Make up your mind: Whilst you in the States are occupied with the forthcoming election, we in the UK are worrying whether to leave the EU. Many of us think we should not be governed by...

viscountdriver Loc: East Kent UK

Whilst you in the States are occupied with the forthcoming election, we in the UK are worrying whether to leave the EU. Many of us think we should not be governed by unelected officials in a foreign country nor should our borders be open to any member of an European country that considers our benefit system better than their own country but there are arguments on both side,some quite valid and it will go to the wire.
I am an old man and fought for democracy in the war, I do not want to see it given away. I am not anti-German but Germany is calling the shots.

WessoJPEG Loc: Cincinnati, Ohio

viscountdriver wrote:

Whilst you in the States are occupied with the for... (show quote)

Germany has always screwed up everything.

John_F Loc: Minneapolis, MN

There is a guy on the Hog who posts interesting history pieces on WW2. What units did you serve in, what exploits can you tell about.

JD750 Loc: SoCal

All Legitimate issues that you point out. I ask what is a country without a border? How can a border exit if the country does not have control over it?

Similar issues here. One facet of it is a bigger philosophical issue that the idea of countries is obsolete. If only we could all just live together no borders, people of varying cultures and religions, all living one big happy family, then everything would be perfect. That concept is wrongheaded and pure bunk. But there are still those who believe in it.

donrent Loc: Punta Gorda , Fl

Your last sentence says it all....

viscountdriver Loc: East Kent UK

John_F wrote:

There is a guy on the Hog who posts interesting history pieces on WW2. What units did you serve in, what exploits can you tell about.

I was a pilot in Bomber Command.I flew 31 missions in a Lancaster bomber.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

JD750 wrote:

If only we could all just live together no borders, people of varying cultures and religions, all living one big happy family, then everything would be perfect. That concept is wrongheaded and pure bunk. But there are still those who believe in it.

John Lennon

lateron Loc: Yorkshire, England

viscountdriver wrote:

Whilst you in the States are occupied with the for... (show quote)

I agree with you Viscount Driver - unlike you I did not fight in the war(I was only 1 year old at the start of the war), but I agree that Germany is calling the shots!!!!! I have an interesting picture of the French P.M. and Angela Merkel at the E.U. and the speech given by Nigel Farage (with whom I do not necessarily agree) - as I said "Interesting".

sb Loc: Florida's East Coast

It seems to me from this side of the pond that "Europe" is comprised of nations with different enough economies and ideologies that turning it into one "nation without borders" just was not going to work. Probably time to step back - economic and trade agreements are one thing - no borders is something else entirely.... We don't even have that between the US and Canada...

BboH Loc: s of 2/21, Ellicott City, MD

As long as "tribalism" is an inherit part of human nature countries will never be obsolete.

xerxesix Loc: Portland, OR

Seems to me that the "United states" is similar to the EU in a lot of ways and generally it works. We have borders between the states, we have economic and cultural differences, the federal government is seen as a dysfunctional body that always wants more money for fewer services. Each state has its own government and laws so while there are many differences there are also many similarities

jaymatt Loc: Alexandria, Indiana

JD750 wrote:

All Legitimate issues that you point out. I ask w... (show quote)

JamesCurran Loc: Trenton ,NJ

xerxesix wrote:

Seems to me that the "United states" is similar to the EU in a lot of ways and generally it works. We have borders between the states, we have economic and cultural differences, the federal government is seen as a dysfunctional body that always wants more money for fewer services.

This is exactly right (although I'm a bit concerned that you put United States in scare quotes)

xerxesix wrote:

Each state has its own government and laws so while there are many differences there are also many similarities

I'm not sure why you cite this as a difference, since it's exactly the case with nations in the EU as well.

John_F Loc: Minneapolis, MN

xerxesix wrote:

Seems to me that the "United states" is similar to the EU in a lot of ways and generally it works. We have borders between the states, we have economic and cultural differences, the federal government is seen as a dysfunctional body that always wants more money for fewer services. Each state has its own government and laws so while there are many differences there are also many similarities

The main difference between the EU and the USA is that in the USA the people of the various States speak a common language (mostly) while in the EU the various Countries speak different languages. Languages infer more than mere sound. For example, in English it is Subject, Verb, Predicate except for special constructions. In German it is the various parts of speach and lasg, the Verb. To their mind it is the action that is important and to make sure you get it is is said last (of any stream of words it is the last one that is remembered - so the Germans are ever practical).

WayneT Loc: Paris, TN

Being borderless is nonsense, multiculturalism doesn't work, has never worked and never will work. If you move into a country from another culture and you try to maintain that culture in that new country you are only creating problems for everyone involved. My Grandparents on my dads side were immigrants, my Mother was an immigrant and my wife is an immigrant and they all came here legally and became American's and American Citizen's and never tried to impose their culture on anyone. If people don't like that they can go back to the country they came from. My 2 cents worth,