Blackbeard Posted July 8, 2016 Share Posted July 8, 2016 You failed to be funny, sorry. I don't understand why people voted to leave, you're right. I really can't get my head around it. But perhaps it's down a fundamental lack of knowledge about the EU, the economy or very much of anything coupled with a creeping anti-intellectual feeling that seems to afflict many of the under educated. The Chinese tried that with the cultural revolution. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cyclone Posted July 8, 2016 Share Posted July 8, 2016 Well as a matter of interest, if you were the UK Government, what would be your response to the EU sticking a 10% tax on goods that the UK supplied to the EU. As to size of an economy. The UK is one of the world's largest car markets with 2.63 million new vehicles registered last year. The UK exported 1.23 million cars last year but imported 2.2 million. So just who has the most to lose here? http://www.acea.be/statistics/tag/category/by-country-registrations Knock yourself out. UK 2.6 million (registered in 2015) EU total (including us) 13 or 14 million depending on what you count. I would suggest that the only possible response for our government would be to suck it up. Starting a trade war with a block 5 times our size would simply accelerate our economic decline. Look at the comparative GDPs, UK 2.7 trillion $, EU 18 trillion $. ---------- Post added 08-07-2016 at 09:02 ---------- The Chinese tried that with the cultural revolution. And look at what a bastion of freedom it became, leading the free world in the way to treat it's people with respect and humanity, opportunity knocking for the lowest peasant and political dissent entirely absent due to the open and frank exchanges between those in power and those ruled. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
foxy lady Posted July 8, 2016 Share Posted July 8, 2016 (edited) http://www.acea.be/statistics/tag/category/by-country-registrations Knock yourself out. UK 2.6 million (registered in 2015) EU total (including us) 13 or 14 million depending on what you count. I would suggest that the only possible response for our government would be to suck it up. Starting a trade war with a block 5 times our size would simply accelerate our economic decline. Look at the comparative GDPs, UK 2.7 trillion $, EU 18 trillion I see this is another of you ill thought through arguments. The UK imports far more from the EU than they import from us. Stick a 200% tariff on everything if you like. What would happen then? If all imports and exports were priced out of the market by tariffs the EU would lose rather a lot and the UK would gain rather a lot. When Russia stuck a 30% tariff on imported cars manufacturers like VW set up production in Russia to avoid the tariffs. They are still there. Unlike Ford UK who once manufactured Transit vans in the UK. But they shifted production to a cheaper manufacturing base in Eastern Europe. That's while we were in the EU of course. How did that happen? Still I'm sure the Greeks won't mind the EU burocrats starting a trade war with the UK. With an economy like theirs they won't mind being a pawn in any dispute. Edited July 8, 2016 by foxy lady Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tzijlstra Posted July 8, 2016 Author Share Posted July 8, 2016 I see this is another of you ill thought through arguments. The UK imports far more from the EU than they import from us. Stick a 200% tariff on everything if you like. What would happen then? If all imports and exports were priced out of the market by tariffs the EU would lose rather a lot and the UK would gain rather a lot. You know that Great British Pound? It would fall through the floor even more. You understand that, don't you? When Russia stuck a 30% tariff on imported cars manufacturers like VW set up production in Russia to avoid the tariffs. They are still there. Unlike Ford UK who once manufactured Transit vans in the UK. But they shifted production to a cheaper manufacturing base in Eastern Europe. That's while we were in the EU of course. How did that happen? Have a read. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cyclone Posted July 8, 2016 Share Posted July 8, 2016 I see this is another of you ill thought through arguments. The UK imports far more from the EU than they import from us. Stick a 200% tariff on everything if you like. What would happen then? If all imports and exports were priced out of the market by tariffs the EU would lose rather a lot and the UK would gain rather a lot. When Russia stuck a 30% tariff on imported cars manufacturers like VW set up production in Russia to avoid the tariffs. They are still there. Unlike Ford UK who once manufactured Transit vans in the UK. But they shifted production to a cheaper manufacturing base in Eastern Europe. That's while we were in the EU of course. How did that