I grew up in Eastern Europe. Then moved to the USA to eventually become an US citizen. In Eastern Europe all kids in school were (and I bet still are) criticized for any error, taught that they are in no way better than anyone else, probably worse. I still remember physics teacher in my high-school claiming that F grade is for most of us imbecyls, D if we learn really hard, C for geniuses, he/she (the teacher) may be good for B, and Einstein was A :-)
People not only in Easter Europe, but I noticed also in Western Europe and Asia tend to critize each other.
It's funny because when you hit the US with true imbecyls around you, you will be astonished how dumb they are and how far they can get basically claiming they are experts in this or that, usually though no better than anybody else.
At first it angered me and made me feel bad. I couldn't just praise myself constantly over mundane little accomplishments for hours and days as my US peers used to. After some time though I got used to it and kind of liked it. Just do a little something here or there, write a ton of useless documentation about it and brag about it all the time to everybody. And then also get super excited about "accomplishments" of your colleges or peers at work. Kind of silly, but it really is how things roll in the corporate USA most of the time.
Didn't know it was based on education.
I have my own private theory regarding US success story after WW2. Because im sure it's not because of its people. It must be something else. The theory is that US hasn't been destroyed during ww2. Its currency got world reserve currency status. What's the difference between country with a world reserve currency and rest of the world? USA gets super cheap credit earned or not 24/7. The whole world must buy US Treasuries that are used as credit for US companies and people. Example: Czech Government wants to buy oil from Saudi Arabia. They have to convert their currency into USD, then buy oil. They can't use any other currency for this. They or anybody else in the world. However dumb, your startup idea, remember you get the funding because some sucker country imported your USD-denominated debt to buy resources. Even monkeys would be rich scratching their 3-letter-end, if the whole world had to buy their debt.
Once the crisis is over and we get back to the gold standard, US citiznes will wake up to the much different reality. With no free money floating from rest of the world.
"Stereotypical" and "plain xenophobic" speech is yours not mine:
Countries that "import unemployed people" do so for their own good. Or do you know a lot of Brits currently willing to do housecleaning work or have a factory job?
Thank you for admitting that Germany might actually have a hidden agenda behind all this crazy pro-EU talk.
When WTO meetings are taking place there is no UK representation. There are unelected EU officials representing them as well as the whole EU. Maybe because they are mostly German speaking it's good for the German economy, but killing British?
No. This a feudal phenomenon right from the Middle Ages. The Papal Rome (EU) that deals with the big stuff and regionalization. That's why many historians and philosophers claim that times we are living in will be referred to as neo-feudal in the future:
That's backwardation. Similarly, in the Middle Ages there was no concept of nation states. Sounds like EU agenda, doesn't it?
Not to mention other similarities: 1% above the law elites, bankers, etc. and 99% of serfs. Definition of serf: born in debt and dies in debt. Religious wars (think crusades to Afghanistan, Iraq, Pakistan to enforce our Christian-born values), etc, etc. Whatever you touch in terms of social sciences in the modern societies of the West is feudal. Including things like rise of Asia and deterioration of the West.
We're in the process of building of a neo-feudal society.
Not fun. Just trying to fight against it every step it takes.
EU is a failing Project that has chosen to ignore democratic procedures and no-votes for decades. It doesn't work, it never did and it never will. It's basic economics that you can't have the same central bank for two countries like Germany and Greece, isn't it? But not when integration unelected fanatics like ex-marxist Barroso come into play. They don't care about nuances like democratic NOs or economic commonse sense. They want to build this - as you called it - superpower - at all costs and against the people. And people are tired of this nonsense.
It may look fine when you sit in Eastern Europe and get all the funds. But think for German taxpayer for a while who now has to pay for your infrastruture, meet your debt obligations in case something goes wrong, and import all the unemployed form your country. How much longer do you think Germans will take it? Of course, it's nice to be on the receiving end. But being in an economic crisis + having your own unemployed + tax hikes for your highways, do you think this makes EU popular among German voters? No, it doesn't. If Germany was given a chance there is a good chance they would opt to exit as well.
Eastern Europe is very pro-EU because it is bribed by all the money stolen from the Western Europe. But nobody, really nobody, in the West wants to stay on the board of the Titanic anymore.
Agreed. Germany may import more into the EU market than anybody else including UK. That's not my point. My point is that from the British perspective it is much better to open borders and trade with India, Canada, Australia, US, then to try doing the same with the EU. They closed themselves in the EU-block distancing from emerging markets in Asia and from the Commonwealth while Indians for that example are literally begging them for business. To no avail as the UK can't have free trade agreements with India as long as it stays within the EU. The same EU by the way which is just in the process of passing laws that will kill the biggest British business and pride - the City.
If you narrow yourself to the trade and banking within the EU, yes I agree, Germany are bigger player than anybody else. Start thinking globally, and you'll soon realize that UK stands much better chances in global economy trading freely with the Commonwealth and Asia than turning their back to these markets and focusing on the local European block.
Think Hong Kong, think Canada, think Australia -- from UK perspective it is just better business to be in an free trade economic block with them then to stay in euro disaster zone. This is what they have been doing for centuries. UK is no.1 in the world in terms of value of items traded per capita. Yes, they are a nation of shop-keepers. EU seems to be one-size-fits-all solution that obviously doesn't work for them anymore and probably never worked. They'll exit, open borders to Asia, ex-colonies, trade with them, do their banking, logistics and all the other stuff they have been doing centuries. While Germany will still export/import in Hamburg, nobody minds, everybody just does what's the best for their country. No surprises there.
Wasn't it Hitler who called Brits 'a nation of shop-keepers' ?
What a trading nation would do is make a living of - for example - buying tea from India to sell across Europe. Not some low-level, small scale enterprise. That has never been the engine of the German economy. German trade has always been a by-product of craftsmanship and not its replacement.
beyond funny - EU advocating continental unity causing break-down even such already small countries as Belgium. Even more funny - Von Rumpoy is from Belgium traveling continent advocating for unity, while his own small country is falling apart into pieces.
UK is outside of tree trade agreements with the Commonwealth (Australia, Canada, etc.) because of its free trade agreement (i.e. EU) with collapsing eurozone. That's not good business for them.
Created an account just to state this: tech people please don't go into discussing politics / economics. Brits want to exit EU because of wars in the past? This is ridiculous!
What about the real reasons:
1. Britain has 70% of its laws created by the EU by burocrats who were never voted into the office and can't be voted out of the office: Barroso (President of the European Commission) and Von Rumpoy (whatever his name - never elected President of the UE). 70% of British laws are created by unelected foreigners who definitely don't share their anglo-saxon heritage, focusing more on Germany-centered economic views.
Germany has always been goods producer. UK has always been a trading nation. You say forcing UK to obey Teutonian laws will prevent future wars and upheaval and I'm telling you it may as well cause them (look at another country not consistent with German economic policies: Greece)
Not to mention other things: UK is banned from entering into trade treaties with Canada, Australia, India, and the US - their historical partners - EU has to do it for them! They have to accept EU imposed anti-British customs with India, Australia and Canada because by the EU law they have to trade openly with EU and mustn't with Anglo-Saxon world. And economically - this is killing them. EU exports into UK much more than UK into EU. Why bother? It's not like they will loose business once outside of the block.
And other things - newly passed EU laws that will basically kill London's stock exchange and investment banks to keep German tax payers happy.
THIS and not history of wars is the cause of 2 in 3 Britons being in favor of EU exit. It's just bad business for them and their economy and nobody in the EU seem to care. As long as the Chancellor is happy.