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

Some Americans are against the EU, I've no doubt, but that doesn't mean the US as a whole. The newspaper article in question was probably written by said-americans. Why they would be against it, I don't understand. You can talk about a "rivalry", but the US has had that with Japan for decades.

but the EU is expanding to include these states

In regards to which can I alert you all to the fact that Ramón de Miguel, Spanish Secretary of State for European Affairs (Spain currently hold the E.U. Presidency) is holding an Internet chat session on “the Future of Europe” on Monday 18 February 2002 – details on the Europa website.

Sorry Zagreb, though you meant that the American govt. was not opposed to it rather than the peoples. The article was written from a political perspective, ie the American administration want to weaken the EU by forcing its extension to former Communist states.
As far as the rivalry idea goes, I think that the US administration probably enjoys a bit of rivalry - as long as it can tip the balance in its own favour.

I'm suppoed to be against the European Union? Damn, I didn't get the memo.

Darn straight, I'm violently opposed to the formation of the EU. I think it's completely unfair for them to ... to ...

Why am I opposed to them again?

No one is really talking about the EU over here. There were some news bits about the Euro.

It sounds like it'll probably make tourism easier. That sounds like a good thing to me.

Overall, I think you'll be disappointed with it in 50 years or so. If you create a level of government, it will start assuming more and more power. With the European acceptance of central government, I expect that the soveiregn European governments will be a thing of the past in fifty years.

We have a strong tradition of independence, and our central government has nearly maginalized the state governments in the 150 years since the Civil War.

Too be quite honest ( and I'm not necessarily proud to admit this) I am not really up on what my (the American) government is doing overseas. Of course I am familiar with what is in the news (in the US) but beyond that I don't really dig and research our policies. I don't take the newspaper as they just pile up and I never have time to read them. I rarely watch televison, and when I do have the radio on it rarely has the news on it at that time. I have just barely begun to get over the embarassement of the Clinton administration (sheesh - what a soap opera that was! ) And I really was not in favor of dubya winning the presidency. However, with that said I think he has turned out to be a much stronger president than I or even the Republican party thought he would be. You do realize however, that he is Republican , that being the party of the "good ole boys, old money, corrupt power", not that the Democratic party is any better, they just don't seem to flaunt it as much (except for Clinton). This of course is my opinion only, I can't speak for the rest of the American citizens. It's almost all I can do just to concentrate on day-to-day earn a living, raise a child issues. I am a singer mother, so my take on the current status of American Policies may be a bit clouded by my personal issues. But I will state (and I hope very plainly) that I am exceptionally proud to be an American. My grandfathers fought in the Revolutionary war, the Civil war, World War I, and my father in World War II. I am very "pro-America". I may be fairly liberal with some of my political views, but whatever is said in this conversation string will do nothing to change my loyalty. So I probably am not the best person for you to debate America's world policies with... (just thought I would let you know before I said something really stupid and blew my cover!)

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Is Clinton seen in a bad light in the USA? I think that most of the rest of the world seem to think he was on eof your best presidents. Certainly in terms of domestic policy. Moving more money into education and health provision. His foriegn policy (Iraq mainly) left a little to be desired, but had pluses too (he did at least try in Ireland and Palestine) - and there seemed to be a move towards the US taking a little bit of responsibility for its actions in the world. Particularly the truth commison work.

OK so he f****d his secretary - and then had to lie about it to try to retain his credibiliy. Says more about how the American people judge credibility than his ability to run the country well to me.

I am far, far more embarassed by Dubya - Clinton, at the very least, was elected.

Cool, autist... - I got to read your use of the 'f' word before it goes away. S'ok: he didn't actually do *that*, just a bit of oral sex between star and starf["u" and "c" omitted by researcher]ker...

Oops i didn't even notice i'd done that. Sorry.

There is great concern amongst policy makers on both sides of the US party machine that the "United States of Europe" will rival (and therefore threaten) the USA economically. AMongst the American far right (ie further right than the government) they're already declaring war...

True - I do agree with you that he was actually not bad when when he (Clinton) was running the country. I though he was an excellent speaker also, It's just his bedroom policies (and trust me there were many more than just a "couple") that I found really low rent. But hey - look on the bright side... Maybe if they're f***ing around in the bedroom, they don't have time to f*** the rest of the world! We've probably hit the solution! Lets just provide multiple high visibility strumpets to all of the powerful (male) world leaders and see how foreign and domestic policy improve! (I think we're on to something here!) "A prostitute in every pot"! I think is has a certain appeal...

***NOTE****

No offense meant to any prostitutes that may be online!

I really don't think that anyone cares about the United States of Europe.

I think most Americans think that President Clinton's presonal conduct was contemptable. I think a lot of American's think he was a lousy president. It's not a consensus though.

I remember getting some literature from one of the big evangelical organizations that thought the formation of the EU was a sign of the end times.

Yes, autist, I and most people I know found Clinton far more acceptable than Dubya. (He's a joke - literally, I've found some great websites...)

Yes, TBTPM - when I was involved in evangelical churches in the 1970s and 1990s, we were being taught that the EU was a sign of the times... (Meantime, and since, I've been involved with other churches...)But for a while, I believed it, and was consequently nervous!

TBTPM, I thought *everything* was a sign of the end times for the people who look hard enough.?

Oh, great- now I've got "It's A Sign Of The Times" (Petula Clark?) running through my head. Thanks, guys.

"...the American far right (ie further right than the government)..."???? The Democrats are too right-wing for *my* tastes.

It *is* only a matter of time: first, the United States of America; then the United States of Europe; and finally, the United States of Earth, to be followed shortly by the Federation and the Rebel Alliance and all that. Zoom!

I doubt there will ever be a centralised European state, something I am personally against (I object to a centralised British state, Home Rule for Scotland, yay!). None of the member states would accept it, they're all quite full of national pride, especially the English and the French. The European Commission seems to want it, but they have the European People to deal with, they're a lot more fussy than a bunch of forgettable politicians in the European Parliament.

You've demonstrated that you have pride for Scotland, yet you live in a very successful union of countries who live in harmony (apart from when you decide to tear the Wembley goalposts down): the UK.

Before any further integration happens, radical overhauling of the whole EU beurocracy is needed. Especially to make it more in touch and accountable with and to the people.



Ste

I agree, I'm undecided on the Euro, currently tending towards against. As for the EU, well I like the idea of the UK and the rest of Europe being friends and working together, but I don't like this "Single European Government" stuff one bit. I'd like the EU as the first truly federated collective with *no* central government, and many national and sub-national governments, but a thread joining us all. That's not likely to happen, the EU is run by beauraucrats and Big Business and they don't have many ideals

I bet that's what the colonists thought when they wrote the Articles of the Confederation.

Pizza anyone?