happen? Still I'm sure the Greeks won't mind the EU burocrats starting a trade war with the UK. With an economy like theirs they won't mind being a pawn in any dispute. So what you're saying is that if the EU stick a tariff on cars, then the production will shift to the EU to avoid the tariff. And how is it you imagine that this is good for the UK? Or that we could compete by sticking a tariff on in response, given that we are the much smaller market and much smaller economy? ---------- Post added 08-07-2016 at 09:32 ---------- I see this is another of you ill thought through arguments. What argument do you think I'm making? That a) a trade war with the EU would be disastrous for us. Do you disagree? That b) if the EU imposed a tariff on car imports from the UK we would have to just suck it up? Do you disagree? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
foxy lady Posted July 8, 2016 Share Posted July 8, 2016 So what you're saying is that if the EU stick a tariff on cars, then the production will shift to the EU to avoid the tariff. And how is it you imagine that this is good for the UK? Or that we could compete by sticking a tariff on in response, given that we are the much smaller market and much smaller economy? ---------- Post added 08-07-2016 at 09:32 ---------- What argument do you think I'm making? That a) a trade war with the EU would be disastrous for us. Do you disagree? That b) if the EU imposed a tariff on car imports from the UK we would have to just suck it up? Do you disagree? You do enjoy arguing with yourseldf don't you? A trade war with the EU would be more damaging for the EU than it would for the UK. But clearly it would not be in their interests or ours to have one. So I suppose it rather depends if Europe is run by petty minded burocrats who would deliberately damage their own economy in order to penalise the UK for escaping. I'm nore of a cup half full person myself. I woke up the other morning and found out we had voted to leave the EU. Well hey-ho it's another day what shall we do about it. Well I rang the stock broker and took advice. Sell M&S, buy oil and gold. So I bought a job lot of Krugerrands and shares in Royal Dutch. Very pretty things these Krugerrands. I think I'm making the best of where we find ourselves. I do believe the gold was a good tip. But if I were a cup half empty sort of person I suppose I would have reacted differently and spent the last couple of weeks looking for something negative to moan about. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cyclone Posted July 8, 2016 Share Posted July 8, 2016 Are we talking philosophy now? Solipism? You are a figment of my imagination, in which case I'm arguing with myself. Whether you are or are not a figment of my imagination, can you actually answer the questions I asked? Why would you buy Krugerrand's in preference to Britannia's? Do you like paying CGT or something? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
El Cid Posted July 8, 2016 Share Posted July 8, 2016 A trade war with the EU would be more damaging for the EU than it would for the UK. I am not a supporter of free trade, I think having tariffs is a good way to raise revenue. When people say, 'if would be more damaging to the EU' what they mean is that we have a trade imbalance and its not good for the UK economy. So tariffs would favour the UK. Go for it, lets have tariffs Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Berberis Posted July 8, 2016 Share Posted July 8, 2016 (edited) I am not a supporter of free trade, I think having tariffs is a good way to raise revenue. When people say, 'if would be more damaging to the EU' what they mean is that we have a trade imbalance and its not good for the UK economy. So tariffs would favour the UK. Go for it, lets have tariffs How do you think the tariffs would not be lopsided to our disadvantage when we import more than we export and our market is 64 million people while the the EUs (for comparison) is 678.4million, 10 times larger. The UK is taking itself out of the 3rd largest market, behind China and India, so notably the largest market per capita, and turning itself into the 21st largest market. What makes you think we would have MORE market power? Edited July 8, 2016 by Berberis Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ricgem2002 Posted July 8, 2016 Share Posted July 8, 2016 You failed to be funny, sorry. I don't understand why people voted to leave, you're right. I really can't get my head around it. But perhaps it's down a fundamental lack of knowledge about the EU, the economy or very much of anything coupled with a creeping anti-intellectual feeling that seems to afflict many of the under educated. so all/most of the leave voters are under educated well done cyclone :hihi: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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