NATO and Europe do not equal the same thing though. NATO...Good... UN... pointless... Europe, well it makes money for companies having to kit out british banks and companies in order to trade under SEPA.

Quote from: Sam

UK and Romania is a bad example. Youve picked two ends of the scale, and romania has only been in the EU for 1 year (not even). Give it 10 years and see. Like Czech - their prices are becoming in line with ours now.

Where has the money come from for Czech Republic to develop? FWIW, their prices are nowhere near ours. £1.50 for a pint of stella in Prague 1. Equivelent place in the UK would cost £3.50

The money will, in a very large part, come from public investors and companies who will be repaid over time with interest. They dont do it for charitable purposes.



As I havent actually read the new agreement yet Im not commenting on it.

Quote from: Dave

Quote from: Sam

I am talking about trade deals with the other blocks. For example if it hadnt been for Europe we wouldnt have gotten an open skies agreement this summer.

yep and Ive already said that Im in favour of trade deals within the EU frame work

what Im asking is how further integration in other areas is of any benefit to us?

Well Im in favour of a united states of europe. Wed all be richer for it as we would be the worlds biggest economy and the euro would then be the worlds strongest currency. We could throw our weight about to get better deals, like the US does now.

We didnt sign up to the Euro because that would make us have to use a currency that the Bank of England could not manipulate to maintain the governments targets. It would have been unsuitable for the UK and has proved difficult for other European countries.

However I did have a good laugh at an American going on about the European countries giving up soverenty on BBC news 24. This seemed to ba against the whole American ethos.

The Euro is a very strong currency. Even Sorres or Buffet (one of them) said its likely to replace the dollar long term.

Doubt it.. The yanks will just roll in the troops, like they have done with the middle east because they was going to switch oil prices to euro.

/looks in mirror

Nope, hes definitely not me

NATO is obselete.

Not quite yet, they are doing some good work in Bosnia and the way its looking there may be another cold war with Russia eventually. Putin is going out of his way to create a new form of elected dictatorship.

ATM its rather more effective at fighting than the UN sodgers.

(soldiers spelt wrong on purpose)

Quote from: Dave

Quote from: Sam

I am talking about trade deals with the other blocks. For example if it hadnt been for Europe we wouldnt have gotten an open skies agreement this summer.

yep and Ive already said that Im in favour of trade deals within the EU frame work

what Im asking is how further integration in other areas is of any benefit to us?

Well Im in favour of a united states of europe. Wed all be richer for it as we would be the worlds biggest economy and the euro would then be the worlds strongest currency. We could throw our weight about to get better deals, like the US does now.

we are fine being a member of the EU - the EU is already perfectly capable of negotiating trade agreements - you dont need to be a united states of europe to achieve that - as for the single currency - that wouldnt be in our interests at all IMO