So....whats with the EU Flag?

TheDarkling · Post by **TheDarkling** » 2003-12-14 10:39pm

Joe wrote:Ah, Florida oranges, the backbone of the U.S. economy.

In any case the tariffs were bad for me too so I'm glad to see them gone.

Well anytime you need the EU to fix things for you internally again just place a call, we are always happy to help.

TheDarkling · Post by **TheDarkling** » 2003-12-14 10:42pm

Crown wrote:
Joe wrote:Ah, Florida oranges, the backbone of the U.S. economy.

In any case the tariffs were bad for me too so I'm glad to see them gone.
Well duh, it was just ment to make Bush feel uncomfortable is all, the tariffs weren't ever going to help the US, they didn't really hurt the EU, and it was just a hissy fit on both sides. I guess I didn't convey that really well.

My point is of course the EU isn't the be-all and end-all in trade, but we have found that we can throw our weight around in economic fields a lot more when we are represented as one body...

Well the point of a union is collective bargaining power, although I can't seem to get that concept across to some people over on spacebattles.

And what is VRWC?

Vast Right Wing Conspiracy?

Crown · Post by **Crown** » 2003-12-14 10:46pm

TheDarkling wrote:
Crown wrote:And what is VRWC?
Vast Right Wing Conspiracy?

Really?

Yeah that makes sense...

Drooling Iguana · Post by **Drooling Iguana** » 2003-12-14 11:45pm

TheDarkling wrote:
Alyrium Denryle wrote:
HAIL THE UNION! wait I am an American...WTF
At the rate members are applying or vying for entrance into the EU we should eventually reach a common border with the US, then you guys can become one with the bo... EU, all you require is grinding poverty and dodgy elections :) .

Canada as part of the EU? That would be... interesting. Better than being the 51st state, at least.

Joe · Post by **Joe** » 2003-12-15 12:07am

Correct me if I'm wrong, but don't you have to be, um, European to be in the European Union?

Crown · Post by **Crown** » 2003-12-15 12:11am

Joe wrote:Correct me if I'm wrong, but don't you have to be, um, European to be in the European Union?

Morroco, Israel and Turkey (arguable) aren't, and yet all three are petitioning or at least discussing the possibility ...

Oberleutnant · Post by **Oberleutnant** » 2003-12-15 12:33am

I don't think that anyone in the EU is really taking Moroccan or Israeli aspirations to be EU members very seriously. Even Turkey, the most prominent candidate, is excluded from EU for quite some time, possibly for several decades. A country that doesn't even have toilets in every village can't be taken seriously.

And yes, I like to see EU flag next to my national flag. It looks cool.

Post by **Sea Skimmer** » 2003-12-15 12:51am

Oberleutnant wrote:I don't think that anyone in the EU is really taking Moroccan or Israeli aspirations to be EU members very seriously.

Actually I recall the EU publishing some projections, which did include Israel as being part of the EU by IIRC 2015, though it may have been later.

Crown · Post by **Crown** » 2003-12-15 12:54am

Oberleutnant is part of our dis-information bureau

Post by **Darth Wong** » 2003-12-15 01:02am

Will the "Nation of Islam" be a member?

Crown · Post by **Crown** » 2003-12-15 01:04am

Darth Wong wrote:Will the "Nation of Islam" be a member?

*nods head vigerously*

Inevitably so ... once they conform - err I mean fulfill the criteria for membership

I am telling you, I need to get a Borg picture, and photoshop it over the EU flag with a quote;

We are the EU, your cultural and ethnic identities will be merged with ours. Resistance is futile!

Post by **Sea Skimmer** » 2003-12-15 01:23am

Crown wrote: I am telling you, I need to get a Borg picture, and photoshop it over the EU flag with a quote;

We are the EU, your cultural and ethnic identities will be merged with ours. Resistance is futile!

Sure it is. *Snaps another Europe bound VLCC in half with a Mk48 Mod6*

Well I'm sure Sheppard could set me up with a picture of a nicely engulfed tanker and a caption of "Remember who rules the high seas"

TheDarkling · Post by **TheDarkling** » 2003-12-15 05:27am

Oberleutnant wrote:I don't think that anyone in the EU is really taking Moroccan or Israeli aspirations to be EU members very seriously. Even Turkey, the most prominent candidate, is excluded from EU for quite some time, possibly for several decades. A country that doesn't even have toilets in every village can't be taken seriously.

And yes, I like to see EU flag next to my national flag. It looks cool.

Turkey may start negotiations as early as next year and on the front of aspiring members who aren't exactly in the middle of Europe I think that Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan win, out there on what will one day the EU's western border.

