Ahoy Limeys, El Salvador's Handing it to You.

**Captain Arrrgh!** · October 10, 2008, 01:29 AM

Whaddup with you blokes across the lake? Do Peru and El Salvador have better financial acumen than Britannia?

And look where Canada is! Not bad for a bunch of flanel wearing, syrup slupping hockey players.

http://ca.news.finance.yahoo.com/s/0...em-survey.html

**Kleos** · October 10, 2008, 02:31 AM

"Whaddup with you blokes across the lake?"
New Labour.

We used to be world class - even the above link says we used to rank in the top five - now eleven years of New Labour and we have sunk to 44th. Never mind Peru, Botswana is better paced than us!!

**Yorkshireman** · October 10, 2008, 02:43 AM

I bet Scotland are glad they're not independant right now, they'd be on their knees to London and Brussel's now with a begging bowl.

"Have ye got a poond fer eh cup a tea"

**Captain Arrrgh!** · October 10, 2008, 03:36 AM

Originally Posted by Yorkshireman

I bet Scotland are glad they're not independant right now, they'd be on their knees to London and Brussel's now with a begging bowl.

"Have ye got a poond fer eh cup a tea"

They could always ask the Botswanans

.

@Bushbush; Canadians ARE lumberjacks. Unshaven, stinking of Old Spice, Guy Lafleure-hockey-card-trading, Tim-Hortons-coffee-drinking lumberjacks.

**~~Scar Face~~** · October 10, 2008, 09:09 PM

Originally Posted by Captain Arrrgh!

They could always ask the Botswanans

.

@Bushbush; Canadians ARE lumberjacks. Unshaven, stinking of Old Spice, Guy Lafleure-hockey-card-trading, Tim-Hortons-coffee-drinking lumberjacks.

Damn straight!

**bushbush** · October 10, 2008, 09:10 PM

Originally Posted by Scar Face

Damn straight!

there is like one

ing timmy every five steps in toronto...seriously....

**Carach** · October 10, 2008, 06:41 PM

Originally Posted by Kleos

"Whaddup with you blokes across the lake?"
New Labour.

courtesy of mr Brown.

**bushbush** · October 10, 2008, 02:45 AM

I honestly think US can learn a lot from Canada in this aspect. I know Americans think Canadians are all lumberjacks or something...but swallow your pride for once.

btw,
this is a good read, comparing and contrasting the banking system between Canada and US.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canadia...mpared#Banking

"Canada and the United States have long had very different banking systems. The United States' was copied from England while Canada's was taken from Scotland. The United States traditionally has had a plethora of banks, some with very few branches. The U.S. system continues to support the creation of numerous small banks through both government-sponsored institutions like the Federal Home Loan Banks and similar non-government entities like Bankers' bank, that do not exist in markets like Canada. This has led to a more competitive but less stable system, with many thousands of banks having collapsed during U.S. history. Canada has always had far fewer banks per capita, but the banks have been larger and quickly expanded nationwide. Canadian banks have many branches and distributed assets and Canada has only had one major bank, the Home Bank, collapse in its history. The Glass-Steagall Act and other laws and regulations prevented U.S. banks from becoming too large. Changes allowed U.S. banks to grow and the Glass-Steagall Act was repealed in 1999. This concentration of banks in Canada relative to the U.S. has continued to this day. In 2002 in Canada the six largest banks controlled 90 percent of Canadian domestic banking assets, while the five largest U.S. banks controlled only 9.7 percent of their domestic assets."

**Juvenal** · October 10, 2008, 08:10 AM

Originally Posted by bushbush

"Canada and the United States have long had very different banking systems. The United States' was copied from England while Canada's was taken from Scotland.

It is ironic that part of the reason for Scotland not being an independent nation today was actually bankruptcy after the collapse of the Darien Scheme. The Acts of Union of 1707 were accepted by the Scottish Parliament partly because of the prospect of compensation for their Darien losses.

**Georgy Zhukov** · October 11, 2008, 09:51 PM

Originally Posted by bushbush

but swallow your pride for once.

I will not swallow my pride, my pride is larger then the 40 year old obese women who works at the local Mcdonalds, who you stare at with revulsion, yet morbid fascination. To even begin to swallow by pride I would need a lot of lube, lube which is petroleum based and should be in my Hummer, and not on my pride.

But I digress.

**Niles Crane** · October 10, 2008, 03:46 AM

I'm quite glad to be Australian at this moment. Even though our treasurer has the name Wayne Swan. He sounds like a footballer.

**Markas** · October 10, 2008, 07:45 AM

I'm sure it's coincidence that out of the top eleven five were once part of the Empire. This tallies nicely with the theory that the colonials always outdo the mother country in sport, finance, education and weather.

**Niles Crane** · October 10, 2008, 07:59 AM

Originally Posted by Markas

I'm sure it's coincidence that out of the top eleven five were once part of the Empire. This tallies nicely with the theory that the colonials always outdo the mother country in sport, finance, education and weather.

Six actually. Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, Malta, Hong Kong.

**Markas** · October 10, 2008, 09:09 AM

Originally Posted by Octy

Six actually. Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, Malta, Hong Kong.

See? The motherlanders can't count.

**Hunter Makoy** · October 10, 2008, 09:47 AM

Originally Posted by Markas

I'm sure it's coincidence that out of the top eleven five were once part of the Empire. This tallies nicely with the theory that the colonials always outdo the mother country in sport, finance, education and weather.

and so far i haven't seen anyone actually say Canadians AREN'T all lumberjacks.

If i were Britain i wouldn't worry too much, their still beating Chad and Algeria.

**Farnan** · October 10, 2008, 09:27 AM

Nope, only 5 as Hong Kong was 11th..

**Niles Crane** · October 10, 2008, 05:29 PM

Originally Posted by Farnan

Nope, only 5 as Hong Kong was 11th..

But this shows that even Americans can't count as Markas said the top 11.

I'm sure it's coincidence that out of the top eleven five were once part of the Empire. This tallies nicely with the theory that the colonials always outdo the mother country in sport, finance, education and weather.

So it is six...

**Markas** · October 10, 2008, 09:52 AM

Germany is 39th and the UK and US are 44th and 40th respectively. I suppose I could say 'My Grandad didn't fight the Nazis in the forties so Germany could beat us by five points in 2008' but I won't.

**Erik** · October 10, 2008, 11:05 AM

Belgium is 7th, but their biggest bank still had to be nationalized/sold for scraps to France.
What does this tell us about the list ..... or the current situation?

**Hunter Makoy** · October 10, 2008, 11:21 AM

that if u pile on government intervention, and then down the road it quits working, maybe the answer is not MORE government intervention. at least thats how i feel about it here in the states.