Money, money, money - nobody,it seems, has got any!

They say that money is a theme for the common man. One doesn't talk about it, one either has it or one doesn't!
Well - I haven't got it, so let's talk about it!
Back at the beginning of the Euro and it's "zone", quite a few British people I met said what a great thing it was - for BRITAIN!
It was all bound to collapse, and since Britain wasn't in it, Britain could only win!
Of course, the truth was rather different. Britain wasn't in it because Britain never asked to join, and Britain never asked to join because Britain knew that the "conditions" would be draconian, probably resulting in their being thrown out - if they were ever admitted!
Now, of course, the one or other have started crowing again "told you so" (having spent the last 5 or 6 years wailing about how the damned Euro was going up and up).

crash landings on the horizon?

Well - I've got some news from my subject of authority - make the most of it, because it's slowly turning out that although the Euro zone has certain problems, the Sterling zone is remarkedly worse!
Let me explain.
The Germans came out just yesterday with the fact that they would have to make drastic cuts, and possible tax rises, over the next 10 years to clear up the National Debt of 60 billion euros (around 50 billion GBP).
The French came out last week to say they had plans to clear up the National Debt by using cuts in Public spending and possibly tax rises. Their National Debt?
Around 80 billion euros (around 70 billion GBP)
TODAY, the British have come out with the statement that the clearing of the National Debt will be "painful" and may last a long time! No plan is given as yet, only the amount - 150 billion GBP (around 180 billion euros!)
Well - if I take the German plan of 10 years to clear up 60 billion euros, my mathematics tell me that Britain will require (under the same stringent conditions) three times as long = 30 YEARS!

When it comes to cuts and tax rises, eagle eyes are watching you -

for the next 30 years!

Unfortunately for the British their Governments have already used up a couple of large "money-raisers" - in particular the raising of VAT (called in France "TVA" and in Germany "MwSt")
One of the most simple methods, least liked but easy to impose, that raises enormous amounts of money and is paid by all, this tax has already been raised just in the last year or so by the British Government, so it's doubtful that a further raise would be acceptable or sustainable.  Here is an up to date list, to be taken as a general guide only, but it can be seen that in general, the rate of VAT in the UK is generally already higher than in France or German, with few exceptions:

Country	VAT %
Austria	9.09-16.67%
Belgium	21%
Denmark	25%
Finland	17-22%
France	5.21-19.6%
Germany	7-16%
Greece	11.5-15.25%
Ireland	17.36%
Italy	4-20%
Luxembourg	15%
Netherlands	15.97%
Norway	24%
Portugal	19% (13% in Madeira and Azores)
Spain	16%
Sweden	25%
Switzerland	7.6%
United Kingdom	17.5%

 
Of course, there is the last point I would like to make.
Do the British politicians and people REALLY believe the argument that has been put to me regularly....do they really believe that all the Euro Zone countries will go bust whilst Britain sails on untroubled?
This recalls famous well known images of the Captain saluting with the water already up to his chin, and that Captain was wearing a Royal Navy uniform!
Better make sure that you get things in the right order, otherwise they can get out of hand!

(I don't mind sitting on the park bench feeding the birds, so long as the birds don't eat ME...!)

In any case, I've got no brass, so I can talk about it, I could even do a bit of:       TRUMPETING - on the theme!