And I heard all Europeans loved Obama. The shipyard workers are worried though that their own president is spineless.
The owner of Le Ralliement, a café patronized by shipyard workers a few hundred metres from where the Vladivostok is docked, bristled with anger at Mr. Cameron and Barack Obama, the U.S. president.
“Obama should get off our case and concentrate on solving America’s problems,” said the burly 62-year-old, who declined to be named.
Thumping his hands on the bar for emphasis, he added, “As for Cameron, he should stop being the voice of his master and obediently repeating everything Obama says. If he wants to be heard in Europe, he should act as if he’s part of it.”
He stroked his moustache before going on, “The British should have been kicked out of the European Union when they chose not to take the euro like everyone else. And that soft president of ours hasn’t got the guts to stand up to anyone.”
Asked if it was morally justifiable to sell sophisticated warships to Russia after the downing of Flight MH17 by a missile which Washington says was fired from an area in eastern Ukraine held by pro-Moscow rebels, the café owner replied, “If we don’t sell ships to them, someone else will.”
Around the port, used by the Nazis as a submarine base in the Second World War, many shared his opinion, even if they expressed it less vehemently.
Stephane Gohaud, a 46-year-old taxi driver, described the MH17 disaster as “horrifying and tragic”, but added, “[The plane] should never have flown over a war zone. I don’t believe the Russians wanted it to be shot. It was a horrible mistake.”
……the British and the Euro. I can remember William Hague when he was the Conservative Leader going around Britain at the end of the campaign ‘Last Chance to Save the Pound.’
Given the difficulties Europe has gone through, the Euro has been remarkably resilient or the dollar has been very weak?
Ask you Europeans if they want the Euro, many will say no. But ask the Spanish, Portuguese, Italians, Greeks, and other countries with less than stable currencies, they’ll say no. About the only currency in European that was as stable was the Deutschmark.
Well still have about £150 of old legacy money sitting in a jar for the coin collection.
Better hope none of the deal is done in dollars or the Americans will come after them.
In the UK for three weeks. Watched Cameron do his bit. French would have to give back the money they have been paid ($1.2b). Hell no!
UK is in a bad way. No prawn cocktail flavored crisps in any of the three pubs I have tried! No tonic for a G&T in one. Asked my wife if you wanted a glass for the J2O! Tattoos seems to have grown exponentially in Brownhills. Good job we have an N-400 in flight.
@Neill
Never experienced any of those problems at my local, but I generally ask for cheese and onion…
Likely, the transactions in US dollars probably would violate any new sanctions. Although, France is unlikely to allow extradition of their businessmen for ‘crimes’ which are not crimes in France. They’ll probably be hit by massive fines instead if they assets in the US.
@Don
It’s fair to say that any sentiment about joining the Euro in the UK is now well and truly dead. It wasn’t much alive either back when Hague was holding up his £ coin in 2001 saying last chance to save the pound (and everyone knew Blair and New Labour weren’t really serious about joining the Euro)
Brock is such an excellent and serious site, focused on the solvable issue of CBT. I hope it does not loose that focus by diverting attention to international politics. We’re all angry at the wrong being done by CBT, but America bashing about politics in general may dilute the impact of our cause.
@CreatureOutside,
We are only probably ten miles from ‘benefits street’ here. I think the pubs were devastated by the smoking ban, tax increases and benefit cuts. Many have closed. I saw two young moms drinking tinnies in the car park of Tesco the other day. Their kids running about. Probably can’t afford to drink in a pub.
Obviously we could get the lower quality cheese and onion crisps though!
I did get a nice Sunday roast in the pub though.
@Jim: Yes, I agree with you. We have a unique opportunity here to be “diplomats” in our own cause.
People successful in selling often remark “you can catch more flies with honey than with vinegar.” They talk of standing on the same side as the person they are selling to, and seeing life from their customer’s point of view, in order to be persuasive. Above all, they avoid humiliating or antagonizing them.
To squander our chances by getting too far off course or portraying ourselves as “enemies” could be a tragic waste of opportunity. So much is at stake for us, our friends, families, and descendants….
Certainly I do relate to the vitriol implicit in some posts, given the awful hurts we have suffered; but WINNING OUR CAUSE will surely be far more satisfying than striking out wildly. To have a real chance of achieving success around FATCA and CBT and FBAR issues, focus, tact and diplomacy are going to be important.
To channel our rage and righteous anger into an action that has a real fighting chance to become the engine of our justice, we now have, thanks to their brave heroes and tireless work, the Charter Challenge at http://www.adcs-adsc.ca/
Every dollar we can send to the Charter Challenge lifts our cause a step nearer to being heard loud and clear internationally.
Everyone of us can make really make a difference. Many have already given and others are doing so week by week. Have you, dear reader? I would urge you to please, please donate now.
It is now in our hands to help make the difference. The absolute outcome cannot be known, but the Charter Challenge must itself surely force the world to listen.
The brave heroes of the Charter Challenge are making history by giving their lives and their funds and their time to make it happen. They are inspiring leaders, but each of us can help them a bit. Please donate. You can help them! I can help them! We can all help them! Please donate now at http://www.adcs-adsc.ca/
Surgite!
@Jim;@Sad-in-the-UK
Unless I am missing some political nuance of this article, it appears to be just anti-government in a way that does not include the core issues of the Isaac Brock Society. I would suggest excluding of such articles, including removing them from the site, beneficial to what Brockers would like to achieve, by not obscuring the focus of the Society.
Re: “you can catch more flies with honey than with vinegar.” Yes we must ‘couch our arguments in the interests’ of the other parties. However, if the world is described as having too much honey – then ‘why fix what ain’t broke?’ The case must be advanced that there is something really broke here. A successful challenge by ADCS would I believe be quite effective in bringing this case to the Canadian government, US government, and the world.
I would hope for greater focus of this website on honing the arguments and wording of what is broke and how it may be fixed by those in power to do so, and why it is in their interest and responsibilities to act toward resolution of injustices of US Citizen based taxation, FATCA, and FBAR. All, this to help better equip those so inclined to spread the world toward sparking action and resolution of these issues.
@JC @Jim
I agree wholeheartedly. Just because we’re not happy with the IRS doesn’t mean that Russia is our best friend. A lot of Russian banks are closing the accounts of ‘U.S. Persons’. Admittedly, there haven’t been that many interesting Cbt news stories lately, but it is important not to turn people off unnecessarily.
I should have done my daily search for FATCA articles before I posted! This article is more like what we need to focus on:
http://www.vancouversun.com/news/Metro+Vancouver+woman+joins+movement+drop+citizenship/10056687/story.html
@Publius That should be the lead story of the society today.
Good plug for IBS MS and ADCS
“live in “terror” of the long reach of the U.S. Internal Revenue Service.” Should be declared by the U.S. as an entity of terror.