Advertisement
If you have a new account but are having problems posting or verifying your account, please email us on hello@boards.ie for help. Thanks :)
Hello all! Please ensure that you are posting a new thread or question in the appropriate forum. The Feedback forum is overwhelmed with questions that are having to be moved elsewhere. If you need help to verify your account contact hello@boards.ie
Hi there,
There is an issue with role permissions that is being worked on at the moment.
If you are having trouble with access or permissions on regional forums please post here to get access: https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058365403/you-do-not-have-permission-for-that#latest

British MPs to vote on EU Referndum to leave (No referendum on Europe happening)

2

Comments

  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,439 ✭✭✭Richard


    OneArt wrote: »
    I hope not I don't want to have the extra headache of having a visa to live in Germany.

    And work permits!

    Although people from NI (and many from GB) would just get Irish passports.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,255 ✭✭✭getz


    Richard wrote: »
    What tide? The UK would suffer greatly from leaving the EU. The British Government would lose a lot of influence in Europe and globally.

    Think that Obama would be as interested in talking to Cameron if the UK wasnt in the EU? Think again.
    sorry richard but it seems you are not aware of the agreement made between the UK and NAFTA,put into place in the event that the EU goes tits up.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,439 ✭✭✭Richard


    getz wrote: »
    sorry richard but it seems you are not aware of the agreement made between the UK and NAFTA,put into place in the event that the EU goes tits up.

    Enlighten me, then.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,255 ✭✭✭getz


    Richard wrote: »
    Enlighten me, then.
    try my best ,most of my links have a nasty habit of not working through boards, http://.thetrumpet.com/?q=134.65..0


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,255 ✭✭✭getz


    Richard wrote: »
    Enlighten me, then.
    http://.thetrumpet.com/?q=134.65.6.0


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 3,572 ✭✭✭msg11




  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,255 ✭✭✭getz


    msg11 wrote: »
    thanks mate ,thats the one


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 1,757 ✭✭✭lawhec


    I wonder how many that are against the EU in Britain and demand its withdrawal from it would suddenly miss their The Sun sponsored £9 Booze Cruises to Calais, bringing back cheap cigarettes from Spain, find their mobile phone bill go up drastically when roaming, find imports of goods from mainland Europe more costly, and find their household costs rising especially when they call out a plumber or looking to get an extension done to their house and realise that they have to call someone British to do the job who would be looking to earn a living wage and not someone Polish or Latvian who would do it for a fraction of the cost?

    Much of the opposition to the EU in Britain comes more from vested interests who would see their predicted scenario under withdrawal to their advantage at the expense of many others, and have convinced a lot of people that the EU is the Great Satan. The EU is far from a perfect organisation and IMO requires some substantial reform to cut out some bloat but to throw the baby out with the bath water would I believe be a massive mistake for the UK in the long term.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,255 ✭✭✭getz


    lawhec wrote: »
    I wonder how many that are against the EU in Britain and demand its withdrawal from it would suddenly miss their The Sun sponsored £9 Booze Cruises to Calais, bringing back cheap cigarettes from Spain, find their mobile phone bill go up drastically when roaming, find imports of goods from mainland Europe more costly, and find their household costs rising especially when they call out a plumber or looking to get an extension done to their house and realise that they have to call someone British to do the job who would be looking to earn a living wage and not someone Polish or Latvian who would do it for a fraction of the cost?

    Much of the opposition to the EU in Britain comes more from vested interests who would see their predicted scenario under withdrawal to their advantage at the expense of many others, and have convinced a lot of people that the EU is the Great Satan. The EU is far from a perfect organisation and IMO requires some substantial reform to cut out some bloat but to throw the baby out with the bath water would I believe be a massive mistake for the UK in the long term.
    how can you say that the EU has been good for you ?you do realize that ireland has ended up with debts that you will be unable to pay back,and the burden will be on irelands next generation.,on a lighter note david cameron has been involved in a furious row with french president nicolas sarkozy who said he was sick of the UK offering advice on the euro,and now germany is also upset with sarkosy,its all happening.


