I must agree that with their embargos and all that the US controls alot of third world countries.

Is this a case of the American Empire theory then?

Only that instead of Empire it is called: Free-Trade-Area of the Americas

Oh well, that makes it all perfectly legitimate then

If we playing this absurb blame game, then we can certainly blame the Europeans for colonizing America in the first place

 

I've said my fill about the European Union.

 

Keep it clean people. Let's not end this thread in flaming.

Interesting... Although I agree that a lot of the stuff mentioned has shaped Europe as it is today or, for that matter, the European Union. I don't necesarrily agree that Communism, Fascism or Nazism can be said to be European in the sense that they hold sway over the concept of a united Europe. They are western inventions, for sure and tell us a lot about its people but I believe calling them European is a step too far.

 

@ Evaders: We are keeping it clean. Two of your moderators are present, so don't worry about it.

If we playing this absurb blame game, then we can certainly blame the Europeans for colonizing America in the first place

Point.

 

I see where people want to blame others for the problems in society and the world. We find that a lot of people in the USA's South (this is from observations and polls I took where I live in the South) still have grudges against blacks and Japanese. Interesting to note that they rarely hold grudges against the Germans. Following the logic of blaming a people for a problem (i.e. some in the South still blame of the Japanese for World War II), then shouldn't Germany be put to blame? It's a trend we find that people are hesitant to blame those they are familiar because we find that many Americans are of German descent. Hence why the USA nearly entered World War I on the side of the Germans, hence why the USA nearly did not enter World War II (did not want to fight the Germans), hence why France is seen as "stupid" in the USA (because everyone forgets that Germany has the same stance as France concerning the War On Terrorism; yet without France, the colonists would have lost the American Revolution). People have to realize that the blame game is all motivated by something that has happened in the past, whether it be something familial or political. I find it rather stupid to lay blame on an entire mass of people AFTER the fact. This doesn't mean I think we shouldn't blame the Third Reich for the holocaust, it simply means that it seems rather imature to blame the present Germans for the holocaust. Thus, and no offense Imperator2, I think it's unwise to blame all of Europe for facism, communism, and Marxism--they're in the past.

 

...

 

I hope what I posted made sense because it seems like my thoughts were all over the place.

Good point! And very decently put, I might add! Moreover, I feel that Barosso's withdrawal from the Parliamentary vote on the new European Commission shows that there are positive developments in the European Union as well.

If we playing this absurb blame game, then we can certainly blame the Europeans for colonizing America in the first place

 

And from there we'll blame the Romans for creating their Empire, from there we'll work back to the Greek, and to the Mesopotamians, and then all the way back to the stupid ape that discovered that fire had an use.

 

Don't worry we'll keep it clean.

 

As for Fascism and Communism, I agree with SOCL.

Good point! And very decently put, I might add! Moreover, I feel that Barosso's withdrawal from the Parliamentary vote on the new European Commission shows that there are positive developments in the European Union as well.

Indeed!

 

And from there we'll blame the Romans for creating their Empire, from there we'll work back to the Greek, and to the Mesopotamians, and then all the way back to the stupid ape that discovered that fire had an use.

Stupid apes!

 

As for Fascism and Communism, I agree with SOCL.

Well, you know what they say: a lot of us feel it was a bad idea to come down from the trees to begin with...

it seems rather imature to blame the present Germans for the holocaust

 

I certainly do not blame present Germans for what happened 60 odd years ago. I am admirer of German 'Kultur', French cuisine, Italien food and wine etc etc etc. You have just missed what I'm getting at, that the EU in my very humble opinion has gone quite far enough. From an original coal/steel economic treaty ( post war ) between Germany and France it has mutated into a money consuming monster that wants to 'control' us.

 

I do not wish to go any further down the road of integration, thats all SOCL.

 

off topic:-

 

Does 'We walk among you' translate as:-

 

a) Nos ambulatio inter tu.......or

b) Nos ambulatio inter vos.

 

Your help would be appreciated

Is that italian or latin?

Latin.

 

I was asking SOCL as he once picked me up about my Latin, but can you throw any light on this off topic question Mad78???

Well i did one hear of Latin 3 years ago and gave it up because i was hopeless at it. So sorry but I can't help.

Put simply the EU is yet another method for first world business to rip off the third world with unfair trading practices, just like what the United States is up to, as the anti-US mob keep boring us with, yet ignoring their own community's source of it's wealth.

 

Yawn.

 

I like hitting people who attack Starbucks. Their ignorance is pathetic.

HEAR HEAR !!!!

 

I'm in total agreement

Well, you know what they say: a lot of us feel it was a bad idea to come down from the trees to begin with...

 

*Jahled bows to such deep and profound wisdom*

 

I'd take it a step further and suggest we never should have left the ocean in the first place. All this being sentient and intelligent lark has quite obviously gone to our heads.

 

In the mean time I reckon we should all stop what we are doing, put down the various unimortant pieces of paper in our hands, AND CLIMB A TREE! Yey! Sod all this excuse for civilization; we need to get back to our roots and jump around tree branches, live amongst the leaves, throw twigs at each other, mutter and gibber in what little latin we know!

 

Lice, grubs, and wild berries are on the menu.

Not entirely my cup of tea, as there would'nt be any for starters

 

After spending 8 years in the Army, living off the land is not my idea of a good time. Give me progress, technology and Modern Medicine anytime.

 

Trees are for making into paper

it seems rather imature to blame the present Germans for the holocaust

 

I certainly do not blame present Germans for what happened 60 odd years ago. I am admirer of German 'Kultur', French cuisine, Italien food and wine etc etc etc. You have just missed what I'm getting at, that the EU in my very humble opinion has gone quite far enough. From an original coal/steel economic treaty ( post war ) between Germany and France it has mutated into a money consuming monster that wants to 'control' us.

 

I do not wish to go any further down the road of integration, thats all SOCL.

Sorry, Imperator2, it wasn't meant as an attack in any way.

 

off topic:-

Ah, yes, the SWR motto....

 

Does 'We walk among you' translate as:-

 

a) Nos ambulatio inter tu.......or

b) Nos ambulatio inter vos.

 

Your help would be appreciated

Well, I don't know the word for walk off the top of my head, but I can tell you this: the verd will come last (thus, walk should come last). "We walk among you" should translate into Latin as "Among you walk we" with we as the third conjugation ending for walk. If the infinitive of walk is ambulatio, then "we walk" should be ambulatimus (again, IF ambulatio is the infintive for walk). Going with that, it should be Inter tu amulatimus, though I could be wrong since, again, I don't know the Latin infinitive for "walk."

Sorry, Imperator2, it wasn't meant as an attack in any way.

 

I know that, SOCL, don't worry

 

off topic:-

 

SOCL wrote:-

Going with that, it should be Inter tu ambulatimus...

 

That looks and sounds much more like it. I'll check out the infinitive but I think you are right. Thanks for your help!!!!!

Going with that, it should be Inter tu ambulatimus...

That looks and sounds much more like it. I'll check out the infinitive but I think you are right. Thanks for your help!!!!!

Yeah, be careful, that may not be 100% correct.

I hate people who revive long-dead threads...and do it in a double-post.*

 

I was actually, curious, though, to get an update on what people believe of the EU (European Union, not Expanded Universe) currently. I mean, I know there's a discussion of opinions already here, but I'm curious to know how people view it now (not that anything spectacular has happened since then, but just curiosity). Also, I don't quite understand the United Kingdom's role in the EU? If I have it understood correctly, they are a part of the EU, but then it seems as though they aren't...? I'm just a little confused and would greatly appreciate some clarification on that (facts) and then some opinions (with minimal debate). Actually, it would be really nice to read opinions from citizens of different nations within the EU before getting into a debate. I know, I can't dictate how and what people post here, but it's just a humble request. Mostly I'm interested in knowing the UK's role in the EU and how Europeans view the EU.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

*Note: Words after elipsis (...) added after original post.

Gosh. Well one could write for hours. So I wont.

 

The UK is a member just like everybody else. We give Brussles lots of money and the Eu distributes it according to how the elected MEPs deem fit. Some of ends up being spent back in the UK. The EU passes laws which it's members more or less must comply with. As per normal most of the British press (being reactionary and right wing) wages a continued war of xenophobia against the Expanded Universe complaining about things like the head of the fishing commision being from a land-locked country (less chance of him being biased o gutter press fools) and the shape of bananas. From my less than knowledgable view of the EU, it seems like a healthy idea.

 

We in the UK are just getting into an election campaign, and curiously the EU hasn't featured as a campaign issue, which may indicate that the British political spectrum, left, right, middle, upside down etc, has finally began to realize it's worth.

 

Just my thoughts, I am no expert.

With regard to how Europeans view the EU, I think there are as many views as there are different people.