Ever since the fall of Rome, Europeans have been attempting to rebuild it. That's why you've had the Holy Roman Empire and the Third Reich. The EU is the Fourth Reich (Rome was the first). The barbarians who overran Rome weren't there to destroy it, but to take it over; it was the best thing going at the time. Of course, they didn't have the know-how to keep such an enterprise going, and everything fell into ruin. But the goal remained - rebuild Rome. Notice that Britain was not part of any of the Roman iterations other than the first. Something happened in England that didn't happen in the rest of Europe, which is why England is unique in that space. Unless the EU takes on some British common law, as opposed to the Napoleonic Code, and whatever else they have over there, Britain will never fit in.

There are not "So Many Problems." There is only one problem. Government interference. It would be interesting if the Brits would say, "From now on, our only function as a government is to protect our citizens. Everything else is up to you. Go solve your own problems. We'll run the military, the police and the courts. You do everything else. You're free." It'll never happen of course, which is why problems become unsolvable, and will always remain so.

At the bottom of the article, German Agriculture Minister Schmidt saying "We need less milk at better prices" defies the essence of everything old dino learned when he took Economics 101 way, way long ago.
Little wonder that the Brits bailed.

Good discussion.

The idea that some sort of "expanded" collectivism is an antidote to war, flies in the face of the actual antidote. an inviolate respect for the individual and his unalienable rights. #FOF!

Tell me I'm wrong in my thinking here, But aren't supposed to increase production to have lower prices to sell more product and open up new export markets because your new lower price is now completive?

Germany is the big question, then, and it appears that Angela Merkel is determined to go down with the sinking ship of the EU.

The real difficulty in defeating her is Germany's history. Any party there which is sensible enough to be strongly nationalist is likely to be smeared as neo-Nazis and outlawed, especially if it dares to mention the flood of "Syrian" refugees and their effects on German society.

Climate change, whatever that is, is not preventing high milk production.

When you take out open borders and trying to mix the cultures which go back millennia and just banded together for protection and moral support...it works, provided no tax be accessed for the occasional meetings. Trade takes care of itself...I'm sure they all traded before the monster was conceived. One currency doesn't work economically in the sense of each countries creation of value...outcomes will never be the same but to have a currency that abides by the same intrinsic value would be convenient.

These countries/cultures have been around too long to be forced to be like the America. Besides as I've written before...we kind of like all the different cultures (Europe that is, not the middle east and islamic nations) They are rich in history and create value in their own unique ways.

Of course, we all know that there was NO ideals attached nor intended in the creature of the UN...it was pure evil from the start. But these ideals is what made it attractive to those obviously unaware of the beast behind it all.

You know?...I laughing at myself right now...We've come to these acknowledgements through reason and observation but what I just realized is that all this was prophesied a few thousand year before...Makes one go...hmmm...but still avoiding the "magical mystery tour"...just appreciating the human brain and maybe a quantum event or two.

Nailed it. Still for the life of me can't figure out why they ever invited in Greece, Spain, Portugal, Ireland, etc. I understand the whole regional mentality, but that must have been the only thing they were thinking of because they ignored the "itsy-bitsy but ever-so-crucial detail" - viability.

That seems to be the size of it...England and Germany are the only large value creators of the bunch...The rest will follow I think. Only the weakest will stay in.

Have to give all those government bureaucrats something to pretend to do. Can't have the EU spending billions of British Pounds without some excuse... ;)

Categorizations according to looks, size and shape of produce...whaaat? Does an ugly tomato or squash taste different than a good looking one...and WHOM is doing the choosing?...it's a mystery I guess.