BS: EU now enlarged - where does it stop?

Subject: BS: EU now enlarged - where does it stop?
From: GUEST,sorefingers
Date: 01 May 04 - 02:22 AM

At 450 million it is now the World's largest trading block. They say it may grow even larger, but where does it end?

Subject: RE: BS: EU now enlarged - where does it stop?
From: Jim McCallan
Date: 01 May 04 - 02:24 AM

Vladivostock, probably.

Jim

Subject: RE: BS: EU now enlarged - where does it stop?
From: mack/misophist
Date: 01 May 04 - 09:02 AM

Vladivostock and the Amur River.

Subject: RE: BS: EU now enlarged - where does it stop?
From: GUEST
Date: 01 May 04 - 11:14 AM

Well, I for one think this is wonderful. Congratulations to the old members and the new, I say! The new EU has my Latvian and Czech relatives here in the US ecstatically happy.

For those of you wondering (last night we played a version of Name the Seven Dwarfs--Name the New EU Countries) just who the new EU members are:

Poland, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Slovenia, Latvia, Estonia, Lithuania, Malta and half of Cyprus.

Now don't get the Cypriots going, eh? They might just start a new black market in fake EU passports! :)

Subject: RE: BS: EU now enlarged - where does it stop?
From: Flash Company
Date: 01 May 04 - 11:59 AM

Kipling I think, had it right with The Gods of the Copy Book Headings

THey denied that wishes were horses, they denied that a pig had wings
So we worshipped the Gods of the Market, who promised us all of those things.

After a good deal more caution he concludes:-

And that after this is accomplished, and the brave new world begins,
When all men are paid for existing, and no man must pay for his sins,
Assurely as water will wet us, as surely as fire will burn,
The Gods of the Copy Book Headings with terror and slaughter return!

FC

Subject: RE: BS: EU now enlarged - where does it stop?
From: okthen
Date: 01 May 04 - 01:07 PM

Today europe, tomorrow the world.

Subject: RE: BS: EU now enlarged - where does it stop?
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 01 May 04 - 01:42 PM

One thing I hadn't thought about till I was talking to a musician from Newfoundland on Wednesday - Newfoundland is much closer to the European Union than it is to the rest of Canada. (Thanks to the existence of St Pierre et Miquelin off their southern coast).

So maybe they could reverse that 1948 referendum that had them joining up with Canada, and come on into the EU instead...

Subject: RE: BS: EU now enlarged - where does it stop?
From: Blackcatter
Date: 01 May 04 - 01:47 PM

And we know as Newfoundland goes - so goes Quebec.


This is all inevitable. Read the short story Rollerball (the movie's pretty good too). We will eventually be pledging alligiance to corporations.

Subject: RE: BS: EU now enlarged - where does it stop?
From: Peace
Date: 01 May 04 - 02:00 PM

It doesn't end. That's the Neocon agenda. One big trading block controlled by multi-nationals.

Subject: RE: BS: EU now enlarged - where does it stop?
From: Blackcatter
Date: 01 May 04 - 02:30 PM

Remember the movie (and the William Harrison short story) Rollerball?

Subject: RE: BS: EU now enlarged - where does it stop?
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 01 May 04 - 02:43 PM

I don't think the Neocons are too keen on the European Union.

Subject: RE: BS: EU now enlarged - where does it stop?
From: GUEST,sorefingers
Date: 01 May 04 - 06:52 PM

Thank You Mr Mc Grath of Harlow, how neat to find another community which I did not know existed! What a lovely website and such nice music as well.

:0)

Subject: RE: BS: EU now enlarged - where does it stop?
From: JennieG
Date: 01 May 04 - 08:08 PM

They'll be eyeing off Australia next.....

Cheers
JennieG - resident in Oz, not EU!

Subject: RE: BS: EU now enlarged - where does it stop?
From: pdq
Date: 01 May 04 - 08:18 PM

Neo-cons actually do not exist. They are a made-up straw man for the liberal public relations machine to rail against. True conservative philosophy is open and out in the public arena for all to see. No need for a hidden agenda or a new name. Please read Dos Pasos, Wm. F Buckley, etc to hear the "other side" from the spokesmen, not from their detractors.

Subject: RE: BS: EU now enlarged - where does it stop?
From: dianavan
Date: 02 May 04 - 01:04 AM

So what is wrong with the European union? I found all those various currencies confusing and costly. I much prefer the euro dollar. I do, however, have the same concerns as the French. There is a possibility that quality will be sacrificed. I think they had to form a union in order to compete internationally.

Quite frankly, I think Canada should join the European union to protect themselves from the United States. I really do not like being dependent on the U.S. for trade. Especially since they do not seem to understand the concept of free trade.

Subject: RE: BS: EU now enlarged - where does it stop?
From: Blackcatter
Date: 02 May 04 - 01:30 AM

I think may parts of the EU is good. At least being tied together economically will force them to work together in other ways and the currency is wonderful for the weaker, poorer countries.

It's a shame there isn't another set of countries in the US with similar standing with Canada. Imagine a community like the EU being created in the Americas - the U.S. would no longer be the BMOC.

