Gobby wee jobbie, with a bit of an attitude……

Not really, the uk also has the means to back it up, not least through its seat on the UN security council. Plus a huge amount of power in IMF / world bank. And trident, of course, just in case Argentina pushes its luck 😉

nah, it’s just forgotten it doesn’t have an empire anymore.

So is it the grumpy old man who is harking back to the “good old days”?

I thought we had more of a moan and whinge syndrome?

I think we are more like the “Beast Of Caerbannog” from the Holy Grail…….small and timid looking but ferocious when challenged. 😆

[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XcxKIJTb3Hg[/video]

nope, small men know they are small.

the uk has yet to have this epiphany

nah, it’s just forgotten it doesn’t have an empire anymore.

This.

The UK has 1% of the world’s population; 1% of the total landmass; and less than 1% of the armed forces. Who are we kidding, but ourselves? We’re only on the P5 because we ‘won’ a war 60 years ago, even though we’ve some how managed to lose the peace.

Lost Victory: British Dreams, British Realities by Correlli Barnett

Surrounded By Zulus – Member

So is it the grumpy old man who is harking back to the “good old days”?

Kind of. People think there’s something wrong with the fact that we, for instance, fell from 6th biggest industrial producer in the world to 7th last year… but by population we’re 22nd biggest. So despite the fact that the UK punches a long way above its weight in many ways, people still say “Ah but we used to punch even harder”

Are you talking about me? Ya lanky git.

The UK has 1% of the world’s population; 1% of the total landmass; and less than 1% of the armed forces

6th largest economy in the world, which aint too shabby

But behind Japan and Germany… I’m glad my grandfather is not here to see it.

6th largest economy in the world, which aint too shabby

You’re not keeping up – it’s 7th now, just been overtaken by Brazil.

Brazil overtakes UK as sixth-largest economy

Five or six years ago the UK had the 4th largest economy in the world. It’s going to carry on dropping for a very long time – so get used to it. Soon the UK will not qualify for G8.

30 years ago during the Falklands War Britain had the third largest navy in the world, I don’t think it ranks even in the top 10 now.

Britain, along with the rest of Europe, is now in a state of irreversible decline.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_military_expenditures
Looks like we still want/try to keep up with the Jones’s though…
Perhaps explains some of our financial problems

We’re still an enormous outlier as far as financial power goes.

Mainly because we’re so ace. It’s the rest of the world that has the issue, not us. No matter how hard China and India and all those other places in the world try for ever and ever, they’ll never reach that level of disproportional power.

Never mind guys. 😉
/grinds groin at computer.

Don’t count on that ernie any time within the next century. We will stay in the top 10.

ernie will be dead by 2050 anyway. He’s like 75 now.

Although granted, life sustaining techniques are getting much, much better nowadays.

Is it the Indians or Chinese who are driving that design? Nope. Plucky Brits.

/grinds groin at computer again.

Don’t count on that ernie any time within the next century. We will stay in the top 10.

😕 What are talking about ? We were fourth 5 years ago, seventh now, and Centre for Economics and Business Research, in the link I provided, forecasts that the UK will be ninth largest economy in the world in eight years time. Do you really think we will still be in the top ten in 88 years time ? We’re dropping at the rate of one place every 2 or 3 years.

Seriously, stop deluding yourself. The E7 economies will be the new G7 by 2050.

Ummm that’s a very very simplified and naive view of economics. Trends aren’t always linear! How many countries below the the E7 lot will be able to challenge us technologically? Very few, that’s what. Would you like me to hand your arse on a platter seeing as my missus is an economist?

Here’s another forecast. Don’t worry, we arn’t going to become another Greece or Lithuania soon.

http://www.pwc.com/en_GX/gx/world-2050/pdf/world-in-2050-jan-2011.pdf

That’s not even mentioning the murmurings that new industrial technologies such as 3d printing of metal could one day annihilate economies that rely on cheap manufacturing… or the fact that in terms of Nobel Laureates and true technological breakthroughs such as tissue engineering it’s still the US and Britain that are massively dominant.

Would you like me to hand your arse on a platter seeing as my missus is an economist?

Your missus is an economist ??!!!!!

Wow, you must know a lot about economics. I can’t argue with someone who’s missus is an economist. So it’s a fair cop then……..you’ve done me like a kipper guv.

“How many countries below the the E7 lot will be able to challenge us technologically? Very few, that’s what.”

How about Chile, Egypt, Hungry, Malaysia, Pakistan, Philippines, Poland, South Africa, Taiwan, and Thailand, for starters ? And there are already about another 20 “developed” economies above the E7 but below the UK which can help the UK slip down the ladder. Although to be fair they will probably mostly slip down with the UK.

What are talking about ? We were fourth 5 years ago, seventh now, and Centre for Economics and Business Research, in the link I provided, forecasts that the UK will be ninth largest economy in the world in eight years time. Do you really think we will still be in the top ten in 88 years time ? We’re dropping at the rate of one place every 2 or 3 years.

