EU draws up plans to establish itself as ‘world power’ – Telegraph — Look for this to eventually evolve into a horrible Civil War.
Confidential negotiations on how to implement the Lisbon Treaty have produced proposals to allow the EU to negotiate treaties and even open embassies across the world.
A letter conferring a full “legal personality” for the Union has been drafted in order for a new European diplomatic service to be recognised as fully fledged negotiators by international bodies and all non-EU countries. According to one confidential paper, the first pilot “embassies” are planned in New York, Kabul and Addis Ababa.
The move is highly symbolic in Britain as it formally scraps the “European Community”, the organisation in which Britons originally voted to remain in the country’s only referendum on Europe 34 years ago.
Good. About time these fuckers paid their own way! Manage your own defenses. Good luck President Blair…
#32 pedro,
The same thing with French Polynesia, those who don’t want to split from France are mostly because France is giving them some “advantages” over those who want to split from them.
27,
I do believe American ultra-patriotism is behind the bitter grapes attitudes given here. Why should America resent a resurgent Europe? Aren’t they our allies? Shouldn’t we be happy that a friendly, progressive, and generally humanitarian power block is going to help police the world?
—-Aren’t they our allies? Shouldn’t we be happy that a friendly, progressive, and generally humanitarian power block is going to help police the world?—
the average Euro doesn’t WANT to be our allies. They hate and look down on us. If there was a lot of evidence that the EU was going to be friendly or progressive, it would be different. But they are rapidly losing any checks and balances on govt power, and will be predominantly Muslim in a few years. That does not bode well.
The EU is a good thing.
The EU government doesn’t have the political will to start wars or anything like that and the individual members are bound together by free trade (thus we don’t have to worry about the French/Germans/English getting uppity and trying to take over the world any more).
The EU could certainly use a simpler constitution and better guarantees of individual liberties throughout the EU, but overall I think its a good example of decentralized government that can benefit the people. The only way to world peace in any real sense is this sort of globalization and free trade.
#40 Smartalix,
Dunno, It sounds like ‘peace in our time’ Europe has a lot to work out, if they were to gel quickly that would probably not have lasting power.
I also think there would be enough of a play between England, France, and Germany to cause a EU to fall apart.
Perhaps the only way to make it work would be as a hegamony.
So when will France be giving up its seat at the UN Security Council?
I can’t imagine the Europeans going to war with each other over anything like this….oh wait…
#27 John
Please. I expect you to be a bastion of reality.
People are going to continue to have wars with or without an EU. If they unite as one new nation or dissolve into fighting among themselves is irrelevant.
The EU means really nothing. Just as the UN means nothing. NATO, SEATO or any alliances.
When people get the need for greed there WILL be war.
To be reasonable, Europe has been on and off war since the last world war. So if it blows up into another one it will be a question of whom to side with. As far as I can see we have no real alliance with anyone but England again. And only due to tradition, not from real common ground.
If it happens again it will be back to a Russian-German-English affair like has been since the Crimean. These are old rivalries that simply will not give into each other.
The best thing is to focus on cleaning our own messes up, both externally and internally. As we are a nation that is nowhere near ready for another world war. Hell we have wars in our own cities again like we have had since the 1950’s.
No man is truly peaceful. Whether external or internal, war rages on.
Cursor_
# 35 GF asks:
“How long do you think before Europe’s diverse cultures become strangely monotonous and boring.”
I’d say at least a thousand years.
Most member countries have parliamentary systems, so are used to all kinds of weirdness in the government and all kinds of political shifts going on all the time. In other words, they’re used to the chaos. So the Union could actually last a long time. Could, in fact, become a major world power. Actually, I’d be surprised if it didn’t. Though I seem to be in the minority. (I’m used to it.) This post does seem to have brought the bats out of the belfry…
Cursor #46.
Very very sad. Also very, very true.
Now they can attack Russia again.
The EU needs more SUVs. Increase that and everything else automatically gets better.
The EU will replace the America we once lived in before the extreme right wingnuts destroyed it. If there was a way to transfer my social security income, all that’s left after Bush & Company stole my retirement savings, I would join them.
I wonder how many peopole commenting here have even visited Europe.
Sorry Mr. D, But this is the most ignorant and inflamatory post so far. Just when did Europe cease being a world power? What’s makes the US so great? Apart from starting wars it can’t fight alone and can’t finish. Plenty of European allies getting killed in the wars in Afgahnistan and Iraq. FYI there’s more to Europe than just the British isles. Europe doesn’t need Britain as they soon found out by staying out of the Euro currency. The pound is almost equal the euro now when it used to be worth alot more. A united europe weilds a lot more power and influence, hopefully they’ll use it for something better than the US has – keeping the 3rd world unstable to drain off their natural resources and exploit their peoples.
#56
I’m almost afraid to ask, but since I’ve been living in spain since ’89 – What the heck are you referring to? Military activity in latin america from spain – none. If your refering to commercial activities such as Repsol or Telefonica, I hardly see how you can associate that with the left.
Anything is better than this war mongering country called USA. Europeans may not be perfect but they are million times better than USA. If you believe that US is only hated in the Middle Eastern countries, you haven’t asked a European yet. lol
For the record the USA is hated in Australia too. Mostly this is parochial. Mostly.
You know, it’s not like we silly Yanks didn’t warn the EU folks this was coming. If you want to see what happens when you give power to a central government, read American history. The States used to have significant power in this country. Where is that power now? Further, the Europeans have far more to lose than the Americans have already lost by a strong central government. The US is mostly culturally homogeneous in comparison to the EU. However, if the EU develops into a strong central government, that will erode over time.
Remember that the original formation of the Federal government was to settle disputes, handle treaties, conduct war and regulate commerce. Sound familiar? The EU will soon have three out of the four with the fourth coming soon.
#42
> The EU government
> doesn’t have the
> political will
> to start wars
You mean that it doesn’t have this will yet primarily because it doesn’t have the power yet. When it has the power, the will to engage in wars as a united entity will follow.
#61 Pedro
“An American hate post by you. Think about that the next time you talk how nice you mac is.”
So if you buy American products you cant criticise or dislike their foreign policy? Think on that next time you buy something Chinese.
You, sir, are a douche!
Pedro the douche bag?? Hahaha..well said!
#58 Pedro
Spain built hotels in Cuba and that’s what’s got your balls in a bunch? I’ve noticed most of your posts reflect a constant political agenda. That’s a bad case of indoctrination you got there boy! Spain and France are part of Nato and as such give no military support outside of that context. France has done a lot worse than just giving medical assistence to the FARC(in negotiation for a hostage), they sell arms to just about anybody (as do most countries). Your examples are as lame as your arguments.