  • Advertisement
  • Closed Accounts Posts: 1,757 ✭✭✭lawhec


    getz wrote: »
    how can you say that the EU has been good for you ?you do realize that ireland has ended up with debts that you will be unable to pay back,and the burden will be on irelands next generation.,on a lighter note david cameron has been involved in a furious row with french president nicolas sarkozy who said he was sick of the UK offering advice on the euro,and now germany is also upset with sarkosy,its all happening.
    I'm a nordie, so the Republic's debt burden isn't directly affected on myself. Besides, I'm not sure how the EU is directly responsible for the debt burden the Irish Republic now has - I'd lay the blame a lot more firmly on politician's in the Dail and too many people in the country trying to live beyond their means.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,255 ✭✭✭getz


    lawhec wrote: »
    I'm a nordie, so the Republic's debt burden isn't directly affected on myself. Besides, I'm not sure how the EU is directly responsible for the debt burden the Irish Republic now has - I'd lay the blame a lot more firmly on politician's in the Dail and too many people in the country trying to live beyond their means.
    you are also right in parts,but the problem was that in the boom years the currency permitted huge capital flows from germany and other surplus countries,to spain,portugal,greece and ireland,these imbalances conventional wisdom has it was unhealthy[we all know,to many sweets make you sick],if ireland had been outside the euro,ireland would enjoy a weeker currency,that would boost exports,hence growth, the problem now is that ireland is loosing its young,based on a report by ESRI between april 2010 to april 2012 it was estimated that a net of 100,000 people have left ireland, but yes a big part of the debt is down to the politicians,but not all.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,439 ✭✭✭Richard


    getz wrote: »

    That's not an agreement made between the UK and NAFTA, that's disgraced media tycoon, Conrad Black, expressing his views that the UK should leave the EU and join NAFTA. He's currently in prison for fraud.

    http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conrad_Black


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 1,757 ✭✭✭lawhec


    getz wrote: »
    you are also right in parts,but the problem was that in the boom years the currency permitted huge capital flows from germany and other surplus countries,to spain,portugal,greece and ireland,these imbalances conventional wisdom has it was unhealthy[we all know,to many sweets make you sick],if ireland had been outside the euro,ireland would enjoy a weeker currency,that would boost exports,hence growth, the problem now is that ireland is loosing its young,based on a report by ESRI between april 2010 to april 2012 it was estimated that a net of 100,000 people have left ireland, but yes a big part of the debt is down to the politicians,but not all.
    Did anyone force Ireland to join the Euro? I don't remember a gun being put to anyones head over it. Trying to blame the EU is a bit of a scapegoat. I remember a decade ago of some people warning that Ireland joining the EU could overheat the economy and lead to a big downturn in the future which I suppose is what happened. Too many wanted to get rich quick.

    Also a "weak" currency is a double edged sword, you can't sustain a weak currency forever without manipulating it which produces another house of cards. Also while a weak currency can be healthy for exports provided those exports consist of native materials, it makes imports on average more expensive. Therefore it forces industry to try and limit imported materials for production. On the flip side, a strong currency also has problems.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,255 ✭✭✭getz


    Richard wrote: »
    That's not an agreement made between the UK and NAFTA, that's disgraced media tycoon, Conrad Black, expressing his views that the UK should leave the EU and join NAFTA. He's currently in prison for fraud.

    http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conrad_Black
    try another one,www.thunderlake.com/uk_nafta1.html quote;following recept on november 18 1999 of a senate finance committee request, the US international trade commission [USITC] instituted an investigation on ;the impact on the US economy of including the UK in a freetrade arrangement with the US,canada and mexico,this week of march 15 2000,a team of officials from the USITE met UK officials from the cabinate office and the foreign office,as well as the TUC and the CBI.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,255 ✭✭✭getz


    lawhec wrote: »
    Did anyone force Ireland to join the Euro? I don't remember a gun being put to anyones head over it. Trying to blame the EU is a bit of a scapegoat. I remember a decade ago of some people warning that Ireland joining the EU could overheat the economy and lead to a big downturn in the future which I suppose is what happened. Too many wanted to get rich quick.

    Also a "weak" currency is a double edged sword, you can't sustain a weak currency forever without manipulating it which produces another house of cards. Also while a weak currency can be healthy for exports provided those exports consist of native materials, it makes imports on average more expensive. Therefore it forces industry to try and limit imported materials for production. On the flip side, a strong currency also has problems.
    yes you are correct in many ways in what you are saying about ireland,but in ireland case, most exports are in farming ,and a large economy on tourism,none of which has to depend on importing raw materials


  • Advertisement
  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,230 ✭✭✭Leftist


    How can we say the EU has been good for Ireland :D

    I love this place. Really is painfully cringeworthy at times but in an Alan Partridge kind of way.

