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If they can adopt English as the official language then I can see it working. The majority of the educated population in Europe speaks English these days and making it mandatory will allow all the member states to be able to relate/communicate with each other. This will further connect the continent with the US which would be mutually beneficial. If not, this is a pipe dream. How can you be a country if the states don't even speak the same main language?
Again, Canada and Switzerland.
It won’t be English, rest assured.
Charlemagne, the Bourbons, Napoleon...Macron? Earlier the strong ruled the weak or tried to. Now the weak should rule the strong? He's off to a good start but Macron needs a little fuller resume before he starts prescribing for others.
Erm no I mean cousin, in fact if we were to use the term 'daddy' or 'mummy' then surely it would be the other way round no? After all Britain gave birth to the US, which is one reason why, just like any family, we would always do what we can to help if they ever needed it. They have often had our backs, we would also have theirs if we can, and despite the ribbing (again like any family) the same would be said of Australian, New Zealand or any other member of the 'Anglo' family, we owe them whatever assistance we could muster if ever it came to it.
Even today, China still has different regions with vastly different cultures and languages. In fact, there are probably as many languages in China as in West and central Europe. In terms of cultures, the similarities Europeans share is probably no less than that among different Chinese provinces. Of course thousands of years of being under the same government largely increased the similarities, but regional culture and traditions are still strong. There is no reason Europe can't be the same. People often use difference as a reason for EU not being able to fully integrate, really? Do we really think the culture and value of Shanghai is the same some rural county in Northwestern Shaangxi province with 1/5 of its GDP per capita, where most of people have never seen a non-Chinese person? They are probably as different as between Poland or Sweden.
The fact is EU HAS to move forward. It can't move back, nor can it stay as it is. As I said, it is the ridiculous, trivial and senseless "national pride" that gets in the way (ya, my village is the best!). Why can't one keep such pride and convert it into regional pride under a bigger federation just like they do in bigger nations? Europe as fragment as this won't be able to compete with the US or China, or even India in the future. It should have its own government, unified fiscal policy as well as a military (not NATO, which should be disbanded).
Maybe France, Germany and whoever interested should go ahead and do it. It will already be sizable with potentially more than 200 million people. If Slovakia or Croatia want to keep their pride of 4M people, then good luck in the future.
Chinese (Hans) are probably closer in everything to a Japanese than Greeks and Fins will ever be, why don't China and Japan unite? They would be a great power.
As an outsider you seem to forget that money can't keep people together. The feeling of belonging to a Nation is the only tie strong enough to bring people otherwise unrelated, together
Unfortunately for you if you want to communicate with the world outside of Europe you will have to stick to the 'English', or of course you could go find a 'City Data' somewhere else that is in German? Missing you already
Very few people in Latin America speak English. You'll have to use Spanish or Portuguese there. You can't live in China or Japan long term without learning Mandarin or Japanese. Similarly there are huge parts of Africa where French and Portuguese are official languages.
You display a lot of ignorance in saying someone can just go everywhere in speak English. This is true only if they want to limit themselves to 5 star hotels.
If they can adopt English as the official language then I can see it working. The majority of the educated population in Europe speaks English these days and making it mandatory will allow all the member states to be able to relate/communicate with each other. This will further connect the continent with the US which would be mutually beneficial. If not, this is a pipe dream. How can you be a country if the states don't even speak the same main language?
The majority of the educated population in Europe speaks multiple languages. This forum has too many Americans who talk out their *****es without ever having left the states.
We will always help our American cousins but only if we feel its the right thing to do, they have had our back in the past and we should and will have theirs,
And in the present, its the turn of the USA to help the UK-in terms of economics/trade.
Chinese (Hans) are probably closer in everything to a Japanese than Greeks and Fins will ever be, why don't China and Japan unite? They would be a great power.
As an outsider you seem to forget that money can't keep people together. The feeling of belonging to a Nation is the only tie strong enough to bring people otherwise unrelated, together
because 1) China and Japan are great powers already. They don't have only a few million people. Many Chinese and Japanese cities are more populous than 2/3 of European countries. My hometown lone has the population of Austria and Switzerland. and 2) The Chinese and Japanese language have nothing to do with each other - not even the same linguistic family.
Your second paragraph is true in reality, and it is a pity. Only the poor and weak people need to feel "belonging to a nation", because that gives them some petty "pride". But what is the nation?? Do you think the present day France are all the pure french people? no, a large number of them are Spaniards, Italians, Romanians, etc. Even the former PM is of Spanish origin. Is there any tie that bring him and Spain together more than with France? When you become one country, receiving the same education and culture, you belong to the that country. This "I want my own nation with my own people" idea is pretty pathetic, unrealistic and ludicrous. Culture brings people together, not blood, and unlike blood, culture is not genetic. It is what is instilled.
Erm no I mean cousin, in fact if we were to use the term 'daddy' or 'mummy' then surely it would be the other way round no? After all Britain gave birth to the US, which is one reason why, just like any family, we would always do what we can to help if they ever needed it. They have often had our backs, we would also have theirs if we can, and despite the ribbing (again like any family) the same would be said of Australian, New Zealand or any other member of the 'Anglo' family, we owe them whatever assistance we could muster if ever it came to it.
No, the UK didn't give birth to the US. In fact, it did everything to prevent the US from being born. It is France who helped the US to be born, otherwise, it had no chance in the 18th century.
Stop pretending the UK-US relations are on an equal footing. It is not. The UK lost that pride a long time ago after it decides to be nothing but a small lackey on every issue, and everybody in the world knows that. Just look at the Iraqi war, it is embarrassing for the entire UK nation.
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