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Old-Man-Mike

Listed below are comments made by Old-Man-Mike between Wednesday, 25th February 2009 and Sunday, 8th March 2009.

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Stem cell decision imminent 5:07pm on 08 Mar 2009 To Jeebers76

I would like to say that agree with every one of your points. It will be a long haul, but worth it in the end.

As to the short ter, I would say that the most important lesson from history, particularly European history, it that the middle classes must not give up hope for recovery and reform.

Every revolution has been lead by, of backed by, disaffected members of the Middle Classes including Military officers and political leaders., Franco, Hitler, Lenin, Mussolini, Castro and a host of others in Latin America and around the world were of Middle Class backgrounds.

Do not think it could not happen in America, I am sorry to0 say :Why Not. If it could happen in Germany, given enough provocation, it could happen anywhere.
Young Europeans quiz Clinton 4:50pm on 08 Mar 2009 To: WebAlice 46

According to the BBC article, the dummy button was ment to say RESET in Russian. The word used was PEREGRUZA which apparently means Overload or Overcharge.

By the way, you might not know that President Dmitri Medvedev made a 2 day visit to Madrid Spain on Monday and Tuesday this past week.

Spain has had good relations with Russia over a good many years. The USSR was the only State to send help to the Republican Government, mainly fighter aircraft and pilots, during the 1936-39 Spanish Civil War.

To: Marcus 51 and others.

There is a saying that: When you find yourself in a hole - stop digging. Sofar the Obama Administration looks as if it has stopped digging but has yet to find a way of getting out of the hole, in fact several holes.

Where as in Britain and the USA the general attitude toward politicians is that they are castigated when things go wrong, here in Europe we a rather please when they get it right.

I think that Secretary of State Clinton is doing a good job as Americas Ambassador at Large. The meeting with younger people carries a good will message as did her meeting in Soal an President Obama speech in Berlin last summer. What is going on behind closed doors, who knows.
Europe's Afghan challenge 10:42am on 05 Mar 2009 To me NATO has for filled its mission and should be wound up as a military alliance. Purpose to keep America in, Germany down and Russia out. While they were relevant, these objects were achieved but no longer so.

Britain and America might not agree but I think that most of Continental Eurpo would agree with Russia, that: it is a Cold War relic. Having re-read the BBC article - Nato Wary of Russian Plan - it sound like and organization trying to justify its on continued existence with scare malingering regarding Russian actions and intention.

In my view Afghanistan is not a legitimate field of action for NATO however much the rules are bent to make it fit.

It might not be so bad if there was any realistic prospects of a successful outcome but the lesson of history is that there is not, least of all by military action.

The Afgans dont want to be developed or stabilized by they wont to go on living their tradition tribal life and the rest of the world can go hang. This is my opinion, for what it is worth, anyway.
Brown's free trade message 10:17am on 05 Mar 2009 Justin

Having just read your first link one thing appears to have been forgotten. This is that President Obama is Head of State and Her Majesties Prime Minister is not.

When the Queen of England visits Washington she get the full treatment as Head of State as indeed will President Sarkozy of France I presume.

I am still baffled as to the point of this visit which if anything has shown up how times have changed for both the USA and Great Britain since Sir Winston Churchill time.

To me, the whole thing had about as much relevance and sincerity as an old school or college reunion 30 years on.

We all, like it or not, have to give up the past so that we to live today and for the future.
Brown's free trade message 10:25pm on 04 Mar 2009 As a Brit living Spain, I am sorry to say that Britain has not much to offer the USA and there is not much Obama can do for Britain. It is mainly a P.R.exercise.

However, not o be too negative lot of Brits and other Europeans are only to happy to be friends with America just provided you can resists the temptation to tell us what to do. We promise to return the compliment.

And, we will not even mention the Middle East.
Did the summit fail the East? 10:10pm on 04 Mar 2009 To Menedemus 54

I have to agree with you re de Gaulle and MacMillan. It was said at the time the Germany i.e. West Germany wanted us and France needed us. Times change, France is cuddling up to Spain rather than the other way round.

Actually, the idea of any country domination, manipulation or bossing around Spain is a bit funny really. Hitler tried to get Franco to join the Axis powers after the fall of France. Not unreasonable one might think considering the German air force was a considerable factor in the Nationalist winning the Civil War of 1936 to 39. General Franco said NO. Or at least, give me oil and food and I will consider the matter, which was as good as saying no.

Nobody pushes the Spanish around - commercially, politically or on the sports fiel for that matter. Ever watched Nadal playing a tennis match or Alonso driving a racing car?