    Do you have any idea how much assistance Irish dairy industry gets from EU subsidiaries for instance? without it we wouldn't compete with nz or USA on the global market.

    But keep going. Really.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,255 ✭✭✭getz


    Leftist wrote: »
    How can we say the EU has been good for Ireland :D

    I love this place. Really is painfully cringeworthy at times but in an Alan Partridge kind of way.

    Do you have any idea how much assistance Irish dairy industry gets from EU subsidiaries for instance? without it we wouldn't compete with nz or USA on the global market.

    But keep going. Really.
    just where does this money come from in the first place ? i will give you a idea ,the UK gives the EU £65 billion per year,and gets back £5.2 billion, only germany put more in and takes less out,


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,439 ✭✭✭Richard


    getz wrote: »
    try another one,www.thunderlake.com/uk_nafta1.html quote;following recept on november 18 1999 of a senate finance committee request, the US international trade commission [USITC] instituted an investigation on ;the impact on the US economy of including the UK in a freetrade arrangement with the US,canada and mexico,this week of march 15 2000,a team of officials from the USITE met UK officials from the cabinate office and the foreign office,as well as the TUC and the CBI.

    There may have been these exploratory talks over 10 years ago, but these came to nothing, and these are not an agreement to join NAFTA in the event of the EU going "tits up"'as you suggested.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,230 ✭✭✭Leftist


    getz wrote: »
    just where does this money come from in the first place ? i will give you a idea ,the UK gives the EU £65 billion per year,and gets back £5.2 billion, only germany put more in and takes less out,

    And?


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,255 ✭✭✭getz


    Richard wrote: »
    There may have been these exploratory talks over 10 years ago, but these came to nothing, and these are not an agreement to join NAFTA in the event of the EU going "tits up"'as you suggested.
    now you are nit picking,the UK and NAFTA have been working and putting into place for situation where, if the UK left the EU, it could if it applied join NAFTA, everything is in place,that is why every year the same argument props up,


  • Advertisement
  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 36 LandL84


    getz wrote: »
    how can you say that the EU has been good for you ?you do realize that ireland has ended up with debts that you will be unable to pay back,and the burden will be on irelands next generation.,on a lighter note david cameron has been involved in a furious row with french president nicolas sarkozy who said he was sick of the UK offering advice on the euro,and now germany is also upset with sarkosy,its all happening.

    Do you really think life in Ireland was better 40 years ago before the country joined EU??

    EU had enormous positive impact on Ireland's economy, education, environment etc.

    For instance:
    Most experts agree that Ireland’s membership of the European Union has greatly facilitated countries move from an agricultural based economy to one driven by hi-tech industry and global exports.

    Irish students have more opportunities than ever before to broaden their horizons and get the qualifications needed for top jobs thanks to the European Union. Funding from the European Union over the past three decades has helped improve education standards in Ireland.

    Ireland’s environment needed improving almost as much as its economy when country joined the EEC in 1973 and tough EU rules meant Ireland have had to act on water pollution, waste disposal, air quality, energy emissions and preservation of natural habitats.

    Today every Irish citizen has the right to live, work, study or retire in another EU country. And the Single Market has made it both affordable and safe. Being in the eurozone has made travelling and doing business abroad even easier.
    Foreign holidays were far too expensive for most families and those that did go abroad were most likely parents leaving the country to find work to provide for their loved ones back home. Even flights to nearest neighbour, Britain, cost hundreds of pounds and studying abroad was a luxury only the very wealthy could afford.
    Travelling across the world is cheaper than ever before.

    And there's much more..

    Certainly, noone is happy about eurocrisis, recession, but nothing works perfectly forever. There's always ups and downs in any system.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,255 ✭✭✭getz


    LandL84 wrote: »
    Do you really think life in Ireland was better 40 years ago before the country joined EU??

    EU had enormous positive impact on Ireland's economy, education, environment etc.

    For instance:
    Most experts agree that Ireland’s membership of the European Union has greatly facilitated countries move from an agricultural based economy to one driven by hi-tech industry and global exports.

    Irish students have more opportunities than ever before to broaden their horizons and get the qualifications needed for top jobs thanks to the European Union. Funding from the European Union over the past three decades has helped improve education standards in Ireland.

