In article <[email protected]>, "Lennart Petersen"
<[email protected]> wrote:


    > I've seen those figures somewhere so I believe you but nevertheless Netherlands is
    > a surprise as it's not a very large country nor a typical financial centre. And
    > not more related to US than others so why Netherlands

Quite a big of capital built up from centuries as a mercantile nation (at leastt for
Holland if not the rest of the country).

I think significant investments are made by a handful of companies. Unilever and
Royal Dutch Petroleum (twinned with Shell Transport of the
U.K.) being the leaders.

Isn't an "ex-pat" somebody who got the hell OUT of the UK?

Very, very few of the people I speak to support Blair's blind adherence to Bush's
ill-advised intention to launch a war against Iraq with or without UN support, and
they actually *live* in the UK. Some would go along with it if the UN gave specific
authority, but even with that there are many who see more clearly than Bush or Blair
the horrendous long-term consequences of such an adventure. it's probable that a
majority of UK *residents* would actually go along with the war, but most are likely
to be the sort who would take The Sun as their source of political and international
wisdom. I wonder how many copies of that learned journal are posted off to "ex-pats"
every day?

BS

Pulaski wrote:

    > Originally posted by A.Spencer3:
    > > Pulaski wrote in message
    > > news:411498.1031676076@bri-
    > > tishexpats.comnews:411498.1031676076@britishexpats .com... Even if he recalls
    > > parliament he isn't going to be defeated as his stance will be supported by most
    > > Conservatives.
    > >
    > > Doesn't that say everything!!!!!!!!!!!!!
    > >
    > > Surreyman
    > >
    > Sure does!
    > --
    > Posted via http://britishexpats.com

"Not the Karl Orff" <[email protected]> schreef in bericht news:[email protected]
wcable.net...
    > In article <[email protected]>, "Lennart Petersen"
    > <[email protected]> wrote:
    > > I've seen those figures somewhere so I believe you but nevertheless Netherlands
    > > is a surprise as it's not a very large country nor a typical financial centre.
    > > And not more related to US than others so why
Netherlands
    > Quite a big of capital built up from centuries as a mercantile nation (at leastt
    > for Holland if not the rest of the country).
    > I think significant investments are made by a handful of companies. Unilever and
    > Royal Dutch Petroleum (twinned with Shell Transport of the
    > U.K.) being the leaders.

The financial sector (AEGON, ING and ABN AMRO) have also invested billions in the US,
as has retailer Ahold.

Sjoerd

"Bill Smith" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:[email protected]...
    > Isn't an "ex-pat" somebody who got the hell OUT of the UK?
<snip>
    > I wonder how many copies of that learned journal are posted off to "ex-pats"
    > every day?
didn't you work it out? Its obviously the favoured reading of Brit ex-pats (normally
the ones sat in a bar on the Costa Blanca, whinging that they cant get fish 'n'
chips, decent tea or deep fried Mars bars with chilli sauce)

A list of countries I saw recently (I can't remember where) had Canada, Mexico, China, Korea, and India at the top, though not necessarily in that order. The UK was somewhere in the top ten. I don't believe that the Netherlnds is high up the table as the Dutch are eligible for the diversity lottery, whereas British citizens are not.

Pulaski <[email protected]> wrote:
    > A list of countries I saw recently (I can't remember where) had Canada, Mexico,
    > China, Korea, and India at the top, though not necessarily in that order. The UK
    > was somewhere in the top ten. I don't believe that the Netherlnds is high up the
    > table as the Dutch are eligible for the diversity lottery, whereas British citizens
    > are not.

I don't think that investor visa applicants really make up a significant proportion
of FDI. We're really talking about institutional and state investment here.

Here are some stats from the Dept of Commerce found at:

http://www.bea.do-
c.gov/bea/newsrel/intinvnewsrelease.htm

"Foreign Direct Investment Position in the United States on a Historical-Cost Basis
at Yearend [2001]"

United Kingdom $217,746,000,000 Japan 158,988,000,000 Netherlands
158,020,000,000 Germany 152,760,000,000 France 147,207,000,000
Switzerland 125,521,000,000 Canada 108,600,000,000 ... Mexico
7,418,000,000 Korea 3,121,000,000 China [ too small to list
] India [ too small to list ]

The "other" category for Asia, which would have to contain China and India, totals a
mere $831 million.

