Commentaries (some of them cheeky or provocative) on economic topics by Ralph Musgrave. This site is dedicated to Abba Lerner. I disagree with several claims made by Lerner, and made by his intellectual descendants, that is advocates of Modern Monetary Theory (MMT). But I regard MMT on balance as being a breath of fresh air for economics.
Thursday, 17 December 2015
George Soros tries to write an article.
In today’s Financial Times he has penned an article in favour of the UK staying in the EU. His first point is that the UK “.. has access to the single market..”.
Er – yes – and if the UK left the EU it would still have access to the “single market”, just like the UK has access to the US market, and all without being in any sort of political union with the US.
Why it’s necessary to make the latter blitheringly obvious point is a mystery.
Soros’s next point is that the recent Paris meeting on global warming illustrated the importance of countries working together on various issues, which somehow proves the need for the UK to stay in the EU. So if the UK was outside the EU, would it be particularly difficult for UK politicians to travel to Paris or any other European capital and take part in international meetings? I mean does the UK leaving the EU mean some sort of Berlin wall is erected in the middle of the English Channel, or what?
Soros’s third point is that Russia has territorial ambitions and the rest of Europe needs to stick together to counter that threat. Well there is an organisation called NATO which Soros evidently hasn’t heard of. And as a result of Poland and other East European countries joining NATO and/or the EU over the last 20 years, the NATO/Russia border is now several hundred miles nearer Moscow than it used to be.
Clearly Soros has zero grip on reality.
And finally….
H/T to Colin McKay
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As to trading with the EU,the US,China and a host of other nations seem to trade with the EU quite well too, without being in the EU.We can negotiate access to the single market(like Norway),which we can use till we agree a proper trade agreement,which can take many years.
ReplyDeleteAgree also on the NATO point.The EU has no armed forces,who/what enforces its power?
As to global agreements, the clue should be in tne word "global".Being in the EU is irrelevant.In fact,should we leave, we would be representing ourselves and our own national interests at these meetings.This includes all other "global" meetings on subjects ranging from trade to banking rules, rather the being 1/27th of a voice, which we currently are, whilst being a member of the EU....Norway is a good example of that in action yet again.
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