    Ireland’s environment needed improving almost as much as its economy when country joined the EEC in 1973 and tough EU rules meant Ireland have had to act on water pollution, waste disposal, air quality, energy emissions and preservation of natural habitats.

    Today every Irish citizen has the right to live, work, study or retire in another EU country. And the Single Market has made it both affordable and safe. Being in the eurozone has made travelling and doing business abroad even easier.
    Foreign holidays were far too expensive for most families and those that did go abroad were most likely parents leaving the country to find work to provide for their loved ones back home. Even flights to nearest neighbour, Britain, cost hundreds of pounds and studying abroad was a luxury only the very wealthy could afford.
    Travelling across the world is cheaper than ever before.

    And there's much more..

    Certainly, noone is happy about eurocrisis, recession, but nothing works perfectly forever. There's always ups and downs in any system.
    thats crazy do you think that if you had not joined the EU you would still be living like you did in 1973 ? very few in europe in those days went overseas, billy butlins was the biggest english destination, joining the EU was ok ,when it was the common market,it started to go bad when it got political,the real mess came with the introduction of the euro,if everyone had stayed on their own currency,the euro zone countries would not be in this mess,


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 36 LandL84


    getz wrote: »
    thats crazy do you think that if you had not joined the EU you would still be living like you did in 1973 ? very few in europe in those days went overseas, billy butlins was the biggest english destination, joining the EU was ok ,when it was the common market,it started to go bad when it got political,the real mess came with the introduction of the euro,if everyone had stayed on their own currency,the euro zone countries would not be in this mess,
    Noone can tell now how the life in Ireland or other EU country could've turn out if the countries have never joined the EU. Trying to guess what 'could have been if..' is only creating a reality of your own fabrication.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 882 ✭✭✭LondonIrish90


    Leftist wrote: »
    And?

    Ah, so thats how it is. As long as your dairy industry is being subsidised then everyone else who is losing out massively should toe the line?

    Why am I as a British taxpayer forced to pay for your cheesemakers? It is issued such as this which cause discontent among British voters. It is nothing to do with nationalism or anything of the sort. I cannot emphasize this point enough. It is these practical issues which are reported almost daily in the media and the general public cannot comprehend why we in times of such financial difficulty we are paying more and more to foreign nations all around the union with absolutely nothing coming back to us. It really is shocking and criminal and its nothing about trying to wave a union flag in the face of Brussells


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 24,257 ✭✭✭✭ejmaztec


    getz wrote: »
    thats crazy do you think that if you had not joined the EU you would still be living like you did in 1973 ? very few in europe in those days went overseas, billy butlins was the biggest english destination, joining the EU was ok ,when it was the common market,it started to go bad when it got political,the real mess came with the introduction of the euro,if everyone had stayed on their own currency,the euro zone countries would not be in this mess,

    The current situation would have been an awful lot better had all EU members joined the Euro. The situation became messy when they didn't.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,255 ✭✭✭getz


    Ah, so thats how it is. As long as your dairy industry is being subsidised then everyone else who is losing out massively should toe the line?

    Why am I as a British taxpayer forced to pay for your cheesemakers? It is issued such as this which cause discontent among British voters. It is nothing to do with nationalism or anything of the sort. I cannot emphasize this point enough. It is these practical issues which are reported almost daily in the media and the general public cannot comprehend why we in times of such financial difficulty we are paying more and more to foreign nations all around the union with absolutely nothing coming back to us. It really is shocking and criminal and its nothing about trying to wave a union flag in the face of Brussells
    the euro zone to me just sounds like the titanic,the band still playing as the ship goes down,


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 697 ✭✭✭pajunior


    getz wrote: »
    yes you are correct in many ways in what you are saying about ireland,but in ireland case, most exports are in farming ,and a large economy on tourism,none of which has to depend on importing raw materials

    That is in-correct. Both IT and pharmaceuticals are both bigger then agriculture. I would hazard a guess that the Chemical industry might also be bigger.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,255 ✭✭✭getz


    pajunior wrote: »
    That is in-correct. Both IT and pharmaceuticals are both bigger then agriculture. I would hazard a guess that the Chemical industry might also be bigger.
    i apologize people leaving ireland to get work is now the biggest export,


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 24,257 ✭✭✭✭ejmaztec


    getz wrote: »
    i apologize people leaving ireland to get work is now the biggest export,

    It always has been.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,255 ✭✭✭getz


    ejmaztec wrote: »
    It always has been.
    over a 1000 a week to the UK, good for them,its what my great grandaddy did


  • Advertisement
  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,439 ✭✭✭Richard


    getz wrote: »
    now you are nit picking,the UK and NAFTA have been working and putting into place for situation where, if the UK left the EU, it could if it applied join NAFTA, everything is in place,that is why every year the same argument props up,

    Look, I'm not being awkward, but I haven't seen anything to convince me that this is true!