In 2000 Canada was ahead of Switzerland. Canada's aggregate investment fell back
slightly while Switzerland's almost doubled.

miguel
--
Hit The Road! Photos and tales from around the world:
http://travel.u.nu New mini photo-feature: Life in
DC: http://travel.u.nu/dc/

Sorry Miguel, you have the wrong end of the stick!

I was talking about corporate investors in the US - O/Seas corporations owning US businesses, and nothing to do with "investor" visas.

I believe that the corporate investment angle is significant because then companies can, subject to INS approval, bring in there own people to manage and staff the US business they own.

That is one of the reasons why there are so many British immigrants to the US when the US makes it difficult for British citizens to get a visa by not allowing them access to the visa lottery.

Thinking about it, with the Dutch having a number of huge international corporations with US subsidiaries, such as ABN AMRO, ING, Unilever, Phillips, Royal Dutch Shell, Fortis etc, that may be why there are a relativly high number of Dutch coming to the US.

Isn't democracy a terrible thing? The unwashed hords having their say when they are so badly informed.

Their uneducated opinions are not only wrong, but dangerous. The people must be protected from themselves, and led by those enlightened people who are better informed and who use their great wisdom to govern for the good of all the people!

Phooey!!!! ..... You must be a Gruniad reader!

In article <[email protected]>, "Sjoerd"
<[email protected]> wrote:


    > The financial sector (AEGON, ING and ABN AMRO) have also invested billions in the
    > US, as has retailer Ahold.

Ahold is there but not a overwhelming presence except for some chan in NE that it
bough from Sainsbury (IIRC).

The Dutch banks are in the U.S. commercially but their retail presence is
fairly small.

"Not the Karl Orff" <[email protected]> schreef in bericht news:[email protected]
wcable.net...
    > In article <[email protected]>, "Sjoerd"
    > <[email protected]> wrote:
    > > The financial sector (AEGON, ING and ABN AMRO) have also invested
billions
    > > in the US, as has retailer Ahold.
    > Ahold is there but not a overwhelming presence except for some chan in NE that it
    > bough from Sainsbury (IIRC).

http://www.ahold.com/op-
eratingcompanies/unitedstates/
    > The Dutch banks are in the U.S. commercially but their retail presence is
    > fairly small.

ABN AMRO is the largest foreign bank in the USA. it owns several medium size banks in
the Chicago area, that operate under other names. http://www.abnamro.com/annualreport/2001/ind-
ex3.html@folder=74.htm

ING is one of the largest foreign insurers in the USA. It owns most of Aetna
(everything that is not health related), Reliastar and a few other US insurance
companies. http://www.ing.com/ing/contentm.nsf/countryresult?readform&country=United-
+St ates+of+America&lan=en It also invested a hunderds of millions US$ in ING
Direct. www.ingdirect.com

AEGON owns Transamerica Insurance and a few other insurance companies.
http://www.aegon.com/top-1-1.html

Sjoerd

"Pulaski" <[email protected]> schreef in bericht news:[email protected]...
    > Originally posted by Miguel Cruz:
    > >
    > > I don't think that investor visa applicants really make up a significant
    > > proportion of FDI. We're really talking about institutional and state
    > > investment here.
    > >
    > Sorry Miguel, you have the wrong end of the stick!
    > I was talking about corporate investors in the US - O/Seas corporations owning US
    > businesses, and nothing to do with "investor" visas.
    > I believe that the corporate investment angle is significant because then companies
    > can, subject to INS approval, bring in there own people to manage and staff the US
    > business they own.
    > That is one of the reasons why there are so many British immigrants to the US when
    > the US makes it difficult for British citizens to get a visa by not allowing them
    > access to the visa lottery.
    > Thinking about it, with the Dutch having a number of huge international
    > corporations with US subsidiaries, such as ABN AMRO, ING, Unilever, Phillips, Royal
    > Dutch Shell, Fortis etc, that may be why there are a relativly high number of Dutch
    > coming to the US.

According to http-
    ://www.tinet.ita.doc.gov/view/m-2002-I-001/2002_q1.html

The UK had 916,154 visitors to the US in Q1 2002, and the Netherlands 90,443. The UK
has less than 4 times as many people as the Netherlands, but 10 times as many
visitors to the US. So compared to the UK, there is certainly *not* a relatively high
number of Dutch coming to the US.

