50 reasons to love the European Union

Watser? · #1 03-21-2007, 08:22 PM

Yes, it´s the European Union´s 50th Birthday this month and the British Independent newspaper is celebrating by making this list.

The top 3 is kinda impressive:

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1 The end of war between European nations

2 Democracy is now flourishing in 27 countries

3 Once-poor countries, such as Ireland, Greece and Portugal, are prospering

Not to mention this one:

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47 British restaurants now much more cosmopolitan

Shelli · #2 03-21-2007, 08:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Watser?

Yes, it´s the European Union´s 50th Birthday this month and the British Independent newspaper is celebrating by making this list.

The top 3 is kinda impressive:

Quote:

1 The end of war between European nations

2 Democracy is now flourishing in 27 countries

3 Once-poor countries, such as Ireland, Greece and Portugal, are prospering

Quote:

Not to mention this one:

Quote:

47 British restaurants now much more cosmopolitan

fragment · #3 03-21-2007, 09:34 PM

As a tourist, not having to change currencies at every border crossing was a pretty good feature.

Leesifer · #4 03-21-2007, 09:49 PM

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Originally Posted by Watser?

47 British restaurants now much more cosmopolitan

Don't you just love us? :tongue:

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50 Lists like this drive the Eurosceptics mad

Clutch Munny · #5 03-21-2007, 09:53 PM

English restaurants, maybe.

Let's not pop the champagne about Scottish restaurants just yet.

Watser? · #6 03-21-2007, 10:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fragment

As a tourist, not having to change currencies at every border crossing was a pretty good feature.

Also:

51 Cool foreign coins in your wallet that you can actually pay with at home (hmmm, well you couldn't but I can)

peepnklown · #7 03-22-2007, 10:34 PM

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24 Introduction of pet passports

I am sure this was a big problem in the past.

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43 Maturing EU is a proper counterweight to the power of US and China

If the US Empire wanted to occupy a member of the EU wouldn’t this be in danger?

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1 The end of war between European nations

Oh, it wouldn’t unless the UK doesn’t try to suck up.

godfry n. glad · #8 03-22-2007, 11:54 PM

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Originally Posted by Watser?

Not to mention this one:

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47 British restaurants now much more cosmopolitan

Yeah, but...

That doesn't say anything about the quality of the food.

Shelli · #9 03-23-2007, 12:12 AM

godfry n. glad · #10 03-23-2007, 02:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Watser?

Yes, it´s the European Union´s 50th Birthday this month...

Ahem...50th birthday?

How do you figure? The European Union came into being with the Maastrict Treaty of 1992. That's 15 years, not 50.

It was the EEC (the Common Market) which was formed in 1957, and it contained only 6 members at the time, the Benelux countries, France, Italy and West Germany. That's hardly the same thing as the present European Community.

Watser? · #11 03-23-2007, 10:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by godfry n. glad

Quote:

Originally Posted by Watser?

Yes, it´s the European Union´s 50th Birthday this month...

Ahem...50th birthday?

How do you figure? The European Union came into being with the Maastrict Treaty of 1992. That's 15 years, not 50.

It was the EEC (the Common Market) which was formed in 1957, and it contained only 6 members at the time, the Benelux countries, France, Italy and West Germany. That's hardly the same thing as the present European Community.

So? The US today is a very different US from the one in 1776. That didn't stop all the states from celebrating a bicentennial in 1976.
The foundation of the EEC, EC and later EU was laid by the Treaty of Rome in 1957.

Abdul Alhazred · #12 03-23-2007, 02:21 PM

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1 The end of war between European nations

I didn't know there was an EU in 1945.

Doctor X · #13 03-23-2007, 04:42 PM

They just do not call wars in Yugoslavia "wars."

--J.D.

Stormlight · #14 03-23-2007, 05:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Doctor X

They just do not call wars in Yugoslavia "wars between European nations."

--J.D.

ChuckF · #15 03-23-2007, 05:28 PM

I'm on the fence about the EU; on the one hand, it's a great tool for fostering stability, democracy, and development in Eastern Europe. Conditionality contributed greatly to the Baltic miracle and to some extent the mediation of possibly ugly conflicts over citizenship laws there, and integration has worked well for small states like Slovenia. On the other hand, there are ridiculous things like the Francophilic CAP.

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43 Maturing EU is a proper counterweight to the power of US and China

It helps when the US picks up the tab for things like NATO.

Abdul Alhazred · #16 03-23-2007, 07:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ChuckF

It helps when the US picks up the tab for things like NATO.

Don't forget the USSR had a lot to do with whipping Hitler and keeping the peace afterward.

Or aren't the former Warsaw Pact countries European?

Rendering fraternal assistance to Czechoslovakia in 1968 was not a war. No sir. :smirk:

.

Doctor X · #17 03-23-2007, 08:05 PM

Watching the EU is like watching Pop Warner Football.

There are just so CUTE when they bang into one another!!

--J.D.

Leesifer · #18 03-23-2007, 08:28 PM

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Originally Posted by godfry n. glad

Quote:

Originally Posted by Watser?