    Some people obviously want the UK in NAFTA, but that is a different thing.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,230 ✭✭✭Leftist


    Ah, so thats how it is. As long as your dairy industry is being subsidised then everyone else who is losing out massively should toe the line?

    Why am I as a British taxpayer forced to pay for your cheesemakers? It is issued such as this which cause discontent among British voters. It is nothing to do with nationalism or anything of the sort. I cannot emphasize this point enough. It is these practical issues which are reported almost daily in the media and the general public cannot comprehend why we in times of such financial difficulty we are paying more and more to foreign nations all around the union with absolutely nothing coming back to us. It really is shocking and criminal and its nothing about trying to wave a union flag in the face of Brussells

    The whole idea of it, in principal, is working together as a union though.

    If the english are bitter about their taxes going to pay for their neighbour's upkeep, then technically you could say the same about taxes from London going to pay for schools, hospitals etc in remote places in england (yorkshire) or complete poverty toilets (liverpool).

    Technically you are correct but to break it down in simple terms if this was the case nobody should pay taxes to help anyone else or perhaps we should just create city states and leave the poorer corners of states or europe to rot.

    (if as you say of course, that it is not a case of nationalism).


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 9,568 ✭✭✭DublinWriter


    ejmaztec wrote: »
    The current situation would have been an awful lot better had all EU members joined the Euro. The situation became messy when they didn't.
    Obviously you're a little too young to remember the UK's Sterling crisis in 1992?


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 24,257 ✭✭✭✭ejmaztec


    Leftist wrote: »
    The whole idea of it, in principal, is working together as a union though.

    If the english are bitter about their taxes going to pay for their neighbour's upkeep, then technically you could say the same about taxes from London going to pay for schools, hospitals etc in remote places in england (yorkshire) or complete poverty toilets (liverpool).

    Technically you are correct but to break it down in simple terms if this was the case nobody should pay taxes to help anyone else or perhaps we should just create city states and leave the poorer corners of states or europe to rot.

    (if as you say of course, that it is not a case of nationalism).


    Money has come out of the EU kitty for disadvantaged areas in the UK, not to mention other EU funded UK projects, so it's not all one-way traffic. Some people in the UK don't seem to be aware of this, and think that the rest of the EU is bleeding it dry.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,230 ✭✭✭Leftist


    ejmaztec wrote: »
    Money has come out of the EU kitty for disadvantaged areas in the UK, not to mention other EU funded UK projects, so it's not all one-way traffic. Some people in the UK don't seem to be aware of this, and think that the rest of the EU is bleeding it dry.


    They probably are investing much more than recieving. Same with Germany or France.
    The whole idea is to drag everyone up to the same level to operate as a functioning trade union and avoid the old europe of three superpowers manipulating every other state (look how that turned out, although technically it can be argued that some politicians in France/Germany want to steer it that way subtly as possible but not all of them).

    We benefit more from it than the investors but they benefit through stability (arf what's that!).

    Unfortunetly tying us all together means if someone of us start to drown we are all in trouble, But it's not the EU's fault for the recession or the crash of 08. Anyone who says the EU is ripping us off with debt needs to study the behaviour of Fianna Fail and there they will seek the reason and responsibility.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 24,257 ✭✭✭✭ejmaztec


    Obviously you're a little too young to remember the UK's Sterling crisis in 1992?

    That was self-inflicted by the Tories, and happened long before the Euro came in. Had the UK (and all of the EU member states) joined the Euro, the Eurozone policies of the Germans and French might well have been tamed, and left countries like Ireland only half in the sh1t instead of up to the neck in it.


  • Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 1,341 ✭✭✭Batsy


    Mike 1972 wrote: »
    Leaving the EU would be a disaster for the UK

    Ten years ago we were told that not joining the euro would be a disaster for the UK.

    Instead it was a disaster for those who DID join it.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,255 ✭✭✭getz


    Richard wrote: »
    Look, I'm not being awkward, but I haven't seen anything to convince me that this is true!

    Some people obviously want the UK in NAFTA, but that is a different thing.
    i just more than some people,it is on record that on the week of march 15th 2000,that a team of officials from USITE met with the british goverment ,the cabinate office and the foreign office,the talks were based on two ;hypothetical models; which would see britain either joining NAFTA as a member of the EU, or abandoning the EU to join NAFTA,as far as i can see the results of those talks have not been made public,believe me there is no smoke without fire,


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 882 ✭✭✭LondonIrish90


    ejmaztec wrote: »
    Money has come out of the EU kitty for disadvantaged areas in the UK, not to mention other EU funded UK projects, so it's not all one-way traffic. Some people in the UK don't seem to be aware of this, and think that the rest of the EU is bleeding it dry.

    That completely misses the point. I'm not disputing that the EU has helped the UK with some grants. However, these grants fall short of the total Britain has contributed to the EU by a huge distance. So, to say the EU have helped disadvantaged people in Britain is meaningless. That was Britain's own money, and had it not been for this ridiculous union we could have helped far more of our own disadvantaged, rather than those disadvantaged in Romania, Bulgaria or elsewhere. I certainly know where I would prefer my contributions to be going, and its not Eastern Europe.

    So, yes, the EU in these times of massive financial difficulty really is bleeding us dry, no matter how much you go on about the nice roads they built us with our own money.


  • Advertisement
  • Closed Accounts Posts: 882 ✭✭✭LondonIrish90


    Leftist wrote: »
    The whole idea of it, in principal, is working together as a union though.

    If the english are bitter about their taxes going to pay for their neighbour's upkeep, then technically you could say the same about taxes from London going to pay for schools, hospitals etc in remote places in england (yorkshire) or complete poverty toilets (liverpool).

    That is the major problem. How can we continue to work as a union when more and more people do not feel united? I dont feel united with them and nor do I want to. I will not suddenly change my outlook and my identity because some foreign men on the European mainland think it would be to their advantage (because thats what this is, all nations wanting the best for themselves) if I did so?

    You cannot possibly compare the connection between London, Yorkshire and Liverpool with the relationship between Britain, Portugal and Poland for example. Simply because the later of a social and historical level has very weak links in comparison.

    Do you as an Irishman feel the same connection with the British, the French, the Poles, the Spanish, the Germans etc as you do with fellow countrymen? Do you united under the same language, history, struggles, way of life, flag etc? Do you feel sufficiently united to pay their way in the world as a nation should they fall to their knees?

    I think the answer to these questions is probably no, but fair play to you if it isn't. Moreover, the average man on the street in Britain, Germany, France, Ireland etc doesn't feel this unity that they are supposed to. They want to look after their own state (as humans are programmed to) and not the state of another man.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,230 ✭✭✭Leftist


    That is the major problem. How can we continue to work as a union when more and more people do not feel united? I dont feel united with them and nor do I want to. I will not suddenly change my outlook and my identity because some foreign men on the European mainland think it would be to their advantage (because thats what this is, all nations wanting the best for themselves) if I did so?

    You cannot possibly compare the connection between London, Yorkshire and Liverpool with the relationship between Britain, Portugal and Poland for example. Simply because the later of a social and historical level has very weak links in comparison.

    Do you as an Irishman feel the same connection with the British, the French, the Poles, the Spanish, the Germans etc as you do with fellow countrymen? Do you united under the same language, history, struggles, way of life, flag etc? Do you feel sufficiently united to pay their way in the world as a nation should they fall to their knees?

    I think the answer to these questions is probably no, but fair play to you if it isn't. Moreover, the average man on the street in Britain, Germany, France, Ireland etc doesn't feel this unity that they are supposed to. They want to look after their own state (as humans are programmed to) and not the state of another man.
    Yes you're probably right.

    When the money starts to dry up people will inevitably begin to point fingers and grow cautious and bitter about putting money into a project that has long term benefits, especially if it goes to help foreigners.

