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20 Nov 2012 - 3:46 AM

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thewilliam

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20 Nov 2012 - 9:29 AM

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Quote: a country whiich most English people consider backward.First I heard of it. I've known some people who don't like the French, for no particular reason, and some who say the French don't like us, which I think means the French don't like them. I don't recall hearing of France as a backward country. They own the power and water utilities where I live, and we get some of our electricity from their nuclear power stations, as we seem to have abandoned our lead in that technology. And they have a spaceport don't they ? But I'm not really surprised if there are people who don't know that.

The reading age that's needed to cope with the biggest selling UK newspapers is in single figures. Whenever I look at such publications, I'm always surprised what constitutes "news". A full 25% of our school-leavers are functionally illiterate and yet the population accepts the shambles that calls itself a state education system. Do many Brits know what foreigners are really like?

The French did design a lot of the Airbus but BAe did the wings and they're a technological miracle. Have you noticed how aircraft wings are a lot smaller than they used to be?

brian1208 (e2 Member)

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20 Nov 2012 - 9:38 AM

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Quote: And what about the Airbus, don't they build most of that, and provide most of the technology?

ummm - NO (they just like to think they do! )


Quote: In September, 1967, ministers from France, Britain and Germany met in London to sign a memorandum of understanding to launch the first phase of the development of the A300, a short-to-medium range twin-engine aircraft. Work was to be shared 37.5 per cent each between France and Britain, with 25 per cent for Germany. Sud Aviation was given the role of “lead company”, while Hawker Siddeley was selected to be the British partner company


Quote: More than 2,000 engineers at Filton are involved in a range of areas, including wing integration, flight physics, structures and systems. Filton also is responsible for wing assembly and equipping for the A400M multi-role airlifter, and is home to a Composites Structures Development Centre. /

from here

lemmy

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20 Nov 2012 - 9:53 AM

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Quote: first I heard of it. I've known some people who don't like the French

Yes, bad choice of words. I meant some. I've heard it in the context of eating horse but in my job I spent time, unavoidably, in areas of our cities where ignorance is rife and it comes up as a by-product a general dislike. These were not the kind of folk who inhabit forums like this!

Yes, I agree Mikehit, the constantly increasing population density here is the overall problem. You'd certainly never get the M25 built today (for better or worse). And the squandering of the North Sea oil was the worst kind of short termism.

A problem that France will have to address is the percentage of the population that is employed by the government. It can't go on and is only sustained by the fact that the French worker is 30% more productive on average than ours, a product of the better infrastructure. As you say, British railways would be a lot better if they were subsidised to the extent they are in France. The French regard rail as part of the infrastructure, so the attitude is different from ours.

I read the French papers while I'm there and from them and talking to neighbours, I get the impression that France is better governed than we are (my neighbours would not necessarily agree with that ) in that education, transport, communications, health are not the political footballs they are here, so they are not subject to the constant and disruptive change for political reasons.

Why we let French nationalised industries buy our utilities I don't understand. They would not let us buy theirs and I'd have thought that what is sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander.