the EU than to be part of the UK.The UK and Ireland have a lot of history and still have a special relationship which the EU would dearly love to break. The EU will demand a hard border if the UK leaves the customs union. The Irish don’t want it and the UK do not want it but the Irish must obey their EU masters so a hard border it is. The EU have no regard for the Good Friday agreement between Ireland and the UK, but I think they underestimate the Irish and UK resolve and I don’t think the EU has the will or the ability to police and enforce a hard border and goods will still flow back and forth across it. Within the next 15 to 20 years those who remember the problems in Ireland will be dead and gone and patriotic idealism will be a thing of the past and a border, hard or soft, will be an irreverence.
British Culture: What things can you do in the UK that you cannot in the USA?
Drink tea.I know what you’re thinking! America has tea too! But can you drink it without getting a second glance from anybody else whilst it’s 100 degrees out? I don’t think so.Break a bone.I just want to remind everybody how wonderful the NHS is. Sure, it has it’s downsides and isn’t perfect, but at least in the UK when I break a bone I know I won’t have to drown in debt after I leave the hospital.Get news from an unbiased source.Ah, the BBC. Known for being too right in the eyes of the left and being too left in the eyes of the right. Impartiality lies at the heart of public service and is the core of the BBC's commitment to its audiences. BBC Radio 1 literally can’t mention a product without the disclaimer, “other products are available”. Meanwhile in America as far as I’m aware you either get left or right, there’s no in-between.Live without air conditioning.This was a fairly big shock to me when I first visited America. The AC was broken in the house of the people we stayed with and it was all they would talk about. Meanwhile in the UK my house has never had it, and I think the closest we ever got was a fan placed in the living room one summer.Watch TV without being bombarded with drug commercials.This was probably my biggest culture shock. You sit down, watch your favourite show (yes, it’s favourite, please stop spelling it incorrectly) and the adverts come on. In the UK, you might see the odd commercial for some heartburn tablets, but in the US, you get blitzed with commercials for viagra, antidepressants, and anything else you could ever imagine, not to mention the 400 side effects that include “coma” and “stroke” half the time. I’d seen jokes about it before but witnessing it for the first time was mind boggling.Live in a house that’s older than America itselfI live in a village (maybe another thing America doesn’t have?) that has a church that is 900 years old, and there’s a few houses that were built back in the 1600s too.Describe being drunk with any word you like.So you’re drunk but can’t describe yourself as being drunk because that’d be boring. Never fear! Pick any other word you like! I’ve heard “plastered”, “trollied”, “wall mounted”, “battered”, “gazebo’d”, “trousered”, “pyjama’d” and my personal favourite, “car parked”. Say anything like this in America and I’m sure nobody would have a clue what you’re on about!
What does the UK gain from Brexit?
There's the £350,000,000 a week that we won't be paying to Brussels but will be paying to the NHS. We will gain that.There’s complete control of our borders, even that between Ireland and Northern Ireland, so we can keep all the foreign scroungers out.Britain will gain the satisfaction of humbling Germany, who will be so distraught at the prospect of tariffs on cars that they will agree to anything.We will gain enormous satisfaction watching the EU collapse. How can it survive without us?Scotland will have to shut up about all this independence rubbish once they see our economy booming.We will be free from foreign interference, especially all those rights and Police co-operation.We will be free to do trade deals with New Zealand, which is so important to us as you simply can't get NZ lamb here.This is a lot less than the cornucopia of bounty Brextremists will have you believe. I've had to listen to this bollocks on many occasions from deluded friends.We will see what happens, because I think with Boris Johnson, David Davis, IDS, Mrs May and all the other zealots running the show, the reality will be quite different. It's only a matter of time before things get very nasty and bitter. It's a divorce after all, and Farage and Boris have insulted and humiliated our neighbours to a degree that is quite unprecedented and will be remembered once negotiations start in earnest.
Why is it bad for the UK that they left the EU when Norway and Switzerland never joined and they are doing just fine?
It is a serious question, and it deserves a serious response.It boils down to two things.Norway and Switzerland are just fine because of their internal culture and politics, which is very different to the UK.When Norway discovered its North Sea oil, it nationalised its oil resources, and set up rules on how the surplus from the oil resource can be invested or spent for the public good. It is rich today primarily because of this. The UK privatised its oil resources, so while some got very rich from it, it’s difficult to estimate how much of it actually trickled down to the common people.On a per capita basis, Switzerland is the most industrial country in the world. In my Swiss apartment I can find everything from rubbish bins, toilet seats, to fridges and dish washers that were made in Switzerland. The local business model for manufacturing has often been “make one thing, get good at it, and make it for one hundred years”. The same cannot be said for the UK, which has been largely de-industrialised since the 1980s.Staying single is not the same as getting a divorce. The UK has been a part of the EU (or its precursor) since the 1970s. Similar to a marriage, where two parties live together, get used to each other’s presence, boundaries, and idiosyncrasies, the EU defined a lot of rules of engagement between UK and other EU countries. To break away from this relationship is not the same as never joined this relationship in the first place. New rules needs to be set up for every previous relation that was taken for granted. For the UK to go on as business as normal with EU after Brexit is akin to a couple living together after a divorce. While it can be done, I know many would rather not have this arrangement.Norway and Switzerland on the other hand, have never entered into this relationship. So they are not going to go through this phase of separation and renegotiation.Many believes that for Brexit to truly work, in the economic sense, the EU would need to disintegrate. This is what many of the “leave” campaigners were counting on, in the words of UKIP’s Nigel Farage:“… a collection of sovereign nations living together, trading together….”However, the likelihood of this EU disintegration is dependent on the rest of the EU member states.