Seriously, stop deluding yourself. The E7 economies will be the new G7 by 2050

you better ring up the relations and see if you can move and get citizenship then

you don’t want to be stuck on a sinking ship do you 😉

you will be able to comfort yourself with the thought that the withdrawl of your input into the UK economy as a contracting joiner helps what you think actually happen 😉

Ernie, if you’re so fed up with the UK and Europe in general (you seem to have exuded this attitude in a few threads of late), then why don’t you head back to the modern utopia of South America, and do us all a favour?

zokes – Member
Ernie, if you’re so fed up with the UK and Europe in general (you seem to have exuded this attitude in a few threads of late), then why don’t you head back to the modern utopia of South America, and do us all a favour?

How’s Oz zokes?

Chasing me round the threads now big and daft ? I’m touched and honored by the importance you attach to me, as you can imagine. But I must insist, I’m not worthy of such attention. Although obviously it’s always nice to be reminded that I’ve rattled you………so carry on 8)

zokes – Member

Ernie, if you’re so fed up with the UK and Europe in general

LOL ! So I point out that Britain and Europe are entering a period of economic decline and that translates into “you’re so fed up with the UK and Europe in general” !

Does that apply too to the Centre for Economics and Business Research, the FTSE, and everyone else who is saying the same thing ? Are they also “fed up with the UK and Europe in general” ? !

I said on another thread that sometimes it’s like arguing with an 11 year old kid on here. Firstly someone says, you can’t argue with me my missus is an economist, and then you come along with some playground taunt about “why don’t you head back to the modern utopia of South America, and do us all a favour?” 😀

No one mentioned South America being any sort of modern utopia you daft child.

How’s Oz zokes?

Great, cheers 🙂 Having found better opportunities down here, I moved, rather than sitting on an internet forum sulking about the UK and Europe declining.

and then you come along with some playground taunt about “why don’t you head back to the modern utopia of South America, and do us all a favour?”

Now that’s some school you went to if those were the sorts of taunts you were subjected to!

You keep implying that South America will be some great powerhouse whilst Europe crumbles into ruin. If this is the case, and you clearly have connections there, why not just go and make the most of it? You do seem pretty passionate about it.

sulking about the UK and Europe declining.

Sulking ? 😀

Is that what the article in the link, which reports how Britain is slipping down the ‘wealthiest nation’ list, is doing ……”sulking” ?

You keep implying that South America will be some great powerhouse whilst Europe crumbles into ruin. If this is the case, and you clearly have connections there, why not just go and make the most of it? You do seem pretty passionate about it.

So I point out that Brazil has just overtaken the UK as the 6th wealthiest nation in the world, and that means I feel very “passionate about it” ? Were all the other news providers who reported this fact back in December also passionate about it ? 😀

No, I don’t have any connection with Brazil.

But yes, sometimes debates on stw fall to the intellectual level of the school playground – thanks to contributions from people like yourself. Which although there is something clearly amusing about grown men abandoning all attempt to have grownup sensible debate because they lack the intellectual ability to do so, can get rather tedious.

thanks to contributions from people like yourself

Apart from being a slightly more patronising and slightly less amusing attempt to fill the small void Fred leaves every time he’s banned (which does seem to be when your post count goes up), I’m not sure you’ve ever added much of value to any debate. It’s just more of Fred’s “I’m right, you’re all idiots” garbage.

At best it’s irritating, and at worst it has a pretty deleterious effect on most threads in which you participate.

I don’t know about the UK, but *someone* has small man syndrome.

So despite the fact that the UK punches a long way above its weight in many ways, people still say “Ah but we used to punch even harder”

I just wish we’d stop punching everyone.

even the argies and the scotch?

zokes – Member

Apart from being a slightly more patronising and slightly less amusing attempt to fill the small void Fred leaves every time he’s banned (which does seem to be when your post count goes up), I’m not sure you’ve ever added much of value to any debate. It’s just more of Fred’s “I’m right, you’re all idiots” garbage.

At best it’s irritating, and at worst it has a pretty deleterious effect on most threads in which you participate.

Listen mate, your only contribution to this thread has been to slag me off – you have contributed absolutely nothing else at all. Now I don’t mind you slagging me off, despite the fact that it’s, tedious, predictable, and completely pointless, but don’t give me this “pretty deleterious effect on most threads” accusation, when the only thing which has motivated you on this thread has been to launch personal attacks on me.

So does this mean eventually my salary will be that of a Brazilian/Chilean/Thai person?

billy bragg thinks so

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2012/feb/17/jingoism-england-ebbing-power

the link I provided, forecasts that the UK will be ninth largest economy in the world in eight years time.

Eighth actually – can’t make sense of your own links?

Anyway, where were we in the 70s? Pretty poor, got bailed out which was nice.

Being overtaken by huge nations such as Brazil, India, China and Russia isn’t anything to be upset about – anyway, the UK poor will always be better off than the huge numbers of poor in those countries – and those in the US too for that matter.

Being overtaken by huge nations such as Brazil, India, China and Russia isn’t anything to be upset about – anyway, the UK poor will always be better off than the huge numbers of poor in those countries – and those in the US too for that matter.

This is the bit I’m interested in, will it affect my quality of life and I don’t think it will.

This is the bit I’m interested in, will it affect my quality of life and I don’t think it will.

Countries with bigger populations, landmass, and natural resources overtake UK shocka.

These countries will struggle to get the same quality of life we here in the UK have, particularly India and china. Of course it depends on how you define quality of life.

As for the Uk, we need to chillout a bit, we will still be a big hitter for a long time to come.

Right, the only reason I opened this thread as to watch the Bunny clip again.