Do you still think EU is a good idea?
Discussion
If you do? Why? I just wondered if we will be able to have anything of our own anymore? Will it come to the point that we have to beg food rashions from the EU because they are taking everything away? Prices going sky high all the time and taxes reaching the roof already as it is. I´m starting to wonder if this once noble idea will fall into it´s own stupidity??
I am very much in favour of an EU that is completely different from the one currently on offer. So rather like Gandhi when asked what he thought about Western civilisation "I think it would be a very good idea". The neo Stalinist control economy that many of europes politicians seem to favour is not for me though.
I was never in favour of the EU, especially in its current form, and I suspect that a large %age of the population would think similarly. I think people are beginning to see how much of a bum deal we're getting out of the EU, and as our border-control gets worse and the country becomes even less 'defined' I think opinions will slide further.
As a nation we are generally very 'accepting' in what we allow, and with a pansy government like ours it's no suprise really. But if things keep heading in their current direction, I can honestly see the foundations of a revolution brewing. Nations have had their slate wiped clean and started over for less than what we're currently going through.
We pay more into the EU than just about any other member country (Germany pay more IIRC), and yet seem to lack the strength to gain anything back from this membership. It's about time the government put their foot down and stood up to member-nations who probably believe we're a pushover.
In principle the EU sounds like an ideal situation. But at the end of the day, that's all it is; an ideal situation. It's not a realistic prospect.
As a nation we are generally very 'accepting' in what we allow, and with a pansy government like ours it's no suprise really. But if things keep heading in their current direction, I can honestly see the foundations of a revolution brewing. Nations have had their slate wiped clean and started over for less than what we're currently going through.
We pay more into the EU than just about any other member country (Germany pay more IIRC), and yet seem to lack the strength to gain anything back from this membership. It's about time the government put their foot down and stood up to member-nations who probably believe we're a pushover.
In principle the EU sounds like an ideal situation. But at the end of the day, that's all it is; an ideal situation. It's not a realistic prospect.
I have never understood the attraction beyond a super 'European Free Trade Association'.
As for the common policies......with the French government hostage to the peasants and the German to the unions how can we realistically function. Frankly the idea that my taxes support an Italian farmer growing tobacco (badly) rankles.
As for our rebate; we a a net contributer to the system. We'd be better off neither contributing or receiving and not killing off farming practices that we excel in eg milk production.
Why we didn't set up 'Oceania' (read '1984') and chuck our lot in with the English speaking nations of the world (so effectively cherry picking the Empire and adding the Good Old and the Oirish) where we share a common culture and practices is, yet again, beyond me.
I could go one in great detail for hours but nursey is here with my medication.
Ahhhhhh, that's better
can we go for our walk to feed the duckies now nursey?
As for the common policies......with the French government hostage to the peasants and the German to the unions how can we realistically function. Frankly the idea that my taxes support an Italian farmer growing tobacco (badly) rankles.
As for our rebate; we a a net contributer to the system. We'd be better off neither contributing or receiving and not killing off farming practices that we excel in eg milk production.
Why we didn't set up 'Oceania' (read '1984') and chuck our lot in with the English speaking nations of the world (so effectively cherry picking the Empire and adding the Good Old and the Oirish) where we share a common culture and practices is, yet again, beyond me.
I could go one in great detail for hours but nursey is here with my medication.
Ahhhhhh, that's better
can we go for our walk to feed the duckies now nursey?
My view (vastly simplified of course):
All the EU countries pay billions into a big pot. The EU Commissioners open the pot, spend 1/3 on themsleves, waste 1/3 on half-baked projects that may not even be in Europe, and give the other 1/3 back to the 'poor' countries. I didn't mention the fraud did I?
So if you're a poor country like Poland or Greece, you like the EU because it gives you money. Why do you think all the poverty-stricken countries are in such a rush to sign up? It's the benefits culture on an international scale.
If you're not a poor country, then frankly I can see no reason to play the game, for it simply drains your resources and ties your industry. The bureaucrats have nothing better to do than invent rules to justify their useless existences; they'd be better put sweeping the streets. It's also worrying how second-raters like Kinnock and Mandelson seem to end up there, coining millions for being mediocre and talking bollox that no-one wants to hear.
And anyway, how are you possibly going to get 25 countries to agree on anything other than the fact that the world is round?
Take a step back and see. It's bollox, bollox, bollox. And you can quote me on that.
All the EU countries pay billions into a big pot. The EU Commissioners open the pot, spend 1/3 on themsleves, waste 1/3 on half-baked projects that may not even be in Europe, and give the other 1/3 back to the 'poor' countries. I didn't mention the fraud did I?
So if you're a poor country like Poland or Greece, you like the EU because it gives you money. Why do you think all the poverty-stricken countries are in such a rush to sign up? It's the benefits culture on an international scale.
If you're not a poor country, then frankly I can see no reason to play the game, for it simply drains your resources and ties your industry. The bureaucrats have nothing better to do than invent rules to justify their useless existences; they'd be better put sweeping the streets. It's also worrying how second-raters like Kinnock and Mandelson seem to end up there, coining millions for being mediocre and talking bollox that no-one wants to hear.
And anyway, how are you possibly going to get 25 countries to agree on anything other than the fact that the world is round?
Take a step back and see. It's bollox, bollox, bollox. And you can quote me on that.
off or we'll send the tanks in' JagLover said:
It has no need too. As long as the free market operates correctly, taxes will be driven down by competition between governments.
Unfortunately every government is trying to spend as much as possible on social malarky, so high taxes are cool.
From the dawn of time until 1997, people preferred low taxes. Now they seem to want to pay more and more (well that's what they say publicly of course, for fear of being called misers)
simpo two said:
From the dawn of time until 1997, people preferred low taxes. Now they seem to want to pay more and more (well that's what they say publicly of course, for fear of being called misers)
That is the case in this country, but in many other countries in the EU, tax rates, particularly on business, are falling.
Simpo your so right about draining the resources. Worrying thing for me is that everything goes and seems to be that the purpose is that what ever goes, it goes to the one country. At the moment we are losing our own production of sugar. God know what goes next. And I totally agree on the fact that the poor countries are so eager to join the EU, for sure they get money from us. But how do they contribute the system??? Thats the question.
Einion Yrth said:
We were discussing the EU not the Third Reich.
Arbeit macht frei ?.
A lot of low-paid manual work (shelf stackers, etc) is being undertaken by eastern european workers. Almost the same thing can be seen in the US, were a lot of low-paid manual work is being taken over by their neighbours from the south.
Anyway... back to the topic..
>> Edited by scorp on Friday 24th June 11:16
To answer the question - No!
In 1973 we joined what was generally understood to be the European Economic Community, popularly known at that time as the Common Market.
In 1975 a Labour government gave us a referendum in which about 55-60% voted to stay in that organisation.
If we had known in 1975 what we know now, I reckon we would never have join the organisation in the first place.
I blame Ted Heath for initiating this fiasco, but what I can't understand is how the media kept so quiet about what it really meant back in 1973. Did somebody do a very good job of misleading the media?
Best wishes all,
Dave.
In 1973 we joined what was generally understood to be the European Economic Community, popularly known at that time as the Common Market.
In 1975 a Labour government gave us a referendum in which about 55-60% voted to stay in that organisation.
If we had known in 1975 what we know now, I reckon we would never have join the organisation in the first place.
I blame Ted Heath for initiating this fiasco, but what I can't understand is how the media kept so quiet about what it really meant back in 1973. Did somebody do a very good job of misleading the media?
Best wishes all,
Dave.
Gassing Station | The Pie & Piston Archive | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff