Brexit, for once some facts.
- Thread starter flecc
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As ever, your very biased hatred of the EU grossly distorts your view.
The EU isn't totally dependent on NATO. They have never asked for NATO, it was thrust upon them by the USA. If it disappeared they and their member countries might then have the motivation to put together their own forces, but sensibly while the USA pays the bill, they accept it.
And why would the EU do anything about China invading Taiwan, which even the USA accepts is a part of China? They'll simply ignore it as nothing to do with them, something the USA should practice more often.
And to say the EU hasn't the will to do anything politically is utterly ridiculous for two reasons. Firstly they've achieved a huge amount politically inside and outside of Europe and it is an example to the world in terms of human rights. Secondly they can only act with the agreement of member countries, so cannot be blamed when that is withheld.
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I think your admiration of EU colours your views in a similar but opposing manner.
Such a shame we left.
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The Nazis did think the Celts were less defiled by Eastern Europeans and nearer to the Aryan ideal than your common or garden Anglo Saxon. So perhaps..Cymraeg.
... Then they would have loved us!. . But you know this is just nonsense. The Icelanders are really only transferred Irish people who got it together with Norwegians. The Black haired beauties of Galway are the decendants of the few Armada sailors who survived the sea and the savages in Connemara, the Red haired ones are from Viking stock, Add in the Stocky Norfolk laddies who were in Cromwell's army 1640, , and the Giants of Scots in Edward Bruces Army of 1318 . Let alone the classical Norman features of the Welsh invaders in 1172 and residue of Picts picked up three hundred years earlier, and we are as mongrel a race as any... But now we have thousands of comely Poles enlivening villages, and loads of Nigerians , things are looking up.
Culture reveals itself in small voluntary acts. The eu want to standardise mobile power supply plugs for environmental reasons (so old ones can be reused), apple is taking legal action to prevent it. Says everything one really need to know about eu vs us mindset.
Untrue again. I've several times shown how critical I can be of the EU in matters where they could have done different, but I won't criticise them as you so often do for matters entirely beyond their control.
In other words, I have a balanced view, recognising the scale of their achievements while being unhappy with the often cumbersome way they go about their work.
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I, m glad they are tackling the really important issues..
Taiwan is investing rapidly in military hardware , along with a whole host of other countries, including India, Pakistan, Japan etc etc. Australia is renaging on a 40 billion dollar deal with an EU member, Afghanistan is in total disarray, millions are short of vaccines World wide, Brazil is burning down thousands of acres of woodland weekly, the World is on brink of environmental disaster with almost weekly extreme weather events and what concerns EU... Plugs on phones. Bet they had all 27 nations and 25 multi ethnic representatives from each to discuss it. Bit ironic when 90% of them are made in China under no, oor very little, environmental protection rules.
Good point well made Jonathon.
Exactly.
They should have been discussing an EU military force 30 years ago, the environment, China and Taiwan, The Crimea and other world issues but milk quotas and French farming subsidies were more important. The EU is too insular and unwieldy. Its plagued with indecision and bordering on pointless.
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Ranting - and fixating on the military - is what got us into this mess. Geopolitically and environmentally. Went sailing today - poole, rainy, light breeze, nothing special - but at the same time strikingly special. Moral of that is that I do not see the point of getting into a rant about how much the eu should militarise so that it can become a demagogic knob with ears country like us (or china).
Yep, especially when there are important issues like plugs to discuss.
Enjoy the sailing.
I was filming mates sailing yesterday . Was a great day. Best speed of day 32 kts... Sailed furthest 51 miles...(wind was 18kts or so) I, m back on water 5th Oct..(cataract op)..
Might have a trip to Weymouth for Speedweek....9th to 15th Oct..
Nice beach at Weymouth. I, ll dig a hole and bury my head in it. Seems popular.
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Nazis believed in the occult too. Do you want to give a argument about how silly that was . As usual missing point and arguing about a point not made.. And in depth.
"The Nazis believed"
I think you, ll find their argument re Aryans was debunked... Didn't stop them believing they were the super race and trying to eliminate an entire people.