    That's the nature of people.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 3,922 ✭✭✭hooradiation


    After the AV referendum showed that it was press coverage of a referendum that lead people to vote against taking steps towards improving their electoral system, i'm glad there won't be one on the EU. If there was you'd see another shitload of unregulated advertising.
    Possibly you could hold the referendum after sorting out some proper laws to govern what you can say about such matters and impose financial limits on the campaigns (like in elections).

    Then we can put all the stupid "No to EU" fuckers on boats and leave them to die in the Atlantic.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 24,257 ✭✭✭✭ejmaztec


    I dont feel united with them and nor do I want to.

    That would be the backward thinking attitude of rags like the Daily Mail. The Americans prefer the same attitude, because they don't want a strong united Europe competing with them.

    The only reason that the UK fought to join the EEC back in 1973, was because the French didn't want them to. The UK threw money into the EEC/EU, but was never really interested in the concept of a united Europe, instead preferring to pretend that it still had an empire, and that a united Europe was a bit of a fad.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,255 ✭✭✭getz


    ejmaztec wrote: »
    That would be the backward thinking attitude of rags like the Daily Mail. The Americans prefer the same attitude, because they don't want a strong united Europe competing with them.

    The only reason that the UK fought to join the EEC back in 1973, was because the French didn't want them to. The UK threw money into the EEC/EU, but was never really interested in the concept of a united Europe, instead preferring to pretend that it still had an empire, and that a united Europe was a bit of a fad.
    the common market was a completely different concept than the EU of to-day. and its no good trying to brand it with the concept of a united europe,one was a free trade zone,the other is a political concept,the british,rightly or wrongly has never trusted laws and the govening passed by brussels. and it now looks that they were correct


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 24,257 ✭✭✭✭ejmaztec


    getz wrote: »
    the common market was a completely different concept than the EU of to-day. and its no good trying to brand it with the concept of a united europe,one was a free trade zone,the other is a political concept,the british,rightly or wrongly has never trusted laws and the govening passed by brussels. and it now looks that they were correct

    Everyone knew that the EEC was eventually going to lead to a united Europe.


  • Advertisement
  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,041 ✭✭✭who the fug


    ejmaztec wrote: »
    Everyone knew that the EEC was eventually going to lead to a united Europe.


    For some reason not the UK, they must have off sick from school the day that came up

    Both Labour and the Tories are to blame for this state of affairs


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,255 ✭✭✭getz


    ejmaztec wrote: »
    Everyone knew that the EEC was eventually going to lead to a united Europe.
    its not worked,the latest news is that the euro countries are going to have their own president and meet twice a year ,the none euro countries,will start to integrate among themselves,euro dept is left in euro hands ,the rest will not have to prop up the likes of greece italy spain portugal and ireland,


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 24,257 ✭✭✭✭ejmaztec


    getz wrote: »
    its not worked,the latest news is that the euro countries are going to have their own president and meet twice a year ,the none euro countries,will start to integrate among themselves,euro dept is left in euro hands ,the rest will not have to prop up the likes of greece italy spain portugal and ireland,

    If that happens, the Americans will be having a national holiday to celebrate, and all of the UK tabloid rags and Farage's pals will be patting each other on the back.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 7,057 ✭✭✭conorhal


    ejmaztec wrote: »
    Everyone knew that the EEC was eventually going to lead to a united Europe.

    Especially if you're rewriting history they do. Not that a United Europe wasn't the intended outcome, it's just that the scheming eurocrats kept that fact decidedly under their hats preferring to adopt this approach to integration......






    Valéry Giscard d’Estaing on the Lisbon Treaty after the failure of the EU constitution (of which he was the architect)

    "[That] all the earlier proposals will be in the new text, but will be hidden and disguised in some way"

    He also noted that the best thing about the Lisbon treaty was that it would not have to be put to a referendum in most countries and thus risk rejection like the constitution had in France. Some democrat eh?


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,255 ✭✭✭getz


    ejmaztec wrote: »
    If that happens, the Americans will be having a national holiday to celebrate, and all of the UK tabloid rags and Farage's pals will be patting each other on the back.
    the UK rags are already having a field day with the remarks made by the german chancellor,of EU countries, 17 are on the euro,there are 11 who are not in it , so now you have a two speed EU, despite the usual attempts by some of the poster on this thread, the UK are not to blame for the problems the euro countries have got themselfs into,they need to look closer to home.


  • Advertisement
Advertisement