I thought the best part was that it shows how increased taxes lead to both increased spending and increased deficits. So raising taxes to cut the deficit is like throwing wood on a fire to put it out. This seems quite relevant to your just previous post on gasoline taxes, as there is no way such taxes would fund the government instead of anything else.

Despite tons of evidence to go against Labour's embrace of the EU the Tories and Conservatives won't do it, preventing them from overtaking Labour.

The Tory apparat sees brighter prospects for themselves by becoming part of the EU oligarchy. What use do they have for leading a national government, even if it is British?

It's not so much the E.U. - from my readings of British history the Brits have never liked any of the other nations on the continet and have always treated them (French, Spanish, Germans, Dutch, etc.) with suspicion and contempt.
Of course, none of the groups that make up the United Kingdom (English, Scots, Welsh, Irish) liked the others very much either.
But they really hated those foreigners.

Mikey:

Wogs begin at Calais.

[T]he worsening of the fiscal balance has exceeded every other major industrial country except the United States.

If one factors out spending for homeland security and Iraq/Afghanistan, the US' Federal budget deficit is a quite bearable 2% of GNP.

The British, Dutch, French, and Spanish have all had a turn at Empire - only the British left a legacy of powerful and prosperous nations spanning the globe, and only the U.K. continues to influence world events in any meaningful way.

"If one factors out spending for homeland security and Iraq/Afghanistan, the US' Federal budget deficit is a quite bearable 2% of GNP."

Why would one want to do that? Is it play money?

creeper:

Because those expenditures are hopefully of a temporary nature, akin to a sudden and unexpected expense for a family.
When most households need money to repair their vehicle or pay a doctor, they use their savings or borrow the money, they don't slash their food budget.
In the case of the Federal gov't, there isn't any rainy day fund, (and rightfully so), so we throw it on the ol' nat'l credit card.

However, I agree that too much is being spent by Washington.
One solution would be to immediately raise the age for receiving full Social Security benefits to 65 1/2, applicable to anyone retiring after 1 Jan '07.
That alone would pay for Iraq & Afghanistan.

creeper:

Yes, in effect it is. For instance, Britain's debt after the Napoleonic wars was 250% of GDP and America's after WWII was 150% of GDP. But neither meant much of anything.

Crap.

Maybe it's time to think about leaving.