Subject: RE: BS: EU now enlarged - where does it stop?
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 02 May 04 - 11:57 AM

Canada would be a great addition. And after all, as I pointed out, it's only next door - a mere 25 km from our shores (thanks to St Pierre et Miquelon).

Subject: RE: BS: EU now enlarged - where does it stop?
From: Arnie
Date: 02 May 04 - 04:52 PM

Well, Turkey's knocking on the door on the grounds that Istanbul is mainly in Europe (although the other 9/10ths of the country is in Asia Minor! Still, if Israel can compete in the Eurovision Song Contest, then I suppose Turkey in the EU is not such a strange concept......

Subject: RE: BS: EU now enlarged - where does it stop?
From: Peace
Date: 02 May 04 - 04:59 PM

pdq: Tell that to Maj12

Subject: RE: BS: EU now enlarged - where does it stop?
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 02 May 04 - 05:10 PM

Logically you'd think Cyprus would count as being in Asia rather than in Europe. But logic doesn't determine these things.

And if Israel is in Eurovision, why not Lebanon? Great music there.

Subject: RE: BS: EU now enlarged - where does it stop?
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 02 May 04 - 07:40 PM

This page sums things up Enlargement of the European Union

Subject: RE: BS: EU now enlarged - where does it stop?
From: CarolC
Date: 02 May 04 - 08:08 PM

If the Neo-cons don't exist, why do they call themselves Neo-cons? This makes no sense.

I read something today in which someone was postulating that the EU is the US corporate hegemony's biggest nightmare. I think it will be interesting to see how this developes. Has Russia joined yet?

Subject: RE: BS: EU now enlarged - where does it stop?
From: CarolC
Date: 02 May 04 - 08:32 PM

Slight thread creep. Sorry.

This was written by self-described former Neo-con, Michael Lind: A Tragedy of Errors

"Paradoxically, Perle and Frum happened to publish their manifesto of neoconservative grand strategy at the very moment many of their colleagues were insisting in print that neoconservatism does not exist, and that the neocons have no influence on US foreign policy. Up until the summer of 2003, neo-conservatives proudly championed their movement against adversaries on the left and against factions on the right (realist, paleoconservative and libertarian) that questioned the wisdom of invading Iraq. That summer, however, the invasion of Iraq--planned for a decade and carried out chiefly by leading neoconservative foreign policy experts like the Bush Pentagon's Paul Wolfowitz and Douglas Feith--went terribly wrong. As of this writing, more US soldiers have died in the unnecessary second war in Iraq than have been killed in any other US military venture since Vietnam, and several thousand Iraqis have died, with many more maimed (the Bush Pentagon does not bother to count Iraqi casualties). As the enormity of the debacle became apparent, neoconservatives abruptly began avowing their own nonexistence. Not since Stalin ordered the US Communist Party to go underground has an American political faction pretended to dissolve itself in public like this...

... PNAC is run by William Kristol, who edits The Weekly Standard, for which Brooks writes, and is the son of Irving Kristol, founder of The Public Interest and former publisher of The National Interest, who wrote a book called Neoconservatism: The Autobiography of an Idea"

Subject: RE: BS: EU now enlarged - where does it stop?
From: Strollin' Johnny
Date: 03 May 04 - 03:27 AM

Hey Dianavan, it's not called the 'Eurodollar', it's called simply the 'Euro'. Believe it or not, some of us manage quite well without the dollar!

Incidentally, using your logic, wouldn't it make just as much sense if the currencies of Canada and the USA were combined and you had one 'North American Dollar'? LOL!

Johnny :0)

Subject: RE: BS: EU now enlarged - where does it stop?
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 03 May 04 - 07:42 AM

I've always thought "Euro" is a silly sounding name. They should have used a Latin word and called it the "Quid", and half the resistance to it in England would lhave just melted away.

We had dollars in Europe long before the USA was set up. For example in England it was the colloquial way of saying "five bob" (five shillings that was - 25 pence in this modern money they imposed on us).

Subject: RE: BS: EU now enlarged - where does it stop?
From: dianavan
Date: 03 May 04 - 01:14 PM

Strollin Johnny - Yes, it would make sense to combine U.S. and Canadian dollars but first we would have to agree on a common set of environmental and economic values. We can't even agree on "Free Trade".

It wouldn't be much of a union if one partner had all the power.

Subject: RE: BS: EU now enlarged - where does it stop?
From: CarolC
Date: 03 May 04 - 03:21 PM

I asked JtS about the question of Newfoundland joining the EU. He thinks it would be pretty unlikely if not impossible. He said that in the first place, the US and Canada wouldn't allow it. I think he's probably right about that. And he also said that it would be a problem in that the EU wouldn't allow the seal hunt which, while being a pretty controversial issue, is nevertheless a very important issue to many Newfoundlanders.

Subject: RE: BS: EU now enlarged - where does it stop?
From: GUEST,Shlio
Date: 03 May 04 - 05:39 PM

The idea of a common market without trade barriers is a wonderful, progressive idea. If only that could be extended to the poorer countries that need such protection.

Subject: RE: BS: EU now enlarged - where does it stop?
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 03 May 04 - 08:50 PM

You could be right about the seal hunt, Carol - one of the reasons Norway has stayed outside the EU, I believe, is because of the Norwegian fondness for hunting whales.