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View From The Top
Welcome to “Quesada focus” and to my monthly column “a view from the top”. Hopefully you will find my rambling readable maybe even enjoyable. You may agree or you may disagree with my views.. I care not.. These are my views long held and forged over a life time of work, travel and experience. Now that’s over let’s have a look at what is really winding me up.
The New Year... 2012 and all that... Firstly let me say a “Happy and prosperous” New Year to all of you out there in “Focus” land. I am sure that after the turmoil of the last 12 months we are all hoping that the coming year brings some stability to our uncertain futures. That’s the good news over with... for I can only foresee another year of frustration and uncertainty for us mere mortals. The year will be dominated by a continuation of the “Euro zone” meltdown. Once Greece has gone it will be hard for the Germans and French to support the other troubled nations as the crisis grows. You would think, would you not, that the amount of time politicians spend on the crisis coupled with the multitude of meetings held to sort things out that by now a solution would have been arrived at... but no, absolutely nothing has been achieved... That’s politicians for you! What follows is a simple explanation of what the crisis is all about.
The German Bailout. It is a slow day in a little Greek village. The rain is beating down and the streets are deserted. Times are tough; everybody is in debt and living on credit. A rich German tourist driving through the village stops at the local hotel and lays a 100 euro note on the desk, telling the hotel owner he wants to inspect the rooms in order to pick one to spend the night in... The owner gives him the keys and as soon as the tourist
has gone upstairs the owner grabs the 100 euro note and runs next door to pay his debt to the butcher.
The butcher takes the note and runs down the street to pay his debt to the pig farmer. The farmer takes the 100 euro note and in turn pays his supplier of feed and fuel. The guy at the farmer’s co-op takes the note and pays his drinks bill at the local tavern. The publican slips the money to the local hooker drinking at the bar, who has also been facing hard times and has had to offer him “services” on credit.
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Quesada Focus
The hooker then rushes to the hotel and pays off her room bill to the hotel owner with the 100 euro note. The hotel owner then places the 100 euro note on the counter so the rich tourist will not suspect anything. At that moment the tourist comes down the stairs picks up the 100 euro note, and states that the rooms are not satisfactory, pockets the money and leaves town. No one produced anything. No one earned anything. However the whole village is now out of debt and looking to the future. That dear reader is how the bailout package works.
New Year Messages. Like all good Patriots I took some time to watch The Queen’s New Year message... much of the same... family, nation, togetherness and one world etc was the theme of her address. What has got my goat however is the succession of nonsense spouted by a whole cavalcade of “wannabe” New Year messagers! Cameron has been at it (yawn) then Clegg had a go (bigger yawn) then Milliband (the wrong one) and lastly the Archbishop of Canterbury, to name but a few, threw his “Mitre” into the ring. My advice to all these wannabes... Facta non Verba... Deeds not words! I knew my education would come in useful one day... sixty and to my knowledge that is my first use of the Latin I was taught at school.
Last But Not Least... Out walking my dogs this morning passing other dog walkers I was struck by the realisation that dog owners really do start to look like their dogs... Just have a look yourselves when you are out and about it really is amazing. It’s not only in the looks but also in the mannerisms. It is weird and wonderful... the bond between man and his faithful friend. For those of you who are interested I have two Border Collies. You can just imagine how handsome and sleek I am... and what a turning circle.
Enjoy this year and keep safe and well.
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