The EU

[JohnnyM]

Afraid I have to agree with the non-EU believers... a nice concept, but it's like taking pieces from a bunch of different jigsaws and expecting them to fit together...

Too many agendas, too many vastly different financial scenarios, too much (often) unpleasant history...

But I've never been shy of saying how gloomy I am about the state of those awkward things called 'people'...

I'd love to be proved wrong.  I suspect I won't be.

 

I never realised how european I was until I went to the States - and it dawned on me, although it was vaguely the same language,  they just had a completely different way of looking at the world. If Europe doesn't stick together - I'm not sure how any of the smaller countries (i.e. all of Europe) are going to compete/stand up to with China - and it doesn't take a genius to realise that they will need some standing up to over the next century

[Amandistan]

Afraid I have to agree with the non-EU believers... a nice concept, but it's like taking pieces from a bunch of different jigsaws and expecting them to fit together...

Too many agendas, too many vastly different financial scenarios, too much (often) unpleasant history...

But I've never been shy of saying how gloomy I am about the state of those awkward things called 'people'...

I'd love to be proved wrong.  I suspect I won't be.

 

I never realised how european I was until I went to the States - and it dawned on me, although it was vaguely the same language,  they just had a completely different way of looking at the world. If Europe doesn't stick together - I'm not sure how any of the smaller countries (i.e. all of Europe) are going to compete/stand up to with China - and it doesn't take a genius to realise that they will need some standing up to over the next century

I don't think the U.S. have a different way of looking at the world. We are all human. As an American visiting Europe I feel we look at the same world much the same. However the humor is different but we still have the same basic needs. There are major differences and that being EU members believe that you work to live, Americans the opposite. For instance Americans hardly ever go on strike and demand fairer wages and hours. The EU sets guidelines that point out that workers are actually human beings and deserve to be treated so.

So basically America is not the best country in the world, The more I travel, the more I learn just how much I want to leave. Sadly the EU makes it next to impossible to immigrant if from Africa, Asia and even America.

     

[Bunny]

But it is 50 different countries under one flag. Europe will never be one. Too many languages, histories and cultures. O dont think British mentality will ever be the same as say French or Greek or vice versa. However if we all have a basic centralised way of co-habiting then im all for it.

[Rusco]

But it is 50 different countries under one flag. Europe will never be one. Too many languages, histories and cultures. O dont think British mentality will ever be the same as say French or Greek or vice versa. However if we all have a basic centralised way of co-habiting then im all for it.

Yea, even inside a country there are differences with habits, customs, dialects and manners... you name it. I literally don't know anything about, let's say Swedish, Norwegian, Estonian or Russian customs. It's even challenging to know your local customs here.

[Rusco]

Well, I voted against joining the EU when it was back in 20 years ago. I saw it as centering the power and it wasn't written anywhere in the articlas will there be an army or not...

Nowadays, those in headlines referred of being against the EU are rather ugly right wing groups. But now no one seems to remember that their opposite were also against the union.

[Amandistan]

But it is 50 different countries under one flag. Europe will never be one. Too many languages, histories and cultures. O dont think British mentality will ever be the same as say French or Greek or vice versa. However if we all have a basic centralised way of co-habiting then im all for it.

That is true. All 50 have the same primary language and more-or-less most of the same traditions. It's not so much as like different countries as the nations in the EU but all different. Though some are very similar. However it's far easier to notice differences in Europe than the states.

[Pumpkin]

In its current state the EU is unworkable in the long-run. The absurdity of a country like Germany using the same money as Greece is there for all to see.

And Germany has done extremely well out of keeping their currency down compared to their trading partners - which has greatly contributed to Germany current enviable position

Yes, because they have an export-led economy. Many of the other Eurozone members don't have this advantage.

[Pumpkin]

Kosovo is a country. They claimed independence from Serbia, Just some nations don't recognize it.

That's yet another illustration that the EU cannot work as stated: five of the EU member states don't recognise Kosovo. It was clearly a political decision to recognise it in the first place.

Can anyone explain why Albanians need another state entitled Kosovo - at the expense of Serbia's territory - when Albania is right next door to Kosovo?

[Amandistan]

I don't know enough about it but It's weird. 
How can that work and is there an official passport for people from Kosovo? 
I don't know much about what happened between Serbia and Kosovo but weren't the serbians the villains? 
The little bit that I do know is that they placed landmines all over the area. I am also fairly sure that the serbs are the issue and committed genocide that is not recognized yet for political reasons.

However I don't know too much about the conflicts.

[Rusco]

I don't know much about what happened between Serbia and Kosovo but weren't the serbians the villains? 

Well, that's a common view that most of the press said. But it wasn't so black and white after all. There are serbians too who were not involved with the conflict at all and who feel they're blamed because of the war then.

[Amandistan]

I don't know much about what happened between Serbia and Kosovo but weren't the serbians the villains? 

Well, that's a common view that most of the press said. But it wasn't so black and white after all. There are serbians too who were not involved with the conflict at all and who feel they're blamed because of the war then.

I really don't know much about it because I was very young when it happened.