European Union Forums

[Lear]

Glad to hear the truth from native American.
I can adopt you.

[Kusnetsov]

...that Pres. Obama will instill some common sense into our policies...

Yes, he may try. And they'll assassinate him. Ce la vie américaine.

[devan]

nice post..........................................................................................

[manro1]

The Americans have been villains since the end of WWII and after that they have done nothing good in the world. They have only killed and robbed people and countries. Do you think Castro, Chavez, Ayatollah, Osama bin Laden (and many other people) have NO REASON to hate the American government? Do you really think these people are only "jealous"?
55° N - 13° E






Now that was funny. I would rather live in US than with above mentioned "good guys"

[manro1]

A know several native Americans and for me they seem to be quite intelligent, lettered etc. Even wise.
But their culture overhelms me - all this pop rubbish (amusing but completly empty)...
En mass they seem to be "vogue".
And they have been trying to export it (I mean culture) to Europe. With success, unfortunately. Bergmann is forgotten - "Sex and the City", bless You!
It is also said that freedom in US is only a propaganda. And looking at their movies, it seems to be true.
You can not behave, live in your own, original way, becouse you would meet a public lynch. You must always keep in line...
And the thing about their foreign policy is probably true. They know how to make money and take advantages... And when they do this, we - hoary Europe - argue as always.

But I - like Terry - would like to visit it anyway. Experience is experience.

Have you heard of Michal Moore movies?

[EurophileAmerican]

I'm an American and I'm quite sadden to read these comments. Have any of you been to the States? I would say (this is my opinion) that many of us feel like our Government doesn't represent us anymore. Majority of us want a public option in our healthcare bill. Insurance companies spent millions of dollars to prevent this and, guess what, they got their way. Many Americans are broke, strapped with debt, while the banks and CEO's walk away with more money that any of us will EVER see. Europeans get paid time off and holidays AND vacation time. We don't. We have to work ALL THE TIME. No wonder majority of us don't travel = we can't afford to OR we don't have the opportunity to do so. Also, Europeans have in place legislation that prevents them from being fired in case of a family emergency. We do not. If I want to have children, I can expect maybe 6 weeks paid (this is at the discretion of my employer and depends on what State I am in). If not, I could lose my job OR have to take the time off without pay. Many American women have to choose between having families or having a steady income.
My feeling is Europeans are only getting half the story. The media almost never mentions how the middle-class here is dying out. I am starting my 30's strapped with over $120K in student loan debt, all in the name of pursuing an education. Many, many of us were against the Bush policies and were vocal about the atrosities occuring in the Middle East. Yet, as usual, we were ignored by our politicians. It's not rosy here, and I really feel like Americans are not progressing but are digressing. Just look at how the christian right conservatives here behaved when the public option for health insurance came up. The hypocrisy is disgusting. I have small hopes that Pres. Obama will instill some common sense into our policies, but I'm not holding my breath.

BTW, I would move to Europe in a heartbeat if I could afford to. Someone adopt me.
/poor graduate student.

1980raerae - living like this is not the way the rest of the developed and civilized world lives, as governments in the rest of the developed and civilized world actually care about their own people enough to provide social rights. The rest of the world has figured out that the corporate super-wealthy alone don't make an economy - but people working and participating in a social market economy is a better way to live for everyone in the country.
In Europe - the feeling is more of community and social solidarity, which is how human beings were intended to live in the first place.


There is a difference between the rulers of America and those that are being ruled over in America. This fact of life in America the European Union and many Europeans don't seem to get... While the European Union speaks out against human rights violations and abuses by governments against their own people - we almost never see these same leaders speaking out against the behaviour of American leaders that amounts to abuse, neglect and human rights violations. Speaking out against the death penalty is fine - but how about the other abuses that go on in American prisons and jails?

The "richest nation on Earth" has people with no homes that sleep in the streets, and refuses to take care of its own people in need, as do other develop industrial nations with national health care and good welfare systems.

What is coming to mean "good governance" in the international community means adequate social rights provided by the nation to its people.

But - this is why we must promote first the independence of the European Union from American hegemony. The problem is not just America - its with European leaders that continue to want to serve and please Washington. In other words - European leaders are helping contribute to the misery of Americans by their silence, hypocrisy and concern only for those that rule America. Some activily participate in it, like the Netherlands allowing the US to use airfields off the coast of South America in America's "war on drugs." The "war on drugs" is believed to be responsible for millions of Americans in jail or under control - and the misery it brings...

