welcome to all the new EU countries

I never posted much here in the old forums even though i liked them (my old user name was katz86 by the way) but im determined to try and play a more active part here now..
So i thought i'd start a little discussion to get everyone going
based on the EU..
for or against the expansion?
anyone here from the new member countries?
xx

 

from an old member country I'm for the expansion

 

I as a German am for the expansion, but I think it was a little too early... we first should deal with our own problems before expanding.

 

PinkMoon, why did you choose that nick? Is it related to the Nick Drake album? If it is, well I'm a fan too

As far as Europe's expension, well I am for it of course! It should have been done long ago...

 

I'm citizen of Slovenia(new member country). I think it was a good thing for our country to join and I am for expansion.
However, most of people think Slovenia is a poor country; it's on about the same level as Greece.

 

Well, as I said I think the expansion is absolutely right on a, hmm, cultural level, but not as far as economics are concerned... here in Aschaffenburg, in the middle of Germany, several big companies plan to move all in all about 2500 (!!!!!) jobs to the new eastern countries because work is just cheaper there. And our region (east of Frankfurt) is not that big, Aschaffenburg has 70000 inhabitants, with about 40000 people living in the villages and small towns around. You can imagine how hard such a loss of work would hit the region. If the times were better, seen from the economical point of view, no one would even think of moving jobs away. So I think we should have first dealt with our problems before expanding.

 

penny it is indeed nick drake related

i was and am for the expansion, sure there are disadvantages - as with every situation. but i think the advantages outweigh them, there should be no reason why the former east bloc should be disadvantaged..

someone said that the 1st may was finally the end of the cold war.. i personally think it ended 1990/91 but its an interesting idea...

 

I agree with you on that -

 

im definetly happy with the expansion. the eu has done wonders for my country, brought it out of poverty and into riches, i wish the same for all the new member states. maby spain can stop sponge'in all the money now. hehe, who knows

 

ey! maybe ireland can stop sponge'in all the alcohol now
just kidding, you're right, we're losing some amunt of money very helpful for country people develop, but i think that the expansion is a great opprtunity for all of us.

 

Well, I'm an EU-sceptic who's all for the enlargement. I wrote a long post about this in the old forum, so I'll leave it at that for now.

Don't forget to vote in the EU-parliamentary election June 13 by the way! No matter what you think of the EU itself, we all need to vote in order to keep the nazis out of the parliament. This is an entirely different topic though, which I might elaborate a little later.

peace
-Pat

 

I'm definitely for the expansion. I think the EU could be a positive force in this world if it is run and structured democratically, run for the people and by the people with goals towards global fair trade, social equality and providing a counter balance to the power of America. At present the EU falls far short of this. But I hope that in its expansion it can become more inclusive and democratic. I would also like Turkey to join, in an effort to improve Turkey's human rights record and increase Muslim representation within the EU. I would encourage green and socialist movements within the EU to elect MEPs with a progressive agenda to reform the institution into a unity of nations promoting progressive, democratic, sustainable values....

 

I like what you say a lot Peace-Phoenix, and I share your opinions...

 

I am also for the expansion of Europe.. sure!! and now we are about the double than americans!!!!!

anyway.. it is to early to sum up if the new expansion is good for all or is generating more troubles... under a cultural point of view it can be ONLY POSITIVE.. many more institutional exchanges.. students and scholars mobility.. and more...

but economically (we gotta remember that EU was born as a coke economical union,, and it is still primarily an economic stuff) I dunno... maybe there will be a shift of many companies to the new countries attracted by a lower price for the employer work... but in this case there will be new problems in the old countries... we will see what happens...

 

I agree with Manolao more than with Peace-Phoenix, because it's very nice to talk about social equality, and all this stuff from our status, maybe because we are economically well situated more or less, i mean, we can afford a computer and have enough money, i think to live comfortably, but we can see that poverty exists everywhere, here in Spain, inmigration is a problem, i would like everybody to be allowed to come to Europe, and from Africa, first step to reach EU is Spain, but our fucking migration laws are shit, and they catch them and deport them to their countries. I mean we can make force against USA politics, but we have a lot of problems to solve.
Anyway, i'm for the expansion too .

 

Oh no, don't get me wrong, I'm not dressing up the EU as something it's not. I'm for the expansion, but I know it has a hell of a way to go yet. That's just my wish list....

