Ming the Mechanic:
Europe gets bigger
The NewsLog of Flemming Funch
 Europe gets bigger2004-05-01 17:55
3 comments
picture by Flemming Funch

Ten new countries joined the European Union today.
Poland
Czech Republic
Slovakia
Slovenia
Hungary
Estonia
Latvia
Lithuania
Malta
Cyprus
75 million more people. 455 million now.

The new people seemed to be very happy with it, with big celebrations and fireworks in all the new countries. People in the old countries probably didn't think of feeling the same about it. But watching the celebrations on TV was sort of contageous. I think it is a good thing.


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3 comments

1 May 2004 @ 20:11 by istvan : Hold the horses Ming.
In reality not everyone is all that happy about the EU membership.
[ http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/3672681.stm ]  

2 May 2004 @ 07:57 by ming : Europe
Yeah, everybody is not ecstatic. And their prices might rise. And it might all be part of an evil alien master plan for world domination. But aside from that, it strengthens the only region other than China that's likely to be able to provide the U.S. with some checks and balances. And it brings some people closer together.

The EU is quite a huge bureaucracy, and there are various things they're trying to stuff down the throat of everybody, which aren't kosher. But in terms of the practicality of living in Europe, the lowered barriers and the coordinated infrastructure makes it much more convenient to move around. Being able to move freely, live anywhere I want, doing business anywhere I want, paying with the coins I already have in my pocket - it really makes life more simple.  

2 May 2004 @ 09:47 by istvan : Checks and balances.
It will be interesting to observe how that will pan out. If the EU will strive for a better union of cultures than what we have in amerika than it might happen. If the people there chose to imitate the US, there is not much hope.I think at this point of global/social dewelopment the most important factor is the question of creativity.  

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