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EU will never want Russia. Russia will develop even stronger relations with China, India, and other Asian countries and the global power and influence of the U.S. and E.U. will continue to steadily decline.
None of this should be surprising. The U.S. and U.K have shown a high level of hostility to Russia since the Soviet Union dissolved. With the disappearance of the Soviet Union but continued existence and strengthening of NATO, how could Russia not feel marginalized and targeted? For the previous 20 years NATO has existed to threaten Russia. Financial centers in the U.S. and U.K want to make the global rules. This is only the latest (and one of the most feeble and ineffective) attempt to maintain the western tradition of colonial style interference and oppression...they're just not that good at it anymore.
Well, to be fair, Europe and America are on edge because they're not sure Putin doesn't intend to take back Poland, Estonia and Latvia. There's a nervous twitch in the EU and NATO right now, thinking that Putin want's to restore the Soviet to it's former glory. He could be monomaniacal. We have to protect against Russian expansion in the area just as much as he's protecting against european expansion in Ukraine.
In the end, Russia needs Crimea. EU doesn't need Ukraine. If you dig deep, you'll find they don't even want it. Ukraine is Greece financial falures on steroids. Not wise to hitch the Euro to the Ukraine star.
It seems extremely unlikely that Putin or many Russians are interested at all in trying to force a foreign population into subjugation. That would be terrible for business. That is typically the American way, however.
The world may be a better place to be. Russia has had a better track record than America in the last 20 years. And while America is not part of Europe, and rejects European civilization, Moscow is right in Europe. Then they would leave out America, because America is different from the rest of the world. We think Europe is socialist and the French are lazy bums.
I bet they all could have a better standard of living in, say, 20 years. NATO is old mentality, cold war mentality. Europe is freedom and outdoor cafes.
It has been stated before that Russia cannot join the EU because most of its territory lies outside of Europe (then again, so does Turkey's). The EU hates Russia, plain and simple. They want Turkey in, but not Russia. Strange, my conclusion is the EU is the political and economical arm/extension of NATO
1- See, I don't have any examples because I don't remember Russia invading anyone in over 20 years. Did you forget Iraq?
2- I think European values and civilization are based on stuff like that, "quality of life" so to speak. We haven't even adopted the metric system --thanks to Reagan-- so their speed signs sound foreign to us and their rules of the road incomprehensible to us. Lane discipline? It sounds like Nazi discipline.
3- I don't see it that way. Is Ukraine any more advanced and compatible than Russia? Based on an educated guess, I dare say Moscow and Berlin are more similar than Berlin and Washington, DC. At least outdoor cafes must be equally abundant.
Well, probably. Moscow and Berlin are in Europe. DC is in North America. Outdoor cafes are the metric?
Or maybe countries that are not suitable for NATO are by the same token not suitable to EU?
Maybe Russia is far away from the conomic reforms it would have to apply for its economy to be compatible with other EU members...
Quote:
Originally Posted by theunbrainwashed
It has been stated before that Russia cannot join the EU because most of its territory lies outside of Europe (then again, so does Turkey's). The EU hates Russia, plain and simple. They want Turkey in, but not Russia. Strange, my conclusion is the EU is the political and economical arm/extension of NATO
Last edited by Rasputin2014; 03-22-2014 at 12:19 PM..
Why can't Russia be member of the EU but not NATO?
First, there are admission criteria to become an EU member - stuff like free elections, free press, no death penalty etc. An expansionist kleptocracy like Russia isn't even close to making the grade.
Second, even if Russia mended its ways and became a modern country, the EU still doesn't want Russia as a member.
Third, Russia would rather go back to Czardom (they do seem to loooove their strongman leaders) than have to ever submit to a parliament where Germans or Poles have a say.
Membership in the EU has certain ideological requirements that Russia is far from adopting anytime soon.
Outdoor cafes do not make a culture. Otherwise Saudi Arabia and Europe would be closer than the US and Europe culturally and values-wise, when that is clearly not the case.
And honestly, I've got plenty of places to eat and drink outside in my town. I can also walk to downtown, shops and restaurants, bike for most of my errands if I REALLY wanted to....doesn't mean I'm engaging in a European lifestyle!
The world may be a better place to be. Russia has had a better track record than America in the last 20 years. And while America is not part of Europe, and rejects European civilization, Moscow is right in Europe. Then they would leave out America, because America is different from the rest of the world. We think Europe is socialist and the French are lazy bums.
I bet they all could have a better standard of living in, say, 20 years. NATO is old mentality, cold war mentality. Europe is freedom and outdoor cafes.
So you want a 21st Century version of the Warsaw Pact.
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