How generous we are

[Job]

While swimming in self smugness at our deep pockets when it comes to sending cash to the Tsunami victims, we should open our eyes for a moment at how we have been shitting on these people for years.
A rather outspoken politican from the UK (i.e. tells the truth) has pointed out the EU's grossly unfair tax penalties we have been slamming on all the produce from the worst affected countries, we also swamp their local economies with EU subsidised and also US subsidised produce, that keeps their economies in the dustbin.
One estimate put it at 40 billion dollars a year that we are pinching off them, the thrust of his argument revolves around the brassiere, the Sri Lankens make just about every bra made in the EU, but we sting them for 7% tax over EU produced bras'.
This is just one example of a huge problem that revolves around EU economic protectionism .

Give with one hand take with the other.

 

[Outlander]

I knew bras were evul

 

[Disorderly And Drunk]

This is nothing new. There is nothing we can do about it and it is no reason why we should stop donating to tsunami victims

 

[Gamah]

No politician tells "the truth" your a fool if you think they do.

 

[Ormorof]

there was a program on a few days ago about Gana, there was a man who owned a big chicken farm, yet he couldnt export his chickens to europe because of the tariff's, and europe's "aid" was in the form of EU produced subsidised chickens and eggs!

there was another instance of the UK needing to give aid to another small african country, they needed to give £150 million worth of aid... now at the same time a factory in the Isle of Wight was about to shut down due to lack of orders so the government thought, wahey, lets kill 2 birds with one stone, so they ordered £150 million worth from the factory (and other factory's near shutting down)

it was then given to the country in form of aid, want to know what the factory produced? high tech Radar equipment..... given as aid....to a country that hasnt even got any airplanes...

now surely that £150 million could have been spent on better things? (than keeping 600 people employed in a factory that was about to go bankrupt)

 

[Lumikki]

This is nothing new. There is nothing we can do about it and it is no reason why we should stop donating to tsunami victims

Well said,

 

[Job]

This is nothing new. There is nothing we can do about it and it is no reason why we should stop donating to tsunami victims

Nothing we can do about it!!!
Are you suggesting that EU subsidies are an act of god or summit?

We could STOP doing it and have that thing called a LEVEL PLAYING FIELD.

But then that would cost jobs in Europe and our richness is much more important than their poverty.

If we gave those people 40 billion, it would just be giving back what we have STOLEN off them.

Of course give money, but remember how little that is to us compared to how much we have siphoned off in the first place.

 

[Chronictank]

that is all decided by the powers that be, i.e the relevant governments and bodies. We personally cant do much, donating to them is helping them alot more than not donating at all.

 

[Disorderly And Drunk]

Nothing we can do about it!!!
Are you suggesting that EU subsidies are an act of god or summit?

We could STOP doing it and have that thing called a LEVEL PLAYING FIELD.

But then that would cost jobs in Europe and our richness is much more important than their poverty.

If we gave those people 40 billion, it would just be giving back what we have STOLEN off them.

In a perfect world I totally agree with you of course. if i had 40 billion to give i would without a doubt give it to SOME third world country (I don't need 40 billion... ever). But i don't and won't ever have it. But when i said there is nothing we can do i was just being realistic.

People jave been campaigning about this for quite some time now, like Bono for example. But i honestly don't know if we are any closer to a resolution. So basicly it would require an act of God to change our economy so drasticly.

 

[old.Whoodoo]

Its not just the tax we impose on them, its our retailers greed too. Take the bra for example. (not exact figures but you get the idea).

Malaysian worker earns £0.20 per bra
Company in Malaysia earns £5.00 per bra
Materials cost £1.00 per bra
UK import tax, £0.40 per bra
UK shop buys bras at £5.00 each
UK shop sells bra for £20

Go figure.

Now shops like the Coop are trying to tell us they trade in "Fair Deal" countries, where workers get a fair wage. Ill bet most shop floor workers in the Coop get more money in a day than a Malaysian sweatshop worker does in a month, fair?

 

[[TB] Benedictine]

Yes fair

You make the point yourself by emphasising the cost of living in UK is higher - ergo the wages are higher.

 

[harebear]

Its not just the tax we impose on them, its our retailers greed too. Take the bra for example. (not exact figures but you get the idea).

Malaysian worker earns £0.20 per bra
Company in Malaysia earns £5.00 per bra
Materials cost £1.00 per bra
UK import tax, £0.40 per bra
UK shop buys bras at £5.00 each
UK shop sells bra for £20

Go figure.

Now shops like the Coop are trying to tell us they trade in "Fair Deal" countries, where workers get a fair wage. Ill bet most shop floor workers in the Coop get more money in a day than a Malaysian sweatshop worker does in a month, fair?

Im pretty sure they actually earn less than that =/