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The most successful peace project on European soil of the last 1000 years can continue. Naysayers of the EU need to learn history. It is worth every penny, eve

The most successful peace project on European soil of the last 1000 years can continue. Naysayers of the EU need to learn history. It is worth every penny, every inch of inconvenience. TWO fucking world wars were started by Europe, by nations that formed the Coal/Steel Union after 45 and now enjoy the longest, uninterrupted period of peace since, like, EVER. The EU's economy is the largest in the world. You don't fuck with that. Except if you're British and can't stomach the end of your empire.

spiderfarmer 9y ago
Except if you're British and voted for Brexit to fuck with your government without thinking it would actually mean adieu. FTFY
Boothroid 9y ago
Trolling? Regardless, Firstly I'd say the EU was secondary to the US and USSR/latterly Russia in controlling war in Europe. Secondly I suppose I could lower myself to your tone by making the point that the UK is a nuclear weapons state and generally you don't f with that either, and lastly most people in the UK don't care about the empire, and the topic usually seems to be raised by people having a pop at the UK.
CalChris 9y ago
> The EU's economy is the largest in the world Not quite, but it's big. The EU is $17T. The US is $18.5T. But I agree that you shouldn't fuck with that especially for the reasons that Le Pen and the Brexiters had.
blibble 9y ago
so the peace was nothing to do with the fact the USSR had several million troops, tens of thousands of nuclear weapons and a few thousand tanks 10 miles away? former largest economy: after brexit the EU27 economy will be smaller than the US
- gonvaled 9y ago
  Brexit not yet through ...
kakwa_ 9y ago
It might be a little too simplistic to credit the EU for 70 years of peace. There is no major conflict directly involving two major powers for many decades (1945/WW2, or 1952/korean war if considering that China was a major power at that time, which is generous IMHO). That's not limited to Europe, this statement is valid for the whole world. Several factors can explain it: * Better living conditions (far less frequent famines, less large scale epidemics, etc), mostly due to industrialization of many countries and consequently less tensions inside and between countries over resources. * For a part, economic dependencies between countries. * MAD, but also the realization after WW2 that a major conflict, using modern weapons, even only conventional ones, can only lead to both sides actually losing. * Better worldwide coordination through the UN (imperfect, yet it helps). * Better education for large parts of the world population. * More pacifist views and reject of war. This is still oversimplifying why there is this unprecedented peaceful period, but it shows the CECA/CEE/EU is far from being the only factor at play.
- pinaceae 9y ago
  "For a part, economic dependencies between countries." You think this happened by accident in Europe? It was a forced development, by very smart people. Coal/Steel union, EG/EWG, EU. The US and USSR were duking it out all the time, from Cuba to Vietnam to Afghanistan. Funny how people assume peace in Europe is the natural order. Holy shit, one of the key members put millions in gas chambers just years before its formation. Europe went from a genocidal maniac (colonialism, holocaust, etc) to peace in no time.

spiderfarmer 9y ago

Except if you're British and voted for Brexit to fuck with your government without thinking it would actually mean adieu. FTFY

Boothroid 9y ago

Trolling? Regardless, Firstly I'd say the EU was secondary to the US and USSR/latterly Russia in controlling war in Europe. Secondly I suppose I could lower myself to your tone by making the point that the UK is a nuclear weapons state and generally you don't f with that either, and lastly most people in the UK don't care about the empire, and the topic usually seems to be raised by people having a pop at the UK.

CalChris 9y ago

> The EU's economy is the largest in the world Not quite, but it's big. The EU is $17T. The US is $18.5T. But I agree that you shouldn't fuck with that especially for the reasons that Le Pen and the Brexiters had.

blibble 9y ago

so the peace was nothing to do with the fact the USSR had several million troops, tens of thousands of nuclear weapons and a few thousand tanks 10 miles away? former largest economy: after brexit the EU27 economy will be smaller than the US

gonvaled 9y ago
Brexit not yet through ...

kakwa_ 9y ago

It might be a little too simplistic to credit the EU for 70 years of peace. There is no major conflict directly involving two major powers for many decades (1945/WW2, or 1952/korean war if considering that China was a major power at that time, which is generous IMHO). That's not limited to Europe, this statement is valid for the whole world. Several factors can explain it: * Better living conditions (far less frequent famines, less large scale epidemics, etc), mostly due to industrialization of many countries and consequently less tensions inside and between countries over resources. * For a part, economic dependencies between countries. * MAD, but also the realization after WW2 that a major conflict, using modern weapons, even only conventional ones, can only lead to both sides actually losing. * Better worldwide coordination through the UN (imperfect, yet it helps). * Better education for large parts of the world population. * More pacifist views and reject of war. This is still oversimplifying why there is this unprecedented peaceful period, but it shows the CECA/CEE/EU is far from being the only factor at play.

pinaceae 9y ago
"For a part, economic dependencies between countries." You think this happened by accident in Europe? It was a forced development, by very smart people. Coal/Steel union, EG/EWG, EU. The US and USSR were duking it out all the time, from Cuba to Vietnam to Afghanistan. Funny how people assume peace in Europe is the natural order. Holy shit, one of the key members put millions in gas chambers just years before its formation. Europe went from a genocidal maniac (colonialism, holocaust, etc) to peace in no time.