I'd love to move to Europe too - and especially take the EU civil exam and work in the EU itself. I recently got my Master's degree in the Security field with a concentration on European studies and did my dissertation on how the EU's foreign policies create stability and security.
I also intend to be an asset this year by doing a proposal on "new transatlantic realtions" which seeks elimante the old US/NATO hegemonic Atlantic order- and proposes that the relationship be Europeanized though a model partnership and association agreement b/t the US-EU that the EU has with other actors.

[1980raerae]

There is a difference between the rulers of America and those that are being ruled over in America. This fact of life in America the European Union and many Europeans don't seem to get... While the European Union speaks out against human rights violations and abuses by governments against their own people - we almost never see these same leaders speaking out against the behaviour of American leaders that amounts to abuse, neglect and human rights violations. Speaking out against the death penalty is fine - but how about the other abuses that go on in American prisons and jails?

The "richest nation on Earth" has people with no homes that sleep in the streets, and refuses to take care of its own people in need, as do other develop industrial nations with national health care and good welfare systems.

What is coming to mean "good governance" in the international community means adequate social rights provided by the nation to its people.

But - this is why we must promote first the independence of the European Union from American hegemony. The problem is not just America - its with European leaders that continue to want to serve and please Washington. In other words - European leaders are helping contribute to the misery of Americans by their silence, hypocrisy and concern only for those that rule America. Some activily participate in it, like the Netherlands allowing the US to use airfields off the coast of South America in America's "war on drugs." The "war on drugs" is believed to be responsible for millions of Americans in jail or under control - and the misery it brings...

I'd love to move to Europe too - and especially take the EU civil exam and work in the EU itself. I recently got my Master's degree in the Security field with a concentration on European studies and did my dissertation on how the EU's foreign policies create stability and security.
I also intend to be an asset this year by doing a proposal on "new transatlantic realtions" which seeks elimante the old US/NATO hegemonic Atlantic order- and proposes that the relationship be Europeanized though a model partnership and association agreement b/t the US-EU that the EU has with other actors. [/quote]

Can't argue with you What I find so...shocking, is how the American people continuously vote against their interests. The Healthcare debacle is one such instance. I will be 30 in a year (jeez ) and the fact that I will now be REQUIRED to buy health insurance or risk a heafty penalty seems very wrong. Yet, many Americans went on and on about socialism and government interference and blah blah blah. All I want is affordable healthcare. As is, I have to utilize the health clinic on campus for my prescriptions because they costs too much through my regular insurance.

You also brought up the war on drugs issue. You made a very good point. I would add that come november, I will be voting to legalize weed in California and I am very excited about doing so. I feel it is a tiny step in the right direction away from the war on drugs.

You are fortunate that you picked a career that will likely take you to Europe. I have many hurdles to cross before it becomes a feasible thing to do. I'm still hoping someone will adopt me

[frank melon]

turbo capitalism, financial crises, a society which get colder and colder to each other these issues come from America...and are now European problems as well.

They say we are in partnership buts a one way ticket, the US do what ever they want and our support is taken for granted, I don’t hold I very good opinion about this country...

[Michael Folkesson]

... ..really when you’ve been water-boarded or electrocuted you’re sure as hell to point, for example, WMD location in Iraq, even if there are no WMD there at all!
However, here in Europe we somehow manage to go without it!
...

There is actually a considerable amount of WMDs in Europe. Both France and the UK are nuclear powers for one, and there is a fair amount of "NATO" warheads in Turkey etc. The EU is not a midget in military spending either, which is not very uplifting, but a fact.
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/timeline/ca64dc0c968726b7d08f1cab11dc486a.png

Feel free to bash America for flawed foreign policies, but don't bash Americans for it. That's a bit misplaced. And Americans are not that stupid generally, however much we might hope they are. Sure there are arrogant, ignorant. thick yanks. But one thing is for sure. America could never be the power, the influence and the culture it is, without an amazingly resourceful people. That people, is our cousins, our forefathers, and our common history. America is not alien. It drew it's uniqueness from European heritage and European ideas but created something better than what they left behind, and something special, never seen before.

It doesn't mean America is our friend at all times. It doesn't mean they are our enemies at all times. It means we should acknowledge that they are not only Americans. They are us.

For now we, have the opportunity to create something special, something never seen before. Democracies pooling their sovereignty together without force, without fear, to build the redefinition of the Nation as we knew it. The European Union will only become what we let it. Let's make it something to be proud of.

Show some manners, Tommy Atkins.