3 ms·

Why? Seems the US doesn't like democracy anymore and the EU for all its faults still does. I can see Japan joining too and potentially South Korea, Philippines,

Why? Seems the US doesn't like democracy anymore and the EU for all its faults still does. I can see Japan joining too and potentially South Korea, Philippines, and others who are concerned about the state of the world and want to work together rather than drive the world apart.

ExoticPearTree 18d ago
[flagged]
- nolok 18d ago
  Even ignoring your point that I massively disagree with ... It's not about joining the EU at all so what are you talking about
  - trolleski 18d ago
    [flagged]
    - nolok 18d ago
      I thank you for this very high level analysis that gives absolutely zero actual content or details because big funny words, but I think we have to agree to disagree on that one. And on the climate policies in particular, my personnal belief is that we haven't gone far enough fast enough, limit access to our market to product made using climate respecting or restoring ways should have been the rule decades ago already. I know some people look at the way the world climate is changing and think "ehh so what / it's not really us doing it", but that's not how we see things here.
      - trolleski 17d ago
        Have you talked to the US, China or India about the climate? You also have not provided any actual content, sorry. 20% of people in the EU are at risk of poverty or exclusion, but sure let's mown down the economy. And as for the lack of investments you can see what is happening to the automotive industry. Go ask for any amount of money in the EU vs the US and come back to me. I'm not against green tech but very much against the austerity pushed on us by the ruling bureaucracy.
- nutjob2 18d ago
  Do you have anything at all to contribute besides mindless EU hate? The mentally enfeebled only seem to be able to parrot hateful things they don't understand that they read on some social media cesspit.
  - ExoticPearTree 18d ago
    [flagged]
    - vrganj 18d ago
      I live here. I talk to older people. They tell me about the horrors of WW2 and how glad they are the EU succeeded as a peace project. Before the EU, we had centuries of cruelties between what are now members of the same block. It might be good to expand your perspective a little. Standard of living isn't just the economy.
      - nutjob2 17d ago
        (Intended as a reply to parent post, which is now dead) I live in the EU, and its nothing like you describe. In my country life has improved sharply since it joined the EU. It's improved things in a way that would never of happened otherwise. It's gone from nearly a third world country to an advanced economy in a very short period. And I've enjoyed the ability to live work and travel around the EU freely. Europe is an incredible place.
        ExoticPearTree 17d ago
        Yes, it was nice in the 99s snd 2000s when they were building a better EU. And then it devolved into regulation after regulation, strings attached to everything and so on. Now we’re in 2026 where I can’t buy a platic fork and knife, I have to drink everything with a paper straw and so on. The dream was nice but it was hijacked along the way.
ra 18d ago
I think the world would be jumping into alignments like this if the US hadn't spent the last 80 years building a "nuclear umbrella" for the "western alliance" with itself in the centre. I bet many countries would prefer to disassociate with US foreign policy right now if they weren't security dependent. I expect after this destructive episode in history has played out, if we're all still alive and free in another decade then there will be alternative umbrellas.
Chance-Device 18d ago
If I’d said to you last year “Hey! I bet Canada is going to join the EU! No, of course not as charter-violating full member, as a newly invented ‘associate member’!” You’d probably have said “That’s both crazy and oddly specific, the chances of that have to be approaching zero”. That’s why.
- ben_w 18d ago
  Yes but also "associate member" is, despite specificity, less surprising than full membership would have been. Same as economic gravity meant that Brexit didn't disconnect UK from EU it only made trade harder, neither this kind of deal nor full membership can be much more than a band-aid for Trump's BS, it won't fully compensate for the harm he and his administration are doing to Canada.
- david-gpu 17d ago
  Further cooperation between the EU and Canada has been talked about for a decade or so (see CETA). Just because it is news to you, it doesn't mean it is news.
skeledrew 17d ago
I doubt Japan can join (on their own). They're essentially a US colony in all but name, so they'll need to be allowed by the fatherland.

ExoticPearTree 18d ago

[flagged]

nolok 18d ago
Even ignoring your point that I massively disagree with ... It's not about joining the EU at all so what are you talking about
- trolleski 18d ago
  [flagged]
  - nolok 18d ago
    I thank you for this very high level analysis that gives absolutely zero actual content or details because big funny words, but I think we have to agree to disagree on that one. And on the climate policies in particular, my personnal belief is that we haven't gone far enough fast enough, limit access to our market to product made using climate respecting or restoring ways should have been the rule decades ago already. I know some people look at the way the world climate is changing and think "ehh so what / it's not really us doing it", but that's not how we see things here.
    - trolleski 17d ago
      Have you talked to the US, China or India about the climate? You also have not provided any actual content, sorry. 20% of people in the EU are at risk of poverty or exclusion, but sure let's mown down the economy. And as for the lack of investments you can see what is happening to the automotive industry. Go ask for any amount of money in the EU vs the US and come back to me. I'm not against green tech but very much against the austerity pushed on us by the ruling bureaucracy.
nutjob2 18d ago
Do you have anything at all to contribute besides mindless EU hate? The mentally enfeebled only seem to be able to parrot hateful things they don't understand that they read on some social media cesspit.
- ExoticPearTree 18d ago
  [flagged]
  - vrganj 18d ago
    I live here. I talk to older people. They tell me about the horrors of WW2 and how glad they are the EU succeeded as a peace project. Before the EU, we had centuries of cruelties between what are now members of the same block. It might be good to expand your perspective a little. Standard of living isn't just the economy.
    - nutjob2 17d ago
      (Intended as a reply to parent post, which is now dead) I live in the EU, and its nothing like you describe. In my country life has improved sharply since it joined the EU. It's improved things in a way that would never of happened otherwise. It's gone from nearly a third world country to an advanced economy in a very short period. And I've enjoyed the ability to live work and travel around the EU freely. Europe is an incredible place.
      - ExoticPearTree 17d ago
        Yes, it was nice in the 99s snd 2000s when they were building a better EU. And then it devolved into regulation after regulation, strings attached to everything and so on. Now we’re in 2026 where I can’t buy a platic fork and knife, I have to drink everything with a paper straw and so on. The dream was nice but it was hijacked along the way.

ra 18d ago

I think the world would be jumping into alignments like this if the US hadn't spent the last 80 years building a "nuclear umbrella" for the "western alliance" with itself in the centre. I bet many countries would prefer to disassociate with US foreign policy right now if they weren't security dependent. I expect after this destructive episode in history has played out, if we're all still alive and free in another decade then there will be alternative umbrellas.

Chance-Device 18d ago

If I’d said to you last year “Hey! I bet Canada is going to join the EU! No, of course not as charter-violating full member, as a newly invented ‘associate member’!” You’d probably have said “That’s both crazy and oddly specific, the chances of that have to be approaching zero”. That’s why.

ben_w 18d ago
Yes but also "associate member" is, despite specificity, less surprising than full membership would have been. Same as economic gravity meant that Brexit didn't disconnect UK from EU it only made trade harder, neither this kind of deal nor full membership can be much more than a band-aid for Trump's BS, it won't fully compensate for the harm he and his administration are doing to Canada.
david-gpu 17d ago
Further cooperation between the EU and Canada has been talked about for a decade or so (see CETA). Just because it is news to you, it doesn't mean it is news.

skeledrew 17d ago

I doubt Japan can join (on their own). They're essentially a US colony in all but name, so they'll need to be allowed by the fatherland.