What is the easiest country to gain citizenship in?
Well….there are many ways to answer this question.There are a few ways to citizenship:By birth: born in the country or from your parentsBy lineage: ancestral link to the countryBy marriage: from your spouse, can require certain amount of years of residenceBy naturalization: usually after living a couple of years in a country.Now let’s say that your question only specify naturalization. Naturalization itself can be done in either in a :Regular proceeding: the normal process of acquiring a citizenship by living a few years in the country and qualifying on certain requirements.Accelerated proceeding: the normal amount of years can be reduced and certain requirements waived, because you are of certain origin or you had a specific contribution to the countryExceptional proceeding: citizenship can be given pretty much right away to those that made an exceptional contribution in the field of economy, science, art or sport. These can also be given to stateless people.NOW in practical term for the everyday person, you can either BUY a citizenship (exceptional proceeding) or IMMIGRATE to a country and become naturalized after a few years (regular proceeding). Easiest, I suppose, mean with less requirements or in less time.If you were to BUY a citizenship, it would really depend on what you are looking for. You can pay 45K and become a citizen of Comoros in 3–4 months, but is that where you want to live? They are a long list of citizenships you can buy if you have a bit of money. Below is the 2017 STC Best Passport Scheme ranking. It mostly shows the best citizenships you can buy but also few countries you can be naturalized quickly.If you don’t have much money and you are looking to grab a decent citizenship after a few years, the most open I would say are in Latin America. Peru will naturalize you after 3 years for example.You can find all the information you need here: Home - Global Residence Index
Would Marine Le Pen, as well as Frexit and Brexit, mean the death of the European Union?
As I write the authorities are still clearing the debris from the streets of Paris caused by Gilets Jaunes demonstrators demanding President Macron reverse his fuel tax increases that are causing so much hardship, especially within rural areas, and has added greatly to the general cost of living. With further tax increases planned for January these protests will only get worse, more violent and more damaging. Although the vast majority of protesters are peaceful the number prepared to use violence has increased exponentially and will continue to do so until President Macron sees sense and changes course. The mood in France as a whole is one of great and growing anger and they see President Macron as out of touch with the people and trying to look big upon the World stage at their expense. His approval rating has tumbled consistently since becoming President of France in May 2017 and this weekend stood at below 20%. His changes to workers rights and pensions ( Le Code Travail ) has brought him into conflict with the Unions and his tax increases have turned even his own supporters against him. Unless he steps back from the brink his days as President will be numbered.In contrast Marine Le Pen’s popularity has soared since she successfully rebranded herself and her party and she is now a serious contender for President. Gone is the far-right, racist image of her father and the Front National, transformed into her own Rassemblement National. Anyone can join, regardless of colour or creed just as long as they are prepared to be French and put France first. Marine Le Pen has condemned Macron’s tax hikes and his love of globalisation. With unemployment in France at 9% and the EU as a whole haemorrhaging jobs to cheaper climes, support within France for the EU is no longer as high as it once was. Migration too is an issue with many blaming the EU and open borders for the growing number of terror attacks on French soil and the rise of no-go areas in French towns and cities.If Marine Le Pen were to be elected President of France she would be unlikely to call a referendum on French membership of the EU but she would demand extensive reforms especially concerning migration and the right of workers to free movement. She would want to put the interests of France and the French people first just as Poland, Austria, Hungary, Slovakia and the Czech Reublic are doing for their own peoples. The EU will survive but Marine Le Pen could be its salvation not its nemesis.
How can I get someone to pay back my money?
If you ask to borrow money from your ex, they probably know they owe you money and will refuse to loan you any expecting you to call it even.You might be stuck with a lawsuit. It depends on what they owe you money for. If it’s child support, then a lawsuit is definitely your best option, or at least the threat of one. With a court order you can make sure they pay you. If you have to you can even garnish their wages in order to get the money back. It’s a long an tedious process, but it’ll work in the end.If they just owe you money from borrowing odd amounts over the course of your relationship, then that’s going to be harder. Most courts won’t count that as a loan and they’ll just assume you were kind enough to pay for each other’s things while you were together. You’d need specific evidence that it was a loan, such as them admitting it was a loan in writing, or some other proof that it was expected to be paid back.The final option (I don’t recommend) is having a big scary guy go over and threaten them. Not the safest for anyone, but it might be enough to get the job done.
Which is better - US or Canadian citizenship?
Its about the same.But (apart from healthcare, gun control etc.) here are some interesting differences. Canada is bigger in size, but it is tiny in terms of population (happens to be less than just the state of California). People around the world genuinely are clueless on where Canada is on the map. In fact people in the US hardly know much about Canada until its time for a vacation/trip to europe, middle east or the far east, and then right before the trip they make sure to skim through articles like this one and carry Canadian souveniors along.http://www.cnn.com/travel/articl...Ok, this (americans pretending to be canadians when travelling to foregin countries) is probably an urban legend but who knows it actually may be true to a certain extent, specially when your country has 600 military bases in 70 or more countries around the world.Just google ‘how to pretend to be canadian’ and see the results.Puns aside, USA has got serious responsibilites, it is like the cop of the planet. Everyone (including its own family) fears it. Canada on the other hand is like your lovely distant old aunt, who bakes the most delicious cookies and loves to serve them to everyone for free. Anyone (family, friends or anyone) that knows her, just loves her.PS: Cop vs cookie baking aunt reference is not my original thought (though I do think it is reflects these countries perfectly), I read this reference a long time ago somewhere.