Guided Missile

...and if you can't laugh at yourself, Whitey, who can you laugh at? "As i just said to Wes, you have no idea of the damage that you have caused."

What's wrong with it is that the Irish are effectively stealing tax dollars from the US, whilst benefiting from the effective protection afforded to them under NATO. They spend the lowest on defence in the EU as a percentage of GDP, lower than their fellow tax dodgers, Luxembourg. Still, the Germans are equally bad at shirking common defence spending, while the UK is the highest. No wonder Trump is going to pull out of NATO with these EU free loaders around. If Putin ever wanted to invade Europe, he'd just have send a couple hundred Russian commando's over to Cork and march to Dublin in about a day. How Trump would laugh at the tax Apple HQ being overrun...

This extract from KPMG is a hoot: No surprise that the Jean-Claude Juncker led EU failed to blacklist Luxembourg. From 1995 to 2013 he was the 23rd Prime Minister of Luxembourg, and from 1989 to 2009 he was the Minister for Finances. Still, at least the EU expressed regret. What a corrupt bunch...

Actually, I'll have a go at the Irish economic riddle. Apple sets up a company in Ireland to take advantage of the low (let's say 0-3% in Apple's case) corporation tax. They have iphones made in China for, let's say, £150. They sell them in Europe for £650 through the Irish company and book the profit in Dublin and the selling price adds to the Irish GDP. Apple then saves on the pesky US corporation tax of 21%, pays the Irish the square root of eff all in tax and the job's a good 'un. I'll let you guess how many Apple stores there are in Ireland. Maybe the EU don't give a sh! t about the tax haven that Ireland is, because the Irish has enough money now to pay the EU off in budget contributions. It's the least they can do. Their status upsets a few countries, though. Brazil have the Irish worked out and despite an effort to be removed from Brazil's blacklist in a St. Patricks day visit in May, they still rank up there with Panama, as reported recently in the Times: Still, as long as the EU Parliament doesn't believe Ireland is a tax haven, I doubt there is too much concern in Dublin: I'm constantly surprised that the lefties on here are so in thrall of the EU. I'd have thought they'd be the first to be up in arms regarding the EU vote above.

Oh, look, Mr. * has done a google search and come up with the fact that Ireland has twice as much industry as a share of GDP as Britain. The * insults don't bother me in the slightest, but your post shows the danger of letting a half wit have internet access. I'll provide you with a search term you can use when trying to get your little mind round the Irish economy. "Leprechaun economics" and Still, I'm willing to be educated by the genius like you on the details of the Irish economic miracle, since they were last bailed out by the British government, when it lent Ireland £3.2bn in 2010, with final repayment due in March 2021. Ireland has now paid £358 million (€428 million) in interest to the UK on a crisis loan it gave to the State in 2010. While you're at it, explain the Irish economic growth to Paul Krugman, at the same time. He doesn't get it, either... Ireland, the land of tax dodging US corporations, screwing the US treasury out of billions and paying off the Irish government. When Brexit happens and Trump goes after them, they'll be coming back to Britain with the begging bowl again. No wonder they don't want Brexit to happen...

Ireland, where US corporate tax dodgers are welcome. Without them and the EU money the Irish used to get, the economy will revert to growing potatoes. No wonder they don't want the UK to leave. They will have to pay more into the EU....

So, what we have in the current reality is the Germans printing money so that other countries can afford to buy their goods. When I was younger, you only saw BMW's and Mercedes in rich countries. Now they even have them in Ireland. There's a tax dodging economic riddle. From potatoes to dot com in no time (and no tax). Please, can someone tell me what the Irish make? Seriously....how does that economy work?

You realise that what you are seeing, when you take your mobility scooter into town, is the effect of amazon dot effing com, not the EU? Jeez...

He is on ignore, but doesn't seem to get rid of the smell. Must be when someone quotes him. Just can't scrape the sh!te off my loafers.

I haven't read them, but am I the only person that thinks shurlock's posts are becoming more like someone crapping on your living room carpet, during a house party? He's the leper in my thread...

Is that the same ONS that independently produces its statistics according the following standards?

Read this for the way forward on Brexit. The Telegraph is on a roll and is waking up to the facts outlined in my OP. ...and... It looks like their exit from the World cup is the least of Germany's problems. Note: Lex monetae is a Latin phrase which means that a sovereign state chooses which currency it will use and that the meaning of units of above-mentioned currency is determined by the law of the country whose money is in question. The concept has been identified as a potential problem if the Eurozone breaks up or a member state decides to leave it, since debts in euros may turn into debts owed in another currency. Conversion would be at a rate determined by the nation in question, and no party to a contract or transaction will have the right to default on it. No coincidence that the phrase is in Latin so the Italians understand it....

Size isn't everything, as your wife keeps saying. If you had read and understood the article, you may have realised that the Germans, via the ECB, have been buying amongst other gilts, Italian bonds. The Italian bondholders has been quickly turning this money into less risky investments, i.e. not Italian bonds. It is in the article you didn't read, but chose to engage me, because you are lazy. I won't make the same mistake again. Here is the extract from the article: (PS, the BoE has been investing in UK gilts and is unlikely to pull out of sterling) (PPS, You are back on ignore for wasting my time. Please feel free to engage with Mr. Smart money instead, who is bound to tell you what you want to hear, i.e. I am an ignorant scumbag, the Euro is a good thing and bet against sterling, pal. Thank God I put that arsewipe on ignore as well, or I'd be losing money on bitcoins )

​The chickens are coming home to roost, the writing is on the wall and the canary is dead (don't say I didn't warn you). Read this excellent Telegraph article and prepare for the upcoming economic cluster£ukk, to be lead by the Italians and followed closely by the Germans. It's like bobbing up and down in a lifeboat, watching the EU rearrange the deck chairs on the Titanic, while Draghi's band keeps playing.

I just love Wikipedia:

Pity the American Embassy diplomats didn't read the opening post of this thread, referencing the Heritage Foundation paper of 2014, here. It begins: Lucky for the US that their founding fathers weren't as lily-livered as these diplomats are, back in 1776.

Total nutcase. Like I said, get professional help, mate:

Farage pales into insignificance compared to Remains new puppet master, George Soros, in shorting sterling.

I find it frightening that there may be a one in 30,000 chance of meeting you at St. Mary's. You need professional help, mate...

Meanwhile, just to update my post with the latest information, courtesy of Lord Ridley and Professor Kevin Dowd: So, to repeat, wrong on both counts and Mr. "Smart Money" is back on ignore for being a troll....

Wrong on both counts:

The @TIME cover story blowing up reinforces everything Trump has said: *Fake News: She wasn't separated *Not a first time crosser *Claiming asylum when it doesn't apply *Photos in media don't show the reality *Put child in danger *Treating him differently than Obama

Time and its fake cover: Total b0ll0x as it turns out: Correction: The original version of this story misstated what happened to the girl in the photo after she taken from the scene. The girl was not carried away screaming by U.S. Border Patrol agents; her mother picked her up and the two were taken away together.

Seems like I was on the money, proved by this story: ....and the liberal, gullible fools on here just lapped it up....

Meanwhile, back in January, the BBC reported here: I know it's far fetched, but next, the EU will be supporting the transfer of the Eastleigh Transit factory to Turkey. Oh, hang on.... Now, remind me. Are Turkey and China in the EU single market?