# EC Unveils New Maritime Policy



## Keltic Star (Jan 21, 2006)

http://www.asd-network.com/press_detail_B.asp?ID=13774&NID=128506

Seems a great concept, but mis-managed by Brussels will probably doom it.


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## benjidog (Oct 27, 2005)

Careful Keltic - you came close to saying something positive about the EU there. (Jester) 

It's a slippery slope you know - next thing you will be developing a liking for straight bananas. 

Brian


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## Keltic Star (Jan 21, 2006)

benjidog said:


> Careful Keltic - you came close to saying something positive about the EU there. (Jester)
> 
> It's a slippery slope you know - next thing you will be developing a liking for straight bananas.
> 
> Brian


Woops. sorry Brian, that would have been a critical error on my part. As for the bananas, am sure someone previously has advised the Euro's where they can stick them.
Seriously though, if it ever goes together it will be interesting to see how much joint co-operation takes place.


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## tacho (Oct 13, 2007)

I have looked at the link and it is the usual grandiose rubbish. There is nothing so wrong with anything that the EU can't make it worse.


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## Ron Stringer (Mar 15, 2005)

Keltic Star said:


> Seems a great concept, but mis-managed by Brussels will probably doom it.


It puzzles me why some Brits are so ready to accept the anti-EU stance of the UK's right-wing press, including those newspapers and other media outlets controlled by the "I'll change my nationality for money" Rupert Murdoch. Have the various British Governments of the past 50 years been so outstanding at recognising the benefits of, and supporting, the UK's shipbuilding and shipping activities? If the EU is at fault, how is it that so many other EU members have been able to retain (and in some cases even grow) their merchant and fishing fleets and shipbuilding industries? Our shipyards and merchant fleets are gone. The fishing industry is rapidly following.

When I travel in Western Europe I cannot help comparing the state of their infrastructures and their standard of living today with how they were 50 years ago. Not too many have gone down the hill in the same way as the UK. They seem to have done OK under the much-maligned EU. How come we haven't done the same?

They seem to have new high-quality roads, tunnels, viaducts and so on that (according to the hoardings alongside) have been built with assistance from the EU. I have seen the occasional similar sign alongside minor road construction projects in the UK, but few and far between. They seem to have been able to invest in smart, fast and reliable railway systems. The subsidy that we are now paying to the private companies that now operate our railways is five times the amount that we paid British Rail for providing a better service. Of course the shareholders are having to manage with only a moderate dividend. We have built hardly any new high speed roads in the past 25 years.

Isn't it time we grew up and accepted full responsibility for our own failings instead of continually blaming others, particularly foreigners?


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## tacho (Oct 13, 2007)

> Isn't it time we grew up and accepted full responsibility for our own failings instead of continually blaming others, particularly foreigners?


They are not foreigners they are your fellow EU citizens.


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## cboots (Aug 16, 2004)

Good post Ron and one would hope that it provokes some decent debate. However, on past form I wouldn't hold my breath for it, a vitriolic blast from the blimp squad is sadly a lot more likely. I shall maintain my status as a neutral on this one save to say that I hope Mr. Murdoch changes his nationality as he pleases so long as it is not back to Australian.
CBoots


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## Chouan (Apr 20, 2006)

cboots, I'm afraid that there won't be. 
Mention "Europe" and "EU" and the majority of Daily Mail, Express and Torygraph readers will start spouting the usual fatuous rubbish in the belief that either:
1) The stuff they read in their favourite propaganda sheets about the EU is true, or
2) They are being witty.

Rational discusions about EU proposals and rules are virtually non-existant, which is why countries like Spain can bend EU rules on fishing quotas, for example, as much as they like, and why Britain doesn't do anything about it, because we're too busy either condemning wholesale everything that the EU does, or we're sniggering like silly children at the stupid jokes that the anti-European newspapers like to pass off as news stories.


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## Santos (Mar 16, 2005)

Well I think we should never have joined in the first place. We have been sold down the river by successive Governments whose weakness has lost us our Merchant Fleet, our Fishing Fleet, our sovereignty and control over our own territorial waters and our basic industries of steel, coal and shipbuilding. It is now on the brink of ruining our farming too.

Our security is diminished by virtue of a forced immigration policy due to membership, this is flooding the country with cheap labour and reducing employment opportunities and housing for ourselves and our children. It is also leaving us open to terrorist infiltration and terrorism on our streets. It also gives foreign criminals easy access to us and our homes and businesses.

What good has the EU given us average citizens, nothing. Its lined the pockets of a great many politicians though, expences etc. Its given alot of UK money to foreign countries subsidies which we never get in return and which could be better spent on UK citizens.

The EU has ruined the UK and will continue to ruin it until some brave politician has the courage to take us out of it for good.

Long may the the Queen rule and the Union Jack and the Red Ensign fly.

Chris.


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## tacho (Oct 13, 2007)

> The stuff they read in their favourite propaganda sheets about the EU is true, or


Unfortunately you won't find out much about the EU from these papers - they are only as critical of the EU as they need to be.

For myself I read all the main papers daily - one of the advantages of the internet and I find the insinuation that I (and others) must be brainwashed by the "right wing" press bizarre.


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## Bill Davies (Sep 5, 2007)

Would not disagree.


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## Chouan (Apr 20, 2006)

"We have been sold down the river by successive Governments whose weakness has lost us our Merchant Fleet, our Fishing Fleet, our sovereignty and control over our own territorial waters and our basic industries of steel, coal and shipbuilding."

I think that you'll find that it wasn't "successive governments" but in reality one government which presided over the dismantling of all of these industries, and it was a government formed by a political party whose membership, broadly speaking, is opposed to the EU. 

As far as sovereignty is concerned, our foreign policy has been controlled by the US for years. Even our "Independent Nuclear Deterrent" cannot be used without US approval.


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## tacho (Oct 13, 2007)

> I think that you'll find that it wasn't "successive governments" but in reality one government which presided over the dismantling of all of these industries, and it was a government formed by a political party whose membership, broadly speaking, is opposed to the EU.


Not so subtle distortion of the facts here, or maybe the selective misinterpretation beloved by academics.

Our industry was moribund, bad unions, useless management and weak government had seen to that. In a misguided effort to keep thing going the Labour Party nationalised most of it. We all remember British Leyland, British Shipbulding, British Steel and British Coal and so on . Unfortunately in the nationalisation process the few enterprises which may have had a future were lumped in with the turkeys. Mrs Thatcher only signed their death certificates and sorted out the trade unions, most of which turned out to be big girls' blouses; apart from the miners who were led to a glorious or inglorious defeat (depending on your point of view) by Arthur Scargill.

Where was the merchant fleet in all this? Well shipowners sort of ….moved offshore with their “floating assets”.. sorry about that.


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## marinero (Jan 1, 2007)

It puzzles me why some(my highlight) Brits are so ready to accept the anti-EU stance of the UK's right-wing press, including those newspapers and other media outlets controlled by the "I'll change my nationality for money" Rupert Murdoch.

Hi Ron, 
I'm glad you quantified your post with the word "some" because I am sure that a lot of us are able (with our growing years) to sort out for ourselves both sides of an extremely voluble debate. Personaly, I think we are allowing Europe to cloud the important issues in our own country, like the seemingly uncontrolled immigration and the millions of people who are existing on one benefit or another. I had better stop now before the Mods wipe me out.
Regards


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