Ziff
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1st May 2004, 10 new countries, 8 of them ex-Socialist nations will join the European Union.
The Australian media, particularly the SMH seems to be taking up the most negative attitude to the experiment. It seems to be focusing mainly on the worst aspects of the expansion, these problems are relatively minor to what has been achieved.
As opposed to viewing the trade and security benefits to the new nations and viewing this as a massive feat of goodwill, diplomacy and democracy, the Australian media is reporting this as a forced agreement - that most nations simply joined for the subsidies.
Personally, I think that the European Union will bring massive opportunities for the nations joining and plow a lot of money into their nations - not from the subsidies - but from companies looking for cheap labour, lots of land and highly skilled workers. Most people tend to forget that the education system under the Socialists was of extremely high quality and gruelling - especially with the quota system imposed on all professions - only the best students would be able to go on to practice in these professions. Many corporations, particularly telecommunications and computing industries, have already invested lots in Eastern Europe and it will be easier for them to do so as of 1st May.
The other aspect is also the way in which the EU has forced these nations to impliment positive changes in their legal systems especially in relation to trade, welfare and human rights. This is something the US is still struggling to do in Afganistan and Iraq and totally failed in doing so in Vietnam as well as other nations (I wouldn't call the decades of dictatorship in South Korea or the corrupt democracy in the Phillipenes a success, let's not go into South America!). The way the EU is working, they have also have a positive and influential effect on Turkey and Romania, two nations with a bad human rights record and is trying to help them fix up these problems, generally with some money and a nice bit of diplomatic pressure. Use the carrot - not the stick!
Of course I agree that in the immediate, short-term and perhaps medium-term, there will still be problems. Many of the Eastern European nations still feel a lot of pain towards to west, especially after many nations tried to revolt against the Soviet system and were never lent any assistance (Hungary - 56, Czechoslovakia - 68, Poland - Early 80s). Also the idea of once again seemingly giving up power to a new bureaucracy - this time Brussels, not Moscow. In the long-term, however, and it's even apparent now, the EU has had positive effects on the Eastern European nations and will continue to do so.
I want to see how this experment turns out in 15-30 years time. For something that grew out of the Franco-German attempt to create ever-lasting peace between the nations I think they've done a pretty good job getting 25 nations on board in a massive political and trading bloc promoting peace and democracy amongst one another.
What will be more interesting however, is if this works, what's next? Once/If all of continental Europe (and Iceland and Greenland perhaps) is in will Russia and Turkey be given a chance? Remember that Russia and Turkey are partly in Europe and have contributed much to the development of Europe throughout the ages. If Turkey is allowed in would Israel be allowed as it too also has a strong European heritage and has played a reasonable role in it as well?
A Europe stretching from Greenland to Vladivostok, from the North Pole to the Gaza Strip. Just think about it!
So what's everyone's else's thoughts if you have any?
The Australian media, particularly the SMH seems to be taking up the most negative attitude to the experiment. It seems to be focusing mainly on the worst aspects of the expansion, these problems are relatively minor to what has been achieved.
As opposed to viewing the trade and security benefits to the new nations and viewing this as a massive feat of goodwill, diplomacy and democracy, the Australian media is reporting this as a forced agreement - that most nations simply joined for the subsidies.
Personally, I think that the European Union will bring massive opportunities for the nations joining and plow a lot of money into their nations - not from the subsidies - but from companies looking for cheap labour, lots of land and highly skilled workers. Most people tend to forget that the education system under the Socialists was of extremely high quality and gruelling - especially with the quota system imposed on all professions - only the best students would be able to go on to practice in these professions. Many corporations, particularly telecommunications and computing industries, have already invested lots in Eastern Europe and it will be easier for them to do so as of 1st May.
The other aspect is also the way in which the EU has forced these nations to impliment positive changes in their legal systems especially in relation to trade, welfare and human rights. This is something the US is still struggling to do in Afganistan and Iraq and totally failed in doing so in Vietnam as well as other nations (I wouldn't call the decades of dictatorship in South Korea or the corrupt democracy in the Phillipenes a success, let's not go into South America!). The way the EU is working, they have also have a positive and influential effect on Turkey and Romania, two nations with a bad human rights record and is trying to help them fix up these problems, generally with some money and a nice bit of diplomatic pressure. Use the carrot - not the stick!
Of course I agree that in the immediate, short-term and perhaps medium-term, there will still be problems. Many of the Eastern European nations still feel a lot of pain towards to west, especially after many nations tried to revolt against the Soviet system and were never lent any assistance (Hungary - 56, Czechoslovakia - 68, Poland - Early 80s). Also the idea of once again seemingly giving up power to a new bureaucracy - this time Brussels, not Moscow. In the long-term, however, and it's even apparent now, the EU has had positive effects on the Eastern European nations and will continue to do so.
I want to see how this experment turns out in 15-30 years time. For something that grew out of the Franco-German attempt to create ever-lasting peace between the nations I think they've done a pretty good job getting 25 nations on board in a massive political and trading bloc promoting peace and democracy amongst one another.
What will be more interesting however, is if this works, what's next? Once/If all of continental Europe (and Iceland and Greenland perhaps) is in will Russia and Turkey be given a chance? Remember that Russia and Turkey are partly in Europe and have contributed much to the development of Europe throughout the ages. If Turkey is allowed in would Israel be allowed as it too also has a strong European heritage and has played a reasonable role in it as well?
A Europe stretching from Greenland to Vladivostok, from the North Pole to the Gaza Strip. Just think about it!
So what's everyone's else's thoughts if you have any?
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