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MajicMan: Michigan does not have different laws to the USA.
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timppu: But should it? You earlier talked about freedom and stuff, so isn't it against Michiganians' freedom that they can't set their own laws (and maybe use their own currency)?
Well, again the 10th amd and the Constitution are clear only the feds can print money.

Michigan's problems were not differences between nations.

In America, we have the same federal income tax laws, same federal finance laws in every state. if you are in Greece, Italy, France, Germany, etc. you all have different tax laws, finance laws, banking laws. It is one currency gov by the EU, but used by 27 different nations with 27 different taxation, currency and financing laws. That is why the euro is causing so many problems.

Michigan changing currencies would not have helped it, it would have made it worse.

Michigan didn't suffer because it's federal laws were different than other states, it suffered because it made poor local and state decisions.
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MajicMan: So the UK official triggered Article 50 today to get the heck out of the EU. It has finally begun.

Are you happy or sad?

Also, just wondering for the UK gamers, on GOG do you pay in Euros or with the Pound Sterling?
This is a major victory to celebrate, for British and non Brits alike! The first dent on the prison of EUSSR!
Post edited March 30, 2017 by KiNgBrAdLeY7
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supplementscene: You mean you think the Euro should of been devalued to protect the Greek/Italian economies? Do you believe the Dollar should of been devalued to protect the economy of Michigan? Or should Michigan become an independent country so they can manage their own economy? Yes it's the same thing.
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MajicMan: The two are not the same.

Greece, Italy, Germany, France, etc. are different nations. Each has different laws, each has different work laws, finance laws, labor laws.

Michigan does not have different laws to the USA. Federal minimum wage in Michigan is the same as every state in America, as is the 40-hour work week, as are the Federal holidays.

Michigan suffered because Detroit made many bad decisions, and Chicago and the state of Illinois are in trouble too, because of horrible economic decisions, bad union contracts, unfunded pensions, super high taxation so companies have left and are leaving.

However, the dollar is universal in America. The euro is not in the EU. When the Euro was introduced, the local currencies of Greece, Italy, France, Germany, etc. were not the same. The Franc, the Mark, the Lira, all had different trade values, so just putting everybody under one currency roof has been a disaster. Saying everything is the same now never made it true.
The economic problem is nothing to do with laws and everything to do with monetary and fiscal issues. The problems you list for Michigan are the same for Greece, they both overspent their budgets.

Ultimately both the US and the EU could have protected economically impovished regions (ie Greece/Michigan) by devaluing their currency and neither took that action.
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timppu: But should it? You earlier talked about freedom and stuff, so isn't it against Michiganians' freedom that they can't set their own laws (and maybe use their own currency)?
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MajicMan: Well, again the 10th amd and the Constitution are clear only the feds can print money.
So what? We are not talking about what some Holy Book says, but freedom. If the Holy Book is against Michigan's freedom (to e.g. print their own money), then the Holy Book with its amendments and constitutions shouldn't be followed.

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MajicMan: In America, we have the same federal income tax laws, same federal finance laws in every state. if you are in Greece, Italy, France, Germany, etc. you all have different tax laws, finance laws, banking laws. It is one currency gov by the EU, but used by 27 different nations with 27 different taxation, currency and financing laws. That is why the euro is causing so many problems.
So should all EU states have the same taxation and financing laws then? That is where many (EU federalists) would like it to be heading, and there already has been lots of work to synchronize the banking laws etc. in different EU countries.

I get a bit mixed feeling of your suggestions. Sometimes you say how awful it is that EU tries to govern the life and economy in different EU member states... but then you seem to suggest how US is better off because all the states are under the same rules. So which is it? Don't try to eat the cake and keep it too, make up your mind. Freedom or order?
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MajicMan: The two are not the same.

Greece, Italy, Germany, France, etc. are different nations. Each has different laws, each has different work laws, finance laws, labor laws.

Michigan does not have different laws to the USA. Federal minimum wage in Michigan is the same as every state in America, as is the 40-hour work week, as are the Federal holidays.

Michigan suffered because Detroit made many bad decisions, and Chicago and the state of Illinois are in trouble too, because of horrible economic decisions, bad union contracts, unfunded pensions, super high taxation so companies have left and are leaving.

However, the dollar is universal in America. The euro is not in the EU. When the Euro was introduced, the local currencies of Greece, Italy, France, Germany, etc. were not the same. The Franc, the Mark, the Lira, all had different trade values, so just putting everybody under one currency roof has been a disaster. Saying everything is the same now never made it true.
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supplementscene: The economic problem is nothing to do with laws and everything to do with monetary and fiscal issues. The problems you list for Michigan are the same for Greece, they both overspent their budgets.

Ultimately both the US and the EU could have protected economically impovished regions (ie Greece/Michigan) by devaluing their currency and neither took that action.
No. Devaluing the US dollar would not have done anything for Michigan except make it worse off and make the whole nation worse off.

And both are because of fiscal spending policies we agree, but again, if you have one nation (Greece) with a federal pension for everybody and one nation that does not carry that burden then two nations, different laws. Michigan does not suffer that problem.

