EU-reka!/? a.k.a. What is the future of the European Union?

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Zylver
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EU-reka!/? a.k.a. What is the future of the European Union?

#1 Post by Zylver »

Hey guys,

I have been thinking a lot about this thread to be created, because the USA is in quite in the heat of the presidential election race, but lets not forget that there are events happening on the Old Continent as well.
Quite a lot AND serious events, I might add.
For which I think the European Union doesn't really give a good answer, let alone any beneficial ideas to the events that had taken place recently and mostly in last year. Not to mention, that not only the citizens of the EU, but even the leading figures and politicians do not know, where does the European Union go. And I even have a strong impression that the EU doesn't go, it doesn't want to go anywhere further. Its like the EU is stuck in this stupid loop of idiot sentimental nationalist 'status quo', which basically divides the whole continent and holds any institutional or organisational improvement for the EU itself.
So, to sum up this little introduction: the European Union is in a standstill and has a very vague future ahead of it, if it thinks that time can stop around it and the events happening on the continent won't have an impact on the community.

I have huge wall of text to explain everything in details, but right now I want you guys to express your own opinion, even just about the EU itself or its present or its future. Its all up to you!

So, what do you guys think?
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Re: EU-reka!/? a.k.a. What is the future of the European Union?

#2 Post by Neutral Smith »

Heh.

Disclaimer: I'm Dutch.

We had a referendum today about the treaty with Ukraine, we needed 30% of the voters for a valid result, we had (barely), and the result is that more than 60% said NO.

Now the wait for the politicians to say something about it the voters like.

Working together on economic subjects: Good.
Forcing politics: Not very good.
If it moves but shouldn't: Duct tape. If it doesn't move but should: WD-40. With a hammer everything fits, and if it still doesn't fit: bigger hammer. If it can't be fixed with a hammer it's an electrical problem.

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Re: EU-reka!/? a.k.a. What is the future of the European Union?

#3 Post by Razmoudah »

Well, I'm an American, but overall I'd have to say that I back Neutral Smith's opinion.

Unless the EU can get back to its greater purpose of promoting economic growth and development for the varied nations of Europe it's going to fall apart at the National Boundaries.


What's really sad is that this isn't even that great of a difference from some of what was portrayed in the PS2 game Front Mission 4 regarding the EU, and that game released before most Americans even knew of the EU (Copyright 2003, 2004 Square Enix). Actually, depending on just when the EU formed I can't rule out the possibility of the Front Mission franchise in general being older, since the first title goes back to the SNES, and those sci-fi SRPGs have always had the EU as a part of the setting's political landscape, even if it didn't really have an impact until 4. Well, I've never played 2, but I have the rest and 4 is the first time in the ones I do have where the EU actually mattered.
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Hmmm......about what I expected when almost half of the questions I'd want to select a few of the answers not a specific one.

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Re: EU-reka!/? a.k.a. What is the future of the European Union?

#4 Post by Nuff »

The public opinion in the UK seems to be "[censored] the EU" and it's relatively likely that we'll see people voting to leave the EU in the upcoming referendum. The EU got too greedy in it's expansion and dragged in countries which quite simply were to damn corrupt to work out in a single currency, hence why we saw Greece get [censored] during the international economic crash. The free movement policy has also done a fantastic job recently of imploding on itself due to the migrant crisis not to mention many issue that have been grinding gears for years such as rules being laid down from Brussels from leaders we did not elect and restriction to being able to help your own counties industries have left a bad taste in many peoples mouth. Pretty sure the EU is dead as [censored] if the UK leaves considering the amount of money we pump into it and of course our apparent influence with America strengthening international relations between the USA and the EU

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Re: EU-reka!/? a.k.a. What is the future of the European Union?

#5 Post by musicgeek »

Public opinion in the UK is swinging slightly towards an "out" vote, on both the left and the right. The left because the EU is based on the premise of a market economy and free trade, and that certain trade agreements will damage the sovereign ability to reverse privatisation of services like the NHS, and giving state aid to the economy and taking certain industries into public ownership. The right (more the far right) because they see the EU as some kind of left wing conspiracy to flood Europe with immigrants and displace the native population because of its free movement policies.

The "in" crowd argues that the EU gives us more economic security, regulations for food and the environment, and has helped in the fight for equal rights for women, minorities and LGBT+ people.
All of these are valid points, but the UK would still remain a member of the European court of human rights without EU membership, and in any case, we also have acts of parliament that guarantee many of these rights already.

As a socialist and a trade unionist, the prospect of the EU being based on a market economy and free trade makes me worry that these rights guaranteed by the EU are here to lull us into a sense of false security by trying to pass itself off as "progressive" and once we let our guard down with regards to trade unions and direct action, they won't hesitate to take those rights away. By its very nature, the market economy relies on exploiting workers by forcing them to sell their labour to survive. Free movement aggravates this even further by freeing up the ability to import cheaper labour, people who are willing to work for even less due to failing economies or fleeing war in their home countries. This has the knock-on effect of stirring up racial tensions among the citizens of the EU countries, which again works in favour of the upper class, divide and rule is one of the most successful tactics when it comes to conquering an entire set of people and taking away their power.

Anyways, that's my two cents on the EU situation.
oh god what do i put here

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