The European Union... how do you feel about it? (crime, life, country)
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What are people's views on the E.U? Is it really working? How do you feel about living in a place like the UK, and having hundreds of thousands of people coming into an already crowded country? How do you feel about the newest additions, Bulgaria and Romania? Do you feel crime in the UK is going to shoot through the roof with all these struggling European countries coming in? Do you like the fact that you have the option of freely relocating to any country in the E.U.? Do people from countries like Britain actually ever move to Eastern European countries such as Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, Lithuania? It seems that German, French, British, Italian, and Spanish citizens immigrate between eachother's countries... but I haven't heard of many people from the UK, Spain, Italy, France, Germany, heading for Eastern Europe. So how is the E.U. benefiting ALL the countries who are a part of it?
It personally bothers me, that a country with so many social and governmental issues, like Romania, was allowed to join the European Union. My husband, a UK citizen, recently visited Romania for a buisness trip, and he was disgusted by Bucharest. He said it was SO cold there. There are still buildings that the GOVERNMENT built for people, with no indoor heating, or plumbing. Orphans in many of their orphanages are severely starved, and abused, strapped to chairs from young ages. People who are victims of this poverty, are now free to immigrate to the UK, and other western European countries. I seriously think crime is going to go through the roof.
I just don't see how the whole E.U. thing is going to be good for the UK in the long run. I see very established countries such as the UK, going down the toilet in the next 10 years, if somebody doesn't get a clue.
I am not racist against any nation as a whole. Some of my dearest friends are from Hungary, and Poland, and are the most educated, hard working people I know. But people who have been a part of generations of poverty in certain countries, suddenly given the freedom to move places like the UK? I think there are going to be some major issues happening over the next decade.
You raise some interesting questions. I have no answers, but I thought the idea of the EU was to bolster, not hinder the member countries. Unfortunately, making that happen takes time and involves many adjustments.
In some cases, it appears it has helped some of the economies; in others it was a severe hardship.
Of course the EU has helped. Ireland didnt become as 'rich' as it is now without the EU. We got most of our monies for all of our major projects from the EU. The EU has helped with the investment of international countires who beforehand, would never have even considered moving to such a poor country.
How do i feel about Romania and Bulgaria coming in ? Bring it on. Countries are only pissed about these coming in because the money will be spread more thinly now. The EU will defiantely help these countries become top rate. Yes they are **** poor now with a huge emmegration rates, but so was Ireland. Now there are more ex pats coming back to Ireland than people leaving. Im sure that will eventually happen to Romania and Bulgaria.
However on immigration i do thinnk that each country should be allowed to enforce sanctions on the amount of low level non skilled immigrants it allows cross its borders.
I do know a few Brits and Irish living in Hungary, Bulgaria and Czech Rebublic, though its nowhere near the numbers of them living in Britain / Ireland.
As i said, i think you will see a somewhat negative happening when they become active in emmigrating, but im sure France and Spain etc felt the same when a poor washed up country like Ireland was in the EU, now look at us.
Actually, BrianH, the Netherlands really resented France in the early days because of its poor farming practices. Each country has its own issues, n'est ce-pas?
hmmm how has the E.U helped the UK well I cant answer that I mean has it? I can say how its had a negative effect on the UK take the NHS its in a state no-one can deny that but with people from the E.U coming to use it mainly from eastern europe and taking advantage of the NHS is putting much more stain than it can cope there was an article in the paper the other week about a woman from Romania or around that area anyway she came to use the NHS and the newspaper was using this woman as an example of the hundreds or thousands that come here to use the NHS. The paper was saying should she have the right to use it or should she be turned away because of the strain it was putting on the NHS.
I also think its very bad for us Brits who work in in jobs at factories, agencies, building yards etc because thses places are taking E.U immigrants as they can pay them the minimum wage for doing the same job. A couple of my firiends have been let go from there current jobs one was a folk lift driver and got replaced with a Polish guy so they could pay him minimum wage and save money but this is happening all over where companies would rather employ Polish, Romaininans etc so they can pay them minimum wage for a job that would require £6 or more from a brit.
I honestly think it will get much worse over the years with sex tafficing, organised crime which is big in Bulgaria especially etc.
Ive noticed this country getting worse and worse over the years and more brits are moving out now more then ever including me and i must be honest I cant wait soon enough. My next door neighbour has just moved to Australia and a few familes along my road have moved to spain and the US.
The problem with the UK is I get the impression that the government thinks we are a big county like the US for example but we are only a small island and over crowding is already a big problem with houses being built virtually on top of each other. The UK cannot keep its arms open allowing fluxes of people to keep flowing in, it will burst at the seams sooner or later.
Youre partially right Anarchy. The EU member states need to regulate the influx of low / non skilled immigrants from other states. Your public health service is a shambles. But so is Irelands, so is the US's too. If you think youre coming to a Utopia in the US you have another thing coming.
You have to work long hours to get good wages, just like you have to do in the UK. There is no perfect place in teh world to live, you always have to work hard to make it work.
I think the EU made sense when it was the Common Market and mostly focused on economic liberalization and trying to develop common standards that make commerce across borders easier and less expensive.
But it's become a behemoth and political organization run by unelected bureaucrats in Brussels who are not answerable to the people of Europe who have no say in who represents them. They have dismantled and seem bent on dismantling any sense of nationality among Europeans for their own nations and they overrule and take priority over individual nation's laws.
The British Parliament for example must bow to Brussels on some issues if Brussels feels the British law does not meet EU rules. Sovereignty has been given up. From the vantage of the European citizen of the various nations that make up the EU, it is not a democratic entity.