It is said that the French are our neighbours but the Moroccans are our cousins. The distance across the Straights of Gibraltar is about half the distance across the Dover Straights. We have had very close relationships with North Africa going back into pre-history. Today we get much of are oil and gas from North Africa not to mention the 600,000 Moroccans that work in Spain.

To TimOfBrum

I agree with you - money talks. Britain would continue to be a net importer whether or not it was within the E.U. and accept E.U. rules as does Norway, Switzerland and even the USA.

To MA II

Well Marcus it is actually worse than that. All 27 members of the EU are members of the MU plus 16 countries from around the Mediterranean making 43 countries in all. These include Turkey and Greece, Syria and Israel, Egypt and Libya. I live 15 Km from the Headquarters and full expect to hear the row from here when they all get together.

The MU will probably work pretty well at the commercial and even social level, but politically, in my opinion, it will put even Washington in fighting in the shade.
Send a message to Brussels 9:12pm on 04 Mar 2009 I am 100% pro the EU and if this is the best the European Parliament can come up with perhaps we could do without it. Save a lot of money including the cost of moving backwards and forwards to Strasburg every six months.
Iraq and Ozymandias 11:19am on 04 Mar 2009 Americans, dont be so hard on yourselves. I was a five year old kid in London when Britain declared War on Germany to for fill our Treaty obligations to Poland.

I really liked American dried egg pancakes, dried bananas and corned beef but not too keen on Spam. FDR risked impeachment to keep us supplied with food, oil, ships including 50 destroyers, and aircraft right from the beginning and well before the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbour.

After the war ending the Truman Administration not only master minded Marshall Aid which was offered to all European Countries whatever their politics, but also granted a direct credit to the British Government of ,I think, nearly 4 billion dollars, A truely massive sum in those days.

I see no Problem in being both pro-Europe and pro-American.

P.S. I have no intention of getting involved in discussing the Second World War. I lived through it in spite of having bombs, rockets and flying bombs rained down, more than 30,000 Londoners did not. I would nor recommend the experience to anyone.
Did the summit fail the East? 10:49am on 04 Mar 2009 Having lived in Spain near Barcelona for the last 12 years, I agree strongly with Betuli 31 above. In the European partnership of States The Latin Arch, particularly France and Spain are beginning to look outwars and with good reason.

In 2009 life is going to get even more complicated for poor Mark Mardell with the Union for the Mediterranean headquarters being set up in Barcelona. Germany saw this as a way round the impasse over the Lisbon draft treaty and insisted that all EU member states should belong.

A lot is going on which gets little attention outside Spain. The Russian Prsident Dmitri Medvedev has just compeated a two day visit to Madrid and the Chinese Permier, I think Premier, is to visit soon. Our Foreign Minister has met with Secretary of State Clinton in Washing and they both came out all smiles.

Within the last Year we have also had visits from the King of Saudi Arabia, and the Presidents of Brazil and and our Hugo from Venezuela. The significance of all this is nor really clear, but for sure Spain is not looking towards Great Britian. Europe, all of it, is considered much more interesting and important. As a Londoner I feel sorry for this, however I firmly believe it to be true.
Ambitious healthcare promise 10:03pm on 25 Feb 2009 I do not think that the USA should copy and individual alternative but should look at all. This is a brief run down on the system of health care here in Spain.

We have both private and public services. As Public is Regional based, Catalunya Health Serves some 7 million people. It is based on Health Centres and Public Hospitals and not general practitioners working in partnerships as in the UK. Services are free to the user and are available to all. Medicines are also free for children, mothers, pensioners and the chronically sick, otherwise the patient pays a proportion of the cost.

I like most who can afford to, belong to a Mutual, non-profit, society which provides free treatment from private practitioners, specialists and private hospital care not only here in Spain but also when travelling in any part of Europe. Private prescriptions for medicines can be converted to public by taking them to any Health Centre.

Apart from eliminating the profit motive, cast are keep down in a number of ways compared to the British NHS. Firstly, all health records are regarded as belonging to the patient and not the service. I have now got used to being handed scans, x-rays, and test results, but if they got lost well that is my fault.

The second if that the partner, parents or friend of a patient in hospital takes an active part in caring and a sofa type bed is provided for their use in all private hospitals.

Thirdly is at very many of the hospital, health centres and clinics are modern having been built or completely refurbished in the last 20 years. However the capital investment has been enormous and would not be possible at the present time.

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