TheDarkling · Post by **TheDarkling** » 2003-12-15 05:28am

Or possibly Eastern if you hold your compass in a correct fashion.

Oberleutnant · Post by **Oberleutnant** » 2003-12-15 06:06am

Crown wrote:Oberleutnant is part of our dis-information bureau

No I'm not! Or . . . am I? No further comment.

Sea Skimmer wrote:Actually I recall the EU publishing some projections, which did include Israel as being part of the EU by IIRC 2015, though it may have been later.

Damn, I didn't know this. I thought the talk about Israel in the EU was nothing else but them toying with the idea.

TheDarkling wrote:Turkey may start negotiations as early as next year and on the front of aspiring members who aren't exactly in the middle of Europe I think that Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan win, out there on what will one day the EU's eastern border.

Emphasis mine.

It's probably going to take a while for Turkey and co. to fulfil all the criteria for membership. First we need to finish the "assimilation" of new members in May 2004.

TheDarkling · Post by **TheDarkling** » 2003-12-15 06:25am

Oberleutnant wrote: It's probably going to take a while for Turkey and co. to fulfil all the criteria for membership. First we need to finish the "assimilation" of new members in May 2004.

Indeed we must ensure the Balkans conform first and then the Ukraine before moving onto the Caucasus, although something must be done about Belarus, which seems to be the only European nation that isn't at some stage of fencing with the EU over membership (apart from the Bear of course, which is a linked issue I suppose).

TheDarkling · Post by **TheDarkling** » 2003-12-15 08:25am

Speaking of Morroco-EU links, just when you thought illegal immigration by boat was enough here comes the strunnel

Post by **Colonel Olrik** » 2003-12-15 09:27am

TheDarkling wrote:Speaking of Morroco-EU links, just when you thought illegal immigration by boat was enough here comes the strunnel

How cute, the kid's version of the Chunnel

Seriously, even if this project goes ahead, I'm not seeing many illegal emmigrants passing through what will be a very small, well guarded border, at least in the spanish side.

TheDarkling · Post by **TheDarkling** » 2003-12-15 03:57pm

Colonel Olrik wrote: Seriously, even if this project goes ahead, I'm not seeing many illegal emmigrants passing through what will be a very small, well guarded border, at least in the spanish side.

I would imagine that the Spanish will have seen to it (illegal immigration was one of the delaying factors of the project when it was first proposed years ago) but they can be sneaky folks, the stuff they used to pull with the Chunnel defy belief (of course the French had a camp basically on the entrance to facilitate transit to Britain

).

Crown · Post by **Crown** » 2003-12-15 09:55pm

TheDarkling wrote:
Colonel Olrik wrote: Seriously, even if this project goes ahead, I'm not seeing many illegal emmigrants passing through what will be a very small, well guarded border, at least in the spanish side.
I would imagine that the Spanish will have seen to it (illegal immigration was one of the delaying factors of the project when it was first proposed years ago) but they can be sneaky folks, the stuff they used to pull with the Chunnel defy belief (of course the French had a camp basically on the entrance to facilitate transit to Britain ).

Well Spain does already have a military base on the coast of Morroco (at it's closest point to Spain), so I assume they will ask to station troops on the Morrocan side of the boarder by default.

With Turkey as far as I am concerned, as long as Cyprus remains devided, Turkey stays out ... shit I would even seriously consider cutting off their 'structual aid'.

In the long run it is better for me (holding a Greek passport) for Turkey to fullfill the criteria and join, because hopefully at that stage Greece can finally stop spending Cold War levels on its military...

Lord Woodlouse · Post by **Lord Woodlouse** » 2003-12-16 09:03am

Spanky The Dolphin · Post by **Spanky The Dolphin** » 2003-12-16 09:11am

Admiral Valdemar wrote:You will ALL love the EU.

Resistance is... not recommended.

I know it's from the first page, but this just made me smile...

Col. Crackpot · Post by **Col. Crackpot** » 2003-12-16 10:13am

Admiral Valdemar wrote:You will ALL love the EU.

Resistance is... not recommended.

all your base are belong to us!

Peregrin Toker · Post by **Peregrin Toker** » 2003-12-16 11:49am

Crown wrote:
Joe wrote:Correct me if I'm wrong, but don't you have to be, um, European to be in the European Union?
Morroco, Israel and Turkey (arguable) aren't, and yet all three are petitioning or at least discussing the possibility ...

Morocco and Israel?? Who's next?? Japan?

TheDarkling · Post by **TheDarkling** » 2003-12-16 12:19pm

Simon H.Johansen wrote: Morocco and Israel?? Who's next?? Japan?

All in good time.