The Germans and French didn't mind if they pulled the strings, but now that the EU has enlarged, they are starting to have issues as they realize they can't control it.
Also, this has been an enormous waste of time in many ways. While Europe has been contemplating its collective navel these past 25 years, the world has advanced and left Europe behind in almost every sphere of international technology and growth. Yes, the collective European market is bigger than the USA, but it's hamstrung in many ways that the USA is not.
I just pray and hope that the people in Washington who are trying to merge Canada and Mexico and the U.S. into one "North American Union" fail.
I am American and have negative interest in being Canadian, Mexican or a North American. I am American. Only American. I will never be a North American.
Youre partially right Anarchy. The EU member states need to regulate the influx of low / non skilled immigrants from other states. Your public health service is a shambles. But so is Irelands, so is the US's too. If you think youre coming to a Utopia in the US you have another thing coming.
You have to work long hours to get good wages, just like you have to do in the UK. There is no perfect place in teh world to live, you always have to work hard to make it work.
I know that no country is perfect I stated this on my other post in here but yes every country has problems and I know that Utopia wont happen for me I never expect it to and I am willing to work long hours the difference with the US I will be able to see that my money is going somewhere other than on nowhere or on taxes. I have researched a lot of info about the states over the years and how the work force worked such as holidays etc so I know that its not just going to happen for me I will have to chase the "American dream". The difference with the US is if your willing to work you can make it and live a good qaulity life where as here in the UK once a large portion of your wage has been taken from taxes and pay stupid prices for mortgages or rent for a little tiny house with a little garden or no garden at all and nowhere to park a car if I could afford one there isnt much left and then there is much left.
Im sure the health care in the US cant be compared to the state the UK health care is in yes its not perfect im not sure what Irelands is like but many brits are going to france for operations or even further afield I struggle to see a GP its a long complicated task its gotton much worse over the last 2yrs. As for going to see a dentist wow I cant get anywhere the local detisit clinic shut and now im stuck its been about 4yrs since I last saw a dentist many have to go to other parts of th city it crazy.
I know that no country is perfect I stated this on my other post in here but yes every country has problems and I know that Utopia wont happen for me I never expect it to and I am willing to work long hours the difference with the US I will be able to see that my money is going somewhere other than on nowhere or on taxes. I have researched a lot of info about the states over the years and how the work force worked such as holidays etc so I know that its not just going to happen for me I will have to chase the "American dream". The difference with the US is if your willing to work you can make it and live a good qaulity life where as here in the UK once a large portion of your wage has been taken from taxes and pay stupid prices for mortgages or rent for a little tiny house with a little garden or no garden at all and nowhere to park a car if I could afford one.
Im sure the health care in the US cant be compared to the state the UK health care is in yes its not perfect im not sure what Irelands is like but many brits are going to france for operations or even further afield I struggle to see a GP its a long complicated task its gotton much worse over the last 2yrs. As for going to see a dentist wow I cant get anywhere the local detisit clinic shut and now im stuck its been about 4yrs since I last saw a dentist many have to go to other parts of th city it crazy.
You can make it in America by hard work. No one gives it to you and probably the reason so many Britons and other Europeans and foreigners succeed so well here is they come willing to sweat and sacrifice to get what they want. If you read the ex-patriot Brit forum on the BBC, they flock to America, France, and Australia or New Zealand to seek greener pastures. They find material success they could never dream of in the UK, but often find the adjustment hard emotionally.
I had nothing 10 years ago. Nothing. I had old furniture others had given me. My kitchen table required two people to sit at it simultaneously so that the top didn't tip (and it couldn't be repaired), I had a ten year old futon with a flat mattress I could feel the slats through. I lived in a tiny studio apartment I shared with occasional mice.
Now I own my own custom home free and clear, have money in the bank, have zero credit card or auto debt, own my vehicles free and clear.
I got the chance to show what I could do and I ran with it. That's what makes America the promised land. There's no gold on the streets, but there is reward for those who seek it and are willing to sweat and sacrifice to get it.
And unlike Europe or Canada, no one resents your success. It's the opposite, they admire you for achieving success by hard work and want to emulate you. A lot of other countries have cultures where the aggressive achiever is shot down collectively by do-nothing peers. Not in America.
You can make it in America by hard work. No one gives it to you and probably the reason so many Britons and other Europeans and foreigners succeed so well here is they come willing to sweat and sacrifice to get what they want. If you read the ex-patriot Brit forum on the BBC, they flock to America, France, and Australia or New Zealand to seek greener pastures. They find material success they could never dream of in the UK, but often find the adjustment hard emotionally.
I had nothing 10 years ago. Nothing. I had old furniture others had given me. My kitchen table required two people to sit at it simultaneously so that the top didn't tip (and it couldn't be repaired), I had a ten year old futon with a flat mattress I could feel the slats through. I lived in a tiny studio apartment I shared with occasional mice.
Now I own my own custom home free and clear, have money in the bank, have zero credit card or auto debt, own my vehicles free and clear.
I got the chance to show what I could do and I ran with it. That's what makes America the promised land. There's no gold on the streets, but there is reward for those who seek it and are willing to sweat and sacrifice to get it
Hey MoMark had to laugh about the table part Yeah your right about Australia, New Zealand and france I would say Spain too many Brits seem to flcok there. My next door neighbour has moved to Australia but their son went to Texas, Dallas and it sounds as though hes pretty much made It, he deals with antiques and has a better life than when he was here doing the same thing. But thats what I was saying on the post before I dont expect nothing on a plate and I do expect to work for what I get. Must have edited this about 4 times my spelling is shocking today
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