Sjoerd

"Sjoerd" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
    > "Not the Karl Orff" <[email protected]> schreef in bericht news:[email protected]
    > .shawcable.net    ...
    > > In article <[email protected]>, "Sjoerd"
    > > <[email protected]> wrote:
    > >
    > >
    > > > The financial sector (AEGON, ING and ABN AMRO) have also invested
    > billions
    > > > in the US, as has retailer Ahold.
    > >
    > > Ahold is there but not a overwhelming presence except for some chan in NE that it
    > > bough from Sainsbury (IIRC).
    > http://www.ahold.com/-
    > operatingcompanies/unitedstates/
    > >
    > > The Dutch banks are in the U.S. commercially but their retail presence is fairly
    > > small.
    > ABN AMRO is the largest foreign bank in the USA. it owns several medium
size
    > banks in the Chicago area, that operate under other names. http://www.abnamro.com/annualre-
    > port/2001/index3.html@folder=74.htm
    > ING is one of the largest foreign insurers in the USA. It owns most of
Aetna
    > (everything that is not health related), Reliastar and a few other US insurance
    > companies.
-
http://www.ing.com/ing/contentm.nsf/countryresult?readform&country=United+St
    > ates+of+America&lan=en It also invested a hunderds of millions US$ in ING Direct.
www.ingdirect.com
    > AEGON owns Transamerica Insurance and a few other insurance companies.
    > http://www.aegon.com/top-1-1.html

which is fine, but the type of people you quote (be they NL, UK or US) are the type
of company who place loyalty to shareholders way higher than any national interest -
these are truly multi-nationals, country of origin is rather academic (and it works
both ways across the Atlantic)

I notice you "snipped" my opening sentence saying that an EX-pat is somebody who's
got the hell out of - usially to earn more money than the poor sods left behind, or
to get a "better lifestyle". Or are *you* an ex-pat from entirely selfless and
charitable motives?.

Probably *our* most famous (Scottish) ex-pat is Sir Sean Connery, champion of
Scottish independence, who pontificates about the joys of Britain/Scotland from the
sunny grounds of his tax-exile estate.


Pulaski wrote:

    > Originally posted by Bill Smith:
    > > ..... it's probable that a majority of UK *residents* would actually go along
    > > with the war, but most are likely to be the sort who would take The Sun as their
    > > source of political and international wisdom. ....

    > Isn't democracy a terrible thing? The unwashed hords having their say when they are
    > so badly informed.
    > Their uneducated opinion is not only wrong, but dangerous and must be ignored by
    > those enlightened people who are better informed and who use their great wisdom to
    > govern for the good of all the people!

Democracy is a wondeful thing. However, the belief that a very large proportion of
electors are well-informed simply denies all the facts. If you ever return to
Britain, even on a flying visit, just try to talk informed politics, social affairs,
economics, with a dozen voters found randomly at the bus stop or in the pub. (But,
unfortunately, most will share your views and simply confirm you in your prejudices).

    > You must be a Gruniad reader!

Nope. Wrong *again*. But would you seriously contend that the Guardian and the Sun
are publications of equal weight and authority? (Sadly, I fear you would).

    > --
    > Posted via http://britishexpats.com

I don't remember democracy being conditional on anything, it is simply the view of the people. Sorry if you don't like that, and think that people are too stupid to have valid opinions. Maybe you'd like everyone to take an exam before they are allowed on the electoral roll? Perhaps you would also like to exclude people with "extremist" views from the electoral roll while you are at it?

There are things that I don't like about the majority viewpoint either, but that's democracy for ya!

By the way, my social and working circles in the UK were composed entirely of graduate and professional classes, and my views were certainly consistent with the people I know there, and not even the most hard-line at that either.

Pulaski <[email protected]> wrote:

    > Phooey!!!! ..... You must be a Gruniad reader!

If you're going to imitate Private Eye et al's misspelling of the Guardian (in turn a
reflection on the newspaper's typos) at least get it right!

Grauniad.

David

--
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in Association- RLPO davidhorne (at) davidhorne (dot) co (dot) uk