I was wondering, when, if ever, Russia will join the EU. My expectation is that negotiations will be made public sometime with the next president in charge.
I think most people would agree that Russia would fit in quite easily, assuming that crime and corruption are under control. With Russia having the Euro it should take foreign exchange risk out of buying most of the energy.
It is progress towards to a visible one world government
On 17 Nov 2006 23:54:09 -0800 'Dave' posted this onto uk.politics.misc:
I think the idea of Russia joining the EU must be on the agenda
- secretly at this time - but whether it's a good idea for the
*citizens* of Europe overall is highly questionable.
Seems a possibility. The principles of the Council of Europe were watered down to allow Russia's entry, so it wouldn't be surprising if the next step were made easier for them too.
Having said that, expansion has lost momentum and the EU is developing types of "special relationship" for countries which it might once have welcomed as full members. It would be politically unacceptable to talk about Russia's entry while Turkey is still at the sticking point. And the memory of the friendly Russian liberators is much stronger in places like Berlin or Plsen than in this country, so there might be as much or more resistance to the idea than there is to Turkey's membership.
I'd be happier if the EU concentrated on financing nuclear power stations than on cosying up to the Russians. Even then, there's a time gap while the things are developed and built, and likely a lot of argument over whether to waive the rule against state subsidies. So there's a dilemma...
It's an interesting idea. If we had a free vote on whether to allow Russia OR Turkey to join I know where my vote would be cast.
Yes, what has Turkey to offer the EU except cheap labour? The only advantage of Turkey joining, I think, is to avoid too much of an Islamic bloc.
On 18 Nov 2006 03:06:44 -0800 'Dave' posted this onto uk.politics.misc:
The theory is that Turkey has much cheap produce to offer and as you allude, the closer integration of Islam into mainstream.
The US is strongly in favour of Turkey's membership.
Never if a hap'orth of sense prevails there!
The best form of government is one that governs least and leaves people alone.
No, I think that would be impossible because most of Russia is in Asia.
Like in the USA you mean where a very large percentage of the people live below the poverty line, have little access to medical care and where the crime rate is one of the highest in the developed world?
Let's not disparage cheap labour. It's an advantage to us and to Turkish people.
What the UK economy actually needs is cheap, competent, English speaking labour. What we have got from Eastern Europe over the past 3-4 years is very variable.
A misleading statistic and one which is regurgitated relentlessly by socialists such as yourself. The USA is the most developed country on earth. What defines "poverty" in the USA will correspond with a lifestyle unimaginable to most Africans. Who decides what is meant by "living below the poverty line"?
Compared to where?
Yes, their crime detection rate is the envy of the developed world. I wish we in Britain had the will to track-down and imprison criminals like the Americans.
That may or may or may not be true, depending on how you wangle the statistics, but I did find the USA a happier place to live than England. Mind you, I was down South; not in the ghettos of Detroit, etc. I didn't feel like I was being ruled with an iron fist, like I often do in England. The cops in the US, I found, were intelligent and human. All my experiences with the police in England have been unpleasant ones (except for one, that I can remember). The exact opposite was true in the USA.
Luke S
As, has already been alluded to, is most of Turkey.
tim
On Sat, 18 Nov 2006 13:54:36 +0100 'John of Aix' posted this onto uk.politics.misc:
Ditto Turkey but that hasn't stopped full speed negotiations. Nanny state empires don't recognise borders.
I'm not convinced. It depresses GDP per capita, and they don't pay enough tax to pay their way. (e.g. education, health, housing, policing, pension and benefits.) The economy is boosted by improved productivity which comes from intelligent work, not just more people.
This is the EU we're talking about, right? Surely a country with crime and corruption _out_ of control would fit right in?
Mark
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