Quote:
Originally Posted by mousquet
The CAP is a decreasing expense though, it's expected to be 35% of the whole budget in 2013. I will confess that I'm not aware of the system details, it's just no secret that people in the UK have a negative opinion about it, and that agriculture is yet a precious resource when the world population keeps on growing. That sector has certainly a great future so we need to support the European farmers, it will be in the UK's interest as well.
As an average citizen, I have absolutely no problem with the British rebate. Numbers show that the UK is a major contributor, taking their responsibility, that's fine.
I just don't like the way you seem to despise southern Europe. For example Portugal has some debt issues for now, still the Portuguese are renowned as serious hard workers, they easily deserve your respect. Do you know that in average, the Greeks work more than the Germans and the British, not to mention the French? They surely have some issues and even some faults but since they're generally courageous for working, we're gonna help them and save our own butts at the same time because make no mistake, from Ireland to Greece, from Portugal to Finland, we're already all in the same damn boat and there will be no turning back.
|
CAP shouldn't be even 0.035% of the budget, let alone anywhere in excess of 30%. I have no argument with agriculture being an important resource for any economy.
What I have a problem with is the ineffective measures that CAP and other agricultural/rural policies have generated to manage and protect the sector. We live in a globalised economy where foodstuffs can be transported across the globe, yet CAP has increased prices for the average consumer, damaged the competiveness of agricultural sectors in emerging economies and led to a colossal waste of food (hence the term butter mountains and milk lakes) that is beneficial to nobody.
The simple reason why agriculture would thrive without CAP is that we all need food! The markets and consumer demand would reflect that, lowering prices, forcing adoption of new techniques and technologies and limiting waste.
You talk about Greeks working more than Germans, the French and Brits, yet at the same time they have astronomical levels of tax evasion, an obscenely extravagant public sector with padded pensions and rampant corruption. They didn't get into the present situation due to being unlucky.
Yet after getting into trouble and being gifted a line-line last week to restore some level of order and calm, Greece instead opts to throw it in the face of everyone else in Europe. A Greek No vote would not just send Greece back to the dark ages, but lead to multiple bank failures in France and Germany (high exposure to the country), but send shockwaves through the other PIIGS, with untold consequences. France, Germany and the rest of the EU would enter a significant downturn.