Hey,

In analogy with the different threads about 'Your vieuws on America(ns)?'; I'm starting this thread.
The title speaks for itself, but I wonder what our your views on the EU and Europe, what still are two different things?!
What do you think about the European legacy (of the past and the present) for humankind, what do you think about the European project (it's history, it's future,...?!).
I probably will sound chauvinistic but I can't imagine a better place to live than Europe!

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"Nos pays sont devenus trop petits pour le monde actuel, à l'échelle des moyens techniques modernes, à la mesure de l'Amérique et de la Russie aujourd'hui, de la Chine et de l'Inde demain. L'unité des peuples européens réunis dans les Etats-Unis d'Europe est le moyen de relever leur niveau de vie et de maintenir la paix. Elle est le grand espoir et la chance de notre époque. Nous aussi, nous allons vers notre but, les Etats-Unis d'Europe, dans une course sans retour."

Jean Monnet - Rome 1957

Well, have you been elsewhere?

I haven't been to Europe, but it seems my ideals would be more normal in Europe than America (I'm a liberal libertarian, liberal economically libertarian socially). The EU was a good idea economically - it makes them much more competitive in a global market I think.

Actually, yes, I did.

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"Nos pays sont devenus trop petits pour le monde actuel, à l'échelle des moyens techniques modernes, à la mesure de l'Amérique et de la Russie aujourd'hui, de la Chine et de l'Inde demain. L'unité des peuples européens réunis dans les Etats-Unis d'Europe est le moyen de relever leur niveau de vie et de maintenir la paix. Elle est le grand espoir et la chance de notre époque. Nous aussi, nous allons vers notre but, les Etats-Unis d'Europe, dans une course sans retour."

Jean Monnet - Rome 1957

The problem with the E.U is that it wants too much. It should be an economic union primarily (as we have seen, with the Eurozone now being the biggest economy in the world, that we did profit from the E.U), but it tries to be so much more. I don't consider myself "European", I don't feel emotionally attached to any other country than my own, yet they centralize more and more power to Brussels, and claim to know whats best for us. The EU involves itself in issues that should be dealth with in the respective country and not in Brussels.

That does sound chauvinistic indeed. Replace Europe with the USA and you sound like an average American. I can not support this statement either. I have been to every European country, have lived in the United States (exchange), my parents live in England (nice people, awfull place, no offense) and eventhough Austria ( and Bavaria and Switzerland) is by far the most liveable place I have ever been to, Id take the United States over many (certainly not all) European countries.

Il ya maintenntvingt-sept pays d e l'UE. Je n e voulais pas voir mon pays,la suède,de faire partie de cela. Suède a perdu l'identité. Maintenant l a Bulgarie et la Roumane adhèrent, mais je pense que c e qu'ils font parce qu'ils ont peur de la Russie. L'UE sont grosse erreur.

how have they lost their identity?

the EU, in my opinion, is the best thing that happened to Europe, economically speaking. politically tho, the EU will be either the reason for a third world war, or an end for Wars in Europe...

i agree with people who said that it makes Europe more capable in competing in the International Markets...

as for being the best place to live...
hell no.... i mean, no offense but Europe is boring...

except perhaps some cities, like Rome, or Paris... other then that.. Europe is too boring...
i live in Cairo, and if i was to choose to live anywhere in the world, id choose Cairo, Beirut or Dubai...

or perhaps Casablanca (good beaches)

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hmm.. on one side you find europe boring but you mention paris and rome as your favorites. i'd say these are the two cities that are among the least exciting in europe for the younger crowd. try barcelona or berlin for a change

and i prefer marrakech over casablanca anyday!

yes there lost their identity. i see this i n big city like Västerås,Uppsala and Stockholm.i live bevor in Borås and this are much small city. kulturen chainge are there but you dont see this bevor. people there come from somplace, i dont want to say becuase there are the fight. nobody i n Sweden want them t o stay. they come and spend the Euro. averybody they have same money and nobody there know were the border are for different country.

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sorry, i want to say Borås also have factory for t o make clothes but this closs down. now people weare clothes they make i n anothre country.