h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

9 May 1955: the start creation of an United Europe.

United in diversaty!

some history
http://europa.eu.int/abc/symbols/9-may/index_en.htm
http://www.cec.org.uk/whatsnew/may9.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Europe_Day

Same to you, pheloxi

Ooh, another 50-year-old!

ooops! a little historic error it should be 9 may 1950

I have an eye check up later this week. may be my cataracs will be operable, because I get anoyed with my bad eyes, especialy not seeing people's face about 1 meter away (about 3 1/3 foot).

United by geography but hopefully never tied to a federal super state.

For if we are I foresee that there will be trouble ahead ooooooooo

Hopefully politicians who seek power will look to and learn from the lessons of history .... USSR and Yugoslavia.

not all things can go without trouble, because that how learn to improve!

I think that Europe should example of diversity can unite.

we will have interesting time ahead...

like African saying says "bit by bit the egg get legs"

I just pray that our (meaning UK from my perspective) future lays in Europe, deep and totally within Europe, for lest we do that then we will it seems be inexplicibably the pupetts of the American war machine.... Of note the Mainland European countrys did not believe the lies of Bush as Blair did, I feel had we been a more intigrated part of Europe we could have avoided the whole pointless thing why do we not have a or smiley... Hope the Cataracs can be delt with; my eyes haven't worked now for a bit over ten years but at least they should be able to quicky deal with teh cataracs

Well as a sceptical ... anyway. I can appreciate the gesture and the sympathy.

"Council of Europe was designed to defend human rights, parliamentary democracy and the rule of law, while the Schuman speech was proposing a sharing of French and German coal and steel."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Europe_Day

Well Happy Europe Day then!

Looks like the council that created the day was in a political debate that is still going on!
Humanity and Big Business >> Hopefully learning to combine the two in a wedded bliss so they can teach the US

Long live the United State of Europe!!

The worlds greatest union. Hopefully it's most peaceful and prosperous.

One day all countries will be european!

Happy european day everyone! I hope that we all retain our diversity!

"we all retain our diversity!"

I think Europeans are pigheaded enough

Or in time we will be fighting for it when the men in grey suits become too power hungry and we are pushed into a federal superstate which makes our voices unheard with laws and dictats being forced upon us.

Diversity will always win!

Wales, Scotland and Ireland still exist despite the best efforts of our English forefathers (the rich ones that is).

Brittany still exists despite Queen Anne's boo boo.

But how many European states formerly had colonies?

(Listens intently knowing Pheloxi will have the answer)

Without researching the following come to mind ( in no particular order): England, Portugal, France, Spain, the Netherlands, Germany,Belgium so that would be seven

Diversity will most certainly always win. I don't know why the 'Euro sceptic's' believe that will not be the case; They need only look within which ever member state they care to see that it works within* each country; Take the UK, and its myriad 'communities', most obviously those based on different religious backgrounds, and simularly in France, fraid I know less about such things as regards other EU countrys and its already great living somewhere such as I do, with the constant influx of people from other European countrys, to the universitys here and to work here too. I remember the I got when I was at our train station a while ago, sitting on the bench waiting for the train to come in, and a French couple and their children were next to me, they were entertaining the children who were young and singing a song, in French and I got to use (my very limited) French language skills (if skills is a good word to use to describe them I doubt very muhc) and of course i had to when my French haltered and they turned to their very good English Viva la Euro

I like the French, especially the Bretons.

Good food, good music and they still have community spirit. The kids behave well when eating out and parents never ignore the kids.

Ok, so maybe not 100%, but enough of a difference to impress kid hating me!

Always saying that they 'hate the english' but when you get to know them it's the English who think the french language is English, shouted out loud and adding an O.

For those that bother to get to know them there is a most pleasant welcolme awaiting.

Years ago I raised the thorny question about how they would feel if I bought a house locally and rented it out as a Gite. Expecting a polite disapproval I was gobsmacked by how keen they were on the idea, they would even look after it for me!! I thought that another 'roast beef' buying their houses and probably pushing prices up would not be popular.
Their reasoning was that I was one of them because I made an effort to support local events when I was there (bike races, darts tournements, horse racing and the 'Fez Noz' (probably mis-spelt), a local music and dance festival. Unlike many other English who wanted to live in France, talk only English and never mix with the locals.

To quote my friends 'Vive La diffrance'!

'England, Portugal, France, Spain, the Netherlands, Germany,Belgium so that would be seven'

Italy, Austria, Greece, Turkey.

Not sure about Poland (Prussia) or Hungry but maybe.

And then there's the countries with more than one language;
France, Spain, Portugal, Netherlands, Austria, Belgium, Switzerland...

The aim isn't in the list but in the diversity. European languages are spoken all over the world. We have touched the whole world, partly because of the church's efforts to convert everyone to one faith and partly due to greed. For me it is an indication that one day we'll either unite or destroy each other. Since Peace is winning presently let's give it our support!