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You are right, exept when you say that the EU needs to make itself more like the US. If people actually want that, then we might want to do so. However not a s

by nickik 11y ago

You are right, exept when you say that the EU needs to make itself more like the US. If people actually want that, then we might want to do so. However not a single country will vote for this. So if you don't want to force it one people, then this will not work.

kuschku 11y ago
Well, especially in border regions such stuff is popular – the people living at the border between Denmark and Sweden, or the Netherlands and Belgium would prefer more unification, as for them every bit of independence of these countries means a less convenient life.
- nickik 11y ago
  Minmal amount of people live along the border. You can get most of the benefit without a political union. Free movment of goods and people can be done with bilateral agreements. No need for the EU.
  - kuschku 11y ago
    Well, it’s not just that: For the people in border regions – which, if you take Denmark (50% of the population), the Netherlands (100%), Belgium (100%) are especially in small countries a high percentage – it’s important to be able to live in the other country as if it were your own. Free ability to live, work, retire, buy stuff, sell stuff, etc is extremely important. For this to work, though, you need a common currency (imagine you work in Germany and live in Denmark, now the exchange rate changes, and your money is only worth half of the original value, and you suddenly can’t pay your rent anymore), you need simplified tax systems (imagine the mess of working in Germany, living in the netherlands, having your funds in Luxembourg, and owning a second house in Belgium). The EU guarantuees all this. It also helps with unified travel, with unified conservation of natural resources – take the UNESCO World Natural Heritage Site of the wadden sea – it reaches into 3 countries and the EU had a great deal in making it happen. For someone living in a border region, the EU is necessary for survival. No, the EU can not be undone, we need to get even closer. In my state, policemen of Denmark and Germany are on patrol together to make cross-border crimes easier to process – because it means you always have one with authority, even if you end up arresting them in the other country. We recently made Danish an official language in my state even. A family member of mine works as a public facing official in a governmental institution here and has to deal with people filing forms in German, Dutch, English and Danish every day. In some cities in the border regions, up to half of the population works on the other side of the border! No, the EU can not be undone.
    - nickik 11y ago
      Non of the things you say, need to EU to work. You are setting up a false choice between central control and chaos. I happen to live in Switzerland, and I know many people who work in Switzerland or Germany and work in the other country. This is perfeclty simple and workable. Countries can agree on how taxes work without a central control from brussel. You can make bilateral agreements about Individual problems. This will get you 95% of the benefits and you avoid the majority of the cost. You know like that little tiny problem were the hole of the Eurozone is suffering economicly and the society of greece is disintegrating. I guess fuck the problem of the greeks, let them suffer, its much more important for me to be able to buy cheap petrol on the other side of the border.

by nickik 11y ago

kuschku 11y ago

Well, especially in border regions such stuff is popular – the people living at the border between Denmark and Sweden, or the Netherlands and Belgium would prefer more unification, as for them every bit of independence of these countries means a less convenient life.

nickik 11y ago
Minmal amount of people live along the border. You can get most of the benefit without a political union. Free movment of goods and people can be done with bilateral agreements. No need for the EU.
- kuschku 11y ago
  Well, it’s not just that: For the people in border regions – which, if you take Denmark (50% of the population), the Netherlands (100%), Belgium (100%) are especially in small countries a high percentage – it’s important to be able to live in the other country as if it were your own. Free ability to live, work, retire, buy stuff, sell stuff, etc is extremely important. For this to work, though, you need a common currency (imagine you work in Germany and live in Denmark, now the exchange rate changes, and your money is only worth half of the original value, and you suddenly can’t pay your rent anymore), you need simplified tax systems (imagine the mess of working in Germany, living in the netherlands, having your funds in Luxembourg, and owning a second house in Belgium). The EU guarantuees all this. It also helps with unified travel, with unified conservation of natural resources – take the UNESCO World Natural Heritage Site of the wadden sea – it reaches into 3 countries and the EU had a great deal in making it happen. For someone living in a border region, the EU is necessary for survival. No, the EU can not be undone, we need to get even closer. In my state, policemen of Denmark and Germany are on patrol together to make cross-border crimes easier to process – because it means you always have one with authority, even if you end up arresting them in the other country. We recently made Danish an official language in my state even. A family member of mine works as a public facing official in a governmental institution here and has to deal with people filing forms in German, Dutch, English and Danish every day. In some cities in the border regions, up to half of the population works on the other side of the border! No, the EU can not be undone.
  - nickik 11y ago
    Non of the things you say, need to EU to work. You are setting up a false choice between central control and chaos. I happen to live in Switzerland, and I know many people who work in Switzerland or Germany and work in the other country. This is perfeclty simple and workable. Countries can agree on how taxes work without a central control from brussel. You can make bilateral agreements about Individual problems. This will get you 95% of the benefits and you avoid the majority of the cost. You know like that little tiny problem were the hole of the Eurozone is suffering economicly and the society of greece is disintegrating. I guess fuck the problem of the greeks, let them suffer, its much more important for me to be able to buy cheap petrol on the other side of the border.