 

i hope you guys do come and rival america. Its sad that america had needed to have troops in Europe for over 60 years. Even fight wars that are none of our business(Kosovo). Please, build up a military and protect your own borders so we can bring our troops home.

 

This is your problem, you think that just as you fought in WWII, and "save our asses from Hitler" we cannot manage with our problems, but try to understand your government external politics, if you are in Europe it's due to something, any interests or whatever, but they are not here to defend european, you must have it clear. Don't tell me that you believe Bush when he says that you went Irak to liberate them from Saddam. I think it's something obvious that principal question there is oil.
And what you must understand is that EU try to manage things using the words not the guns, and USA governments never understood anything but war.

Sorry, maybe a little bit rude, but i get very upset when i think about Bush.

 

I never said anything about saving you from Hitler. America, Canada, England, Russia, and Australia did a good job of kicking out hte nazis ass. As for the cold war, thats a whole new cup of tea. Repeatedly, we BEGGED you to build up you defenses to protect europe from a soviet invasion. You did not. For almost 40 years we begged you with no response. You guys were too happy to sit under America's nuclear umbrella. You call us cowboys, but us being cowboys is the only thign that stopped the soviets from marching down the champs elysee like their german brothers was america's willingness to defend europe. Europe was the scene for almost all the cold war. And if the soviets wanted to march into paris, there is jack shit anyone could have done about it short of starting a war. We didnt have enough troops in europe to stop them. You didnt have any troops. THankfully, we had some presidents who were *DEAD SERIOUS* about using a nuclear weapon if they crossed int western germany. Even today, we are responsible for security on the continent. Bosnia ring a bell? How many years did you guys wait while Muslims were slaughtered before America had to push you into war(With the exception of tony blair, who wanted to go in MUCH earlier..props to him). Seriously, build up a military, we dont need to fight anymore of your wars. And yes, there were no reason that america should have been in ww1. WW2 shouldnt have happened, but european diplomacy once again showed that it is flawed. Follow american diplomacy or change yours. 1000+ years has shown it not to work.

As for the EU trying to use diplomacy instead of war? Sorry, but thats ALL you can use. You are a weak force in world politics. With the exception of the UK(more american than european it seems), you have no military power. The weak are forced to use diplomacy. Who do you think was pushing for international law in the 19th century? I'll give you a hint, it was a small baby america. The irony is, you guys are hypocrits. You will use war when you can harness american power. You have no gripes about that. See the illegal war on Kosovo. You were all for America going without UNSC permission. Thats what this is about. You have no control over America now, and it scares the daylights out of you. Therefore, you try to push us into using the UNSC, bcause thats your only real power. You were all too happy for us and yourself to ignore it during the cold war.

Seriously, whats the difference between Russia and China saying no to the war on kosovo than america attacking iraq with france saying no?

 

Do you really believe all the rubbish you 're saying? Here we have a Bush fan, it's very sad.
First of all, do you really study history? Or you just swallow all that bullshit or propaganda yankee from your books. We can notice that your government is doing an excellent work with your cleaned brains.
You have to undestand that the Europeans opted for a social state (all but UK that as you say are more American than European, I think watching their way), do you know what is a social state? This makes imposible to have a stronge army (and i also don't want it), We enjoy public health and high education, and if we didn't we could build all those fucking weapons you have.
Anyway, diplomacy is the natural way for international relations between states (not like Kissinger thought... Peace Nobel Prize after Chile affairs, what a disgrace!), and diplomacy is the way all the states must aspire to.
Nevertheless, our social state is running a crisis because of all the stuff about the American way of life we've been importing thanks to some of our fucking pro-yankees governors.
I think you've not studyed much about Cold War, you weren't protecting us from a possible invasion of USSR, both countries were running a race for the supremacy ruling the world, and your fucking nuclear umbrella, as you says, were imposed by your government as an exchange for the money we needed to get out from the economical crisis we were immersed.
In Kosovo and Bosnia, U.S.A. bombed with poored uranium, very good effects for surviving people, good business, you have a lot of bombs to waste, that's the war business, another shame for humanity.
And what about Irak? All those photos with the abuses to prisoners, we're going centuries back, and Guantanamo jail, yes, of course, we need and we want yankees (not American, America goes from Alaska to Argentina and Chile) protecting us from the rest of the world who want invade us.