athos wrote on Nov 5
th, 2009 at 8:20pm:
Twenty Years after the Fall of the Berlin Wall, the EU is a Reincarnation of the Former Soviet Union
As a matter of fact, there are so many similarities between the old Soviet Union and the EU that mere coincidence is unlikely. Most Europeans have not yet understood this. Most are still indifferent, but their indifference will soon vanish when the full weight of repressive EU policies and EU taxation doing its destructive work will be felt. Sooner than anybody now thinks, the only way to vent criticism of the EU will be in the form of jokes. No doubt many of the characteristic old Soviet jokes will be dusted off and given an anti-European Commission twist.
The whole article here:
http://english.pravda.ru/opinion/columnists/04-11-2009/110289-berlin_wall-0
I am not too sure, the finns are tha happiest people in the world, the whole of Scandinavia is up there actually & Norway has a strong economy with vast savings. Germany is the 2nd largest exporter, & the whole region produces well educated & competive civilians (especially Germany & Scandinavia). The Euro has advanced economically & politically very nicely. The bigger guys help pull the smaller, less developed/efficient ones(eastern europe, spain, italy) through, which allows for more stability regionally but I concede some far reaching laws stunt some countries advancement but nothings perfect. The worst off members are the members that dont have their full heart into the EU - the UK.
Call it socialism, communism whatever, seems like a content, working model to me. How much of the above can we say about the US, China, Russia, India?