.

No worries Fred I don't want you to die, rest assured however if that sad event were to occur, dead certainty (no pun intended) your 'Gobshite of the Year' award would be awarded posthomously. :O)

downgrade of France's AAA rating would not be justified and the ratings agencies are making decisions based more on politics than economics, said Christian Noyer, who is a European Central Bank policymaker as well as head of the Banque de France.

Standard and Poor's is due to decide whether or not to downgrade eurozone countries in the coming days following an EU agreement on Friday to forge tougher fiscal rules.

"The downgrade does not appear to me to be justified when considering economic fundamentals," Mr Noyer said in an interview with local newspaper Le Telegramme de Brest.

"Otherwise, they should start by downgrading Britain which has more deficits, as much debt, more inflation, less growth than us and where credit is slumping," he went on.

However, he forget something called the euro which is about to blow up in his face. Selective reasoning, I believe they call it.

Hmmmm righteo - Spain looks safer than Italy as borrowing costs fall

(Reuters) - Spain saw solid demand for its bonds on Thursday, paying more than 2 percentage points less to borrow over 5-years than Italy a day earlier as budget cuts helped ease concerns it could be among the next to fall in the euro zone's debt crisis.

Channel 4

"Its Twitterloo! The Banque de France is throwing away the book on monetary diplomacy, and openly lashing out at Britains economic record in remarkable terms today.

A few weeks ago I reported on the growing discontent withing Europes central banks at the unwanted advice to print money from the English Patient.

Today, the Banque de France, Frances central bank, went a step further, clearly translating into English and tweeting out pointed criticisms of the UK economy in the name of its governor.

@banquedefrance: Noyer: The UK has a bigger deficit, as much debt, more inflation, weaker growth, than France.

@banquedefrance: Noyer: Bank lending is collapsing in the UK

Of course the context here is the increasing likelihood that Papa Noel is about to deliver the unwanted Christmas present of a AA credit rating.

I cant find the speech, but the tweets seem to be a defence of Frances credit rating, particularly in relation to the worse economic fundamentals in Britain.

Indeed when I saw Noyer in October he suggested that the eurozone was being punished for its virtue in not engaging in a UK-style massive monetisation of our debts. Certainly Standard & Poors now openly includes the prospect of having a friendly central bank liquidising your debts as a ratings plus point.

So who started this low level economic jousting? As I pointed out last month, European monetary officials are fed up with lectures from Britain.

The not-so-subtle megaphone diplomacy wielded by the Chancellor, PM, and US Treasury Secretary, has, i

The French bank's are in more trouble then our's are , they have the worse credit rating. Anyway who care's what the French say , they can't be trusted.

Can you be?

Maybe not - but we won the war :-)

Fred - Stand to attention for the mayonaise! French pillocks!

Oh well as its Friday -

"There is nothing lower than the human race...except for the French." - Mark Twain

"French history: They turn on their friends and surrender to their enemies!"

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mnamreh - I did try - but I got bored after 1, maybe 2 seconds.....

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I wish some of you lot would stop having a go at french people.....do you know them ?, apart from the crap our media put out about them....to me it is very irritating to see diagreements that can be resolved over a period of time between governments turn into a slanging match .....those who doubt the courage french people showed during the second world war should go to the museums and shrines dedicated to the resistance......I don't think that some of the televised prats on so called comedy shows help that much except inflame anti-european ideas !.

RF - its a 2 way street. I personally have had many excellent holidays in France over the years and find the French (once outside Paris) very hospitable.

One thing that separates us from most nations, is our ability to laugh at ourselves.

Q. What does a French military alliance and a French romance have in common?
A. Both are brief, sordid, and completely meaningless.


And for French - substitute any nation you wish !

Of course we are different...cultures etc....but being just plain nasty is not on !....by both sides....at the moment europe as a whole is in deep trouble and it will take a lot of pulling together from all sides to get things back in shape.....skinny...get a life....love the little cartoon figures stan......I'm not good enough at the internet to be able to do that....

RF,

Post 46,

I agree with your sentiments.

Once outside the major European municipalities cities have always found the majority of the population much of a muchness with ourselves.

Also, been surprised by their hospitality and how often they have gone out their ways to be helpful.

If you were referring to "Allo Allo" program, when I first saw it, I winced, but later did find it very funny.

Some of the French who told me the has seen the series, said that they had also found it very funny.

Also, a simple "Hello" often broke the ice.

-------

Last year, my grandchildren and parents stayed with my wife and self on a campsite in the Dordogne for three weeks.
For me, it was very pleasant to see the children of various nationalities (German. French, Dutch, Belgian, etc.) all playing happily together and the parents also being mutually helpful.

But there was low level banter without animosity.

Also interesting, to note how well the parents and offspring spoke and understood English compared with my own stuttering French.

-----------

To get out of the economic mess we are in within the next 12-18mths, we need Europe to do it. I am sceptical whether Europe needs us.

Trying to lay down rules and hoping to plunder Europe to satisfy UK "independence" rightly grates.
_______

Also I am fed up with paying exchange rates and charges on purchases from Europe and the same must apply to those in the Euro-zone dealing with the UK.
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Some in the UK are celebrating the fall in value of the Euro. Marvellous for me, and my next holiday, but the effect on our exports. Umhh.

A good post from RichGit on another mm



Merkel prefers to push Euroland into recession than lose Her position
of power.

She may yet even make Gordon Brown look intelligent,as the costs of Her
clinging to power will no doubt be remembered far longer than Gordie`s,in their immensity and consequence


How long can the other Pantomime member. watch the Carnage as the loss
of His AAA rating must be looming ever faster.

Seems we have the same panic selling of all assets for cash as in 2008
as some Market players face huge losses.,and sell their Gold positions.

Cycles & re-cycles