[Kie99]

Browsing the forum I saw the thread about the German woman forced to sell her body, and that got onto the EU.  I then had a mad urge to start this thread so:
Should GB stay in the EU?

[Fineus]

For my option, I'd add a "Britain should pull its collective head out of its collective ass and see what a third world country it has become, then work damn hard to make some changes".

Unfortunately that's not part of the poll.

[vyper]

Originally posted by Kalfireth
For my option, I'd add a "Britain should pull its collective head out of its collective ass and see what a third world country it has become, then work damn hard to make some changes".

Unfortunately that's not part of the poll.

That plus a "No" vote is my answer.

When the dust settles in a few years time we could really catch everyone off guard and do something spectacular. Unfortunately we have incompetents like Blair and Howard as possible leaders.

[Tiara]

As a European, I truly wouldn't give a single **** if they left the EU. But the again, I wouldn't give a **** if the EU was dissolved and made way for competent organization and a true united Europe.

...not that thats ever gonna happen

[Liberator]

*giggles at the funny Euros*

[Andreas]

I'm not any expert on the subject, and I'm not from the U.K either, but EU would work better IMO if it was a trade-agreement union.

[Flipside]

Well, financially and politically, we've never really been any more motivated towards joining the EU than most of it's other members.

As for the thread about the women forced to sell their bodies, I think it was more along the lines of women being told that, since prostitution was now legal, they had to attend interviews for it or lose benefits. I think it was the stance of one small minded individual, and like most silly laws like this, will get fixed soon.

That said, Europe is the way to go, just not via the EU, that's sort of like a mini-UN wannabe, we need something a little less Ego-centred.

[Cyker]

I think the whole thing was originally a good idea, back when it was the EEC. The EC was still acceptible, but now that it's evolved into the EU I just feel they're taken things too far.

What started off as a trade-agreement has now become a massive political 'thingy'. They say they want to 'stream-line' everything, but from my PoV the direction it's headed in will eventually end up with one giant country called Europe where all the current borders will just deliniate 'States'.

And that scares the **** out of me.

Having such a small group with such far reaching power over so many countries worries me - Historically, we (As in The Human Race) have been better when operating in small groups - As the groups get larger, more unwieldy and complicated, they inevitably become more and more inefficient as pointless infighting about trivialities sets in, corruption becomes rife and nothing good gets done because things just get set in and direction is lost behind rhetoric.

What we need is to be invaded by aliens. That'd shake things up!

[aldo_14]

I want the UK to stay in the EU.   Wouldn't objct to introducing the euro, either.

[Roanoke]

Originally posted by aldo_14
I want the UK to stay in the EU.   Wouldn't objct to introducing the euro, either.

But then the EU Bank would control interest, not the Bank of England. Look what good that has done to Germany and Ireland.

[Flipside]

The UK joining the EU would lift the Euro out of it's current slump, but what concerns me is what happens after that. Will it be a 'quick fix' or a long term repair. At the moment, I'm not confident enough in the whole thing to take that risk.

[Clave]

We are in the EU as far as I know... just not signed up to the Euro...

http://www.eurunion.org/states/home.htm

[Flipside]

Heh, ok, the UK Financially joining the EU would lift the Euro out of it's current slump

[Clave]

There's a lot of opposition to losing the Pound, especially from the older generation.  I don't think it would bother me that much though...

[mitac]

It's amazing, the british are far less integrated than other countries and still feel unhappy about that.

Though, you may find it interesting that article I-59 of the upcoming constitutional treaty enables member states to (legally) leave the EU. This option does not exist, so far. The question if it's practically possible remains to be answered...

[Grey Wolf]

As an American citizen, I'm in favor of Europe being at least slightly more united, so American politicians can have something that would help block them from being such incompetent idiots when messing with foreign affairs.

[Cyker]

Well we've always been a proud nation I guess, and it's nice having the most highest value currency in the world

We value our (illusion?) of relative independence, and many people here would oppose any compromises with regard to that independence.

TBH I still don't understand the reason behind the EEC's evolution into the EU. What is the goal?? Why all the merging and integration?
So now we have a fledgling single currency. What's next, a standard language? Will they force everyone to learn English or Esperanto or something?
We're all made to drive on the right/left?
Same taxes, school system, law blah blah blah.

Yay. We can be the United States of Europe. Ooh ooh, and then we can make the Earth Community Union! And everyone on earth has to speak English! Currency will be the Eurdollyen! We will turn entire countries into giant farms and factories!

I suppose from a certain point of view, it's inevitable - After all, every single future fiction I've seen has had a unified currency - Be it Zenny, C-Bills or the ubiquitous Credit - And everyone speaks English. Heck, even alien races we've never met before speak English!

Man, future looks bleak from this angle. I preferred the one with beam cannons...

[Ford Prefect]

I tend to think that steps toward greater global unification are a good thing.

That said, I don't know much about the workings of the European Union.

[Gank]

Originally posted by Roanoke
But then the EU Bank would control interest, not the Bank of England. Look what good that has done to Germany and Ireland.

Umm, our economys one of the best in europe...

[Tiara]

Will they force everyone to learn English

All students here already have to learn that from the sixth grade on. I thought that was pretty much a standard course.

I graduated with an A+ for that course so... Many others did as well, btw. English is pretty much a second language in Holland. Even many of the elderly know some English (which I find pretty awesome since most elderly people I've met in foreign countries tend to be very stuck up about that and simply refuse to learn it).