The Nazis did believe folk from further west were less likely to be of Eastern European ancestry... But no doubt you, ll have some smart arse answer to that again, proving how good you can use Google.
The salient point of the discussion was that without the help of the US, Russia and the thousands of lives given by countries throughout world the UK would have been part of 3rd Reich and probably by now speaking German.
We like to underestimate the part US played in that.. And the part they have played in keeping world in relative harmony since.. We just like to emphasise their failures and some side with Russians/Chinese .. But then again even Hitler had his Moseley over here in 30s.
China sends jets and bombers near Taiwan as Beijing opposes island’s trade deal bid
Nuclear-capable bombers entered air defence zone, says Taipei, amid simmering row over competing bids to join regional trade agreement
www.theguardian.com
Second line of defence: Taiwan’s civilians train to resist invasion
Workshops teach public first aid and prepare them to assist armed forces in event of attack by China
www.theguardian.com
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Thanks, I hope weymouth goes well. Havent been there for ages, but realised yesterday off studland in what may have been 18c water the south coast of england is much more beautiful than it get credit for. And this off the back of a little westerly 21 a mate paid less than 1k for. A fine little boat. Which made me realise one needs much less than one imagine. But perhaps lockdown's finally clouding the old sensorium.
I have never been one of those "England stood alone against Nazi tyranny " myth believers .. well maybe I was as a 11 year old reading Commando comics in 1962. The UK controlled the worlds largest and strongest empire in 1937 onwards .With Canada as a Breadbasket and Ireland as a Dairy , they were well sorted on the food front, provided they could get the stuff across. With their control of the Persian Oilfields bthey had the resources for a mechanised army.
The USA s contribution was , they had the manufacturing clout to make a huge difference and the financial muscle to make it profitable. In addition they wanted ,at a strategic level , to have a weakened British Empire .
The Russians made the invasion of Eastern Europe possible , by invading Poland from the East . Had they not done so, it is credible that Poland would have stopped the Germans ,enough to stop the madness escalating. Now the Russians paid for that hubris in blood over the next few years. It was the Russians, working with USA supplied machinery , brought over by British Merchant Marine shipping who won the war.
What the USA was extremely good at was the post war rehabilitation of Europe. They prevented the vindictive response which characterised the British French response after WW1. ..and which fuelled Nazism.
Ah, Versailles and the rise of fascism. A bit like the years of conservative and neo conservative mismanagement of the uk and brexit and the tepid rise of english nationalism
Can't tear myself away from boards. Tried a few times to return to small yachts where it all started... Lots of stuff faster, easier more capable nowadays but can't give boards up. Crazy.. Often get comment
"you still windsurf.... at your age.."
Yep... I try...
Might retire if I break 40kts on open sea. Been trying for 10 years or more now.???
When will you ever learn!
The EU is not a government of a country having a foreign policy, neither is it a country so it's not their job. Member countries do have foreign policies, it is their job. Therefore almost your entire post (rant) is irrelevant, inappropriate and unnecessary.
The task of the EU is to work towards the harmonisation of member states so that they can eventually merge into a single country of Europe, which then can have a foreign policy. Meanwhile the EU gets on with its job of achieving compatibility.
That includes such subjects as large as transport and Europe wide farm subsidies or as small as electrical connectors and pedelec specifications.
The Romans once achieved a degree of borderless unity among less than half of Europe's countries, but to do that they used extreme force and took several centuries to do it.
Very far from being pointless, following its very sensible policies the EU has achieved 27 borderless countries across Europe living in peace together, which were until recently a diverse group of nations intent on destroying each other during over 1000 years. And the EU achieved that in far less than half a century, which is close to being a miracle.
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Any truth in the rumour that Brazilian turkeys have no feathers. Except for a strip...?
If Johnson really is asking Bolsonaro for turkeys, the poultry industry might be extremely unhappy.
If Johnson really is asking Bolsonaro for turkeys, the poultry industry might be extremely unhappy.