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tw · 06-21-2001, 02:50 AM

The EU is a wild collection of reasons all merged in a common objective. Take France, for example. Some of France's objectives are to push US influence out, to expand socialism more to the benefit of the workers, to open borders to expand French trade, to make the French language and culture more influential, and to keep the Germans in line. None of these is bad objectives except that many don't coincide with the overall objectives of the EU.

Look at Greece whose two main objectives appear to be increased growth including much of the investment associated with being an EU member AND to keep the Turks out.

Netherlands appears to be more cosmopolitan being as the Dutch are mostly business oriented. The EU is a big market - and there is nothing to be lost in being a member of that market.

The Brits really are not sure what they want. For example, when a majority of EU members decided to create a European military force, then Britian was willing to contribute a major share to that new force. But then Britian still fears the Eurodollar and many of the open border requirements that come with the EU - such as open borders that might permit rabbi into Britian.

The instability in various countries does not seem to impeded Brussels abilities to operate effectively. Curiously, member states appear to bend over backwards to protect the interests of other member states.

Interestingly, Switzerland, in the heart of the EU, is not a member, and has declared no interest in being part of the EU even though the EU is slowly forcing changes on Swiss banking practices. Switzerland, home to many international UN organizations is also not a UN member.

Whereas Sweden and Norway are not EU members, but Finland is. Norway is a NATO member but not Sweden or Finland. As so it goes, the hodgepodge that is NATO, EU, WU (a military organization), EU members part and not part of the Eurodollar, countries applied for EU membership, countries applied for NATO membership. BTW what is the offical language of the EU? French last I heard, then Spanish as a second language - anything but English ... and the Germans speakers - Austria and Germany - are not happy about that.

06-21-2001, 02:50 AM	#8
tw Read? I only know how to write. Join Date: Jan 2001 Posts: 11,933	Re: What say you to the EU? The EU is a wild collection of reasons all merged in a common objective. Take France, for example. Some of France's objectives are to push US influence out, to expand socialism more to the benefit of the workers, to open borders to expand French trade, to make the French language and culture more influential, and to keep the Germans in line. None of these is bad objectives except that many don't coincide with the overall objectives of the EU. Look at Greece whose two main objectives appear to be increased growth including much of the investment associated with being an EU member AND to keep the Turks out. Netherlands appears to be more cosmopolitan being as the Dutch are mostly business oriented. The EU is a big market - and there is nothing to be lost in being a member of that market. The Brits really are not sure what they want. For example, when a majority of EU members decided to create a European military force, then Britian was willing to contribute a major share to that new force. But then Britian still fears the Eurodollar and many of the open border requirements that come with the EU - such as open borders that might permit rabbi into Britian. The instability in various countries does not seem to impeded Brussels abilities to operate effectively. Curiously, member states appear to bend over backwards to protect the interests of other member states. Interestingly, Switzerland, in the heart of the EU, is not a member, and has declared no interest in being part of the EU even though the EU is slowly forcing changes on Swiss banking practices. Switzerland, home to many international UN organizations is also not a UN member. Whereas Sweden and Norway are not EU members, but Finland is. Norway is a NATO member but not Sweden or Finland. As so it goes, the hodgepodge that is NATO, EU, WU (a military organization), EU members part and not part of the Eurodollar, countries applied for EU membership, countries applied for NATO membership. BTW what is the offical language of the EU? French last I heard, then Spanish as a second language - anything but English ... and the Germans speakers - Austria and Germany - are not happy about that.