European dudes think about this?

[DigitalBuddha]

Just wondering if Condell is right, or over reacting? Is the EU the shits or a good thing?

The gathering storm - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vGQIxYfKKtc&feature=g-vrec&context=G2be172bRVAAAAAAAAAA

Now...



and then...

[meekon5]

It's just my point of view, but gone are the days of countries trying to exist on their own merits and resources.

For instance the UK:

We used all our natural resources during the Industrial revolution, then went forth and started to rob the resources of our "colonies".

America revolted, then as an integral part of our post war settlement, for the US financing the second half of both world wars, (rightfully) insisted we dismantle the empire and actually give the countries back to the people who lived in them.

From 1945 onwards most European countries (the UK especially) failed to compete with their ex-colonies in manufacturing (having kept most of them at near poverty level they were of course cheaper for most services and wages).

So by the sixties most "First world" countries had exhausted their natural resources and were unable to compete price wise, in manufacturing, so had down sized most of their native manufacturing base.

Add to this the rise of the tiger economies. Based on US military actions. The need to build and supply military actions in Korea, and Viet Nam meant the US needed to invest heavily in the tiger economies. Thus enabling certain Asian countries (Japan, and Taiwan particularly) to build up huge reserves of US dollars.

Here we must also consider the "safe" currency concept. In times of economic downturn it is common policy for investors to move their money into what is considered a "safe" currency. Before the First World War it was the Pound under the gold standard (where it was actually law that a certain amount of gold should be kept to back the currency printed). After the First World War the dollar became the "safe" currency, mostly due to oil being traded in dollars. Later during the Tiger Economies boost the Yen was favoured.

Next we have to consider block economics. The US dominate the markets of Canada, and most of the northern South American countries. The Arab nations control most of the worlds Oil as an economic block. The nature of world economics is moving towards large multinational blocs (more on bloc economies here).

The final piece of the puzzle is the idiotic idea that a country the size of the UK even stands a chance of competing with a continent that is the US. The US could quite easily close it's borders and exist on it's own resources for an extensive period of time. Consider the same principle for India, China , and Russia. Placed against these huge countries the idea of the UK existing on it's own as an economic power is ridiculous.

To sum up. With little or no natural resources, no empire to back the short fall. No manufacturing base of any significance, and an over estimation of it's own global importance based on an outdated view point that was underpinned by it's now none existent empire. All the UK actually has to offer the world is the financial sector. The group of people who recently nearly crashed the global economy due to their unbridled greed, and avarice. Who given the advent of the UK's independence would not make a single penny of profit in the UK, seeding all their funds to offshore accounts, and bleeding the UK economy dry. Eventually bleeding the economy so dry, leaving the UK as a poor 3rd world nation(or less).

So in a few brief words yes I do think the EU is a good thing because it's the only way the UK(particullarily) can continue to compete in the modern 21st century.

[HnauHnakrapunt]

As an European I think the EU is the shits. Ok, some people get some money (if they send a 2,500 page document where necessary) but we as a country are constantly told what to do, what is good and what is bad, even if they have no idea what's going on in our country.
In case you wondered - it's Poland. That famous naughty guy in the family, 'the lawless country'. Somehow I manage to abide there as a free person.