Not to mention this one:

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47 British restaurants now much more cosmopolitan

Yeah, but...

That doesn't say anything about the quality of the food.

Burger and fries to go for you, godfry?

ChuckF · #19 03-23-2007, 08:30 PM

Extra mayo on those fries.

godfry n. glad · #20 03-23-2007, 08:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Abdul Alhazred

Quote:

1 The end of war between European nations

I didn't know there was an EU in 1945.

As noted, neither did I. But I think they're referring to the creation of the European Economic Community (aka the Common Market) with six nations, in 1957, via the Treaty of Rome of that year. It didn't end the war between European nations, so far as I noticed. The years 1945-1956 would have been the occupation and Marshall Plan years.

The European Union under the Treat of Maastrict, 1992, is a far more extensive and far more integrated economic community than the EEC and EC, which were, validly, it's predecessors. (Much as the confederation of States under the Articles of Confederation, which preceeded the United States after the ratification of the US Constitution and its first ten amendments in 1789.)

Watser? · #21 03-23-2007, 09:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by godfry n. glad

Quote:

Originally Posted by Abdul Alhazred

Quote:

1 The end of war between European nations

I didn't know there was an EU in 1945.

As noted, neither did I. But I think they're referring to the creation of the European Economic Community (aka the Common Market) with six nations, in 1957, via the Treaty of Rome of that year. It didn't end the war between European nations, so far as I noticed. The years 1945-1956 would have been the occupation and Marshall Plan years.

The European Union under the Treat of Maastrict, 1992, is a far more extensive and far more integrated economic community than the EEC and EC, which were, validly, it's predecessors. (Much as the confederation of States under the Articles of Confederation, which preceeded the United States after the ratification of the US Constitution and its first ten amendments in 1789.)

There hasn't been a war between any European countries that I can think of since WWII. There have been a couple of civil wars in countries that were falling apart, such as Cyprus, Yugoslavia and the Soviet Union. The EU and its predecessors can not take all the credit for the lack of wars in Europe (and the total absence of wars in the countries that are part of the EU), but IMO it was a pretty important factor. It is certainly a unique period in the history of (Western) Europe.

Stormlight · #22 03-23-2007, 10:29 PM

Agreed, Watser. Granted, the EU is far from perfect but the Treaty of Rome (which, after all, is what Europe is celebrating) marked the end of endless wars between European countries and the beginning of the the European Union.

Maybe we are "cute when we bang into each other" but we finally managed to stop shooting each other. And that is good enough for me.

Stormlight · #23 03-23-2007, 10:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Doctor X

Watching the EU is like watching Pop Warner Football.

There are just so CUTE when they bang into one another!!

--J.D.

Watching other countries trying to invade each other is (arguably) a lot less cute. But then again, that might be just me.

godfry n. glad · #24 03-23-2007, 10:40 PM

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Originally Posted by Leesifer

Quote:

Originally Posted by godfry n. glad

Quote:

Originally Posted by Watser?

Not to mention this one:

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47 British restaurants now much more cosmopolitan

Yeah, but...

That doesn't say anything about the quality of the food.

Burger and fries to go for you, godfry?

Heh...I prefer the fish & chips they vend from a take-out window in Plymouth, just a few steps from the Hough. Best evar!

godfry n. glad · #25 03-23-2007, 10:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Watser?

Quote:

Originally Posted by godfry n. glad

Quote:

Originally Posted by Abdul Alhazred

Quote:

1 The end of war between European nations

I didn't know there was an EU in 1945.

As noted, neither did I. But I think they're referring to the creation of the European Economic Community (aka the Common Market) with six nations, in 1957, via the Treaty of Rome of that year. It didn't end the war between European nations, so far as I noticed. The years 1945-1956 would have been the occupation and Marshall Plan years.

The European Union under the Treat of Maastrict, 1992, is a far more extensive and far more integrated economic community than the EEC and EC, which were, validly, it's predecessors. (Much as the confederation of States under the Articles of Confederation, which preceeded the United States after the ratification of the US Constitution and its first ten amendments in 1789.)

There hasn't been a war between any European countries that I can think of since WWII. There have been a couple of civil wars in countries that were falling apart, such as Cyprus, Yugoslavia and the Soviet Union. The EU and its predecessors can not take all the credit for the lack of wars in Europe (and the total absence of wars in the countries that are part of the EU), but IMO it was a pretty important factor. It is certainly a unique period in the history of (Western) Europe.

Ah...there we go. Append 'western' to it, and you're far more accurate. Europe has had it's wars. Greece, if I remember correctly, had a civil war. Off an on for a couple of decades, IIRC. Then there was Hungary 1956, and Czechoslovakia 1968, as already alluded to. I believe Poland was invaded during that time period as well. And, yes, there's the Yugoslavia that is no more. Now, it's several separate countries, a couple of ethnic cleansings, and an all-out four-way war that sucked the western world in. As for between countries, fill in the following: Serbia and ________. Pick any of several and win.

Nope...no wars in Europe. If you hold your hand juuuust right. To screen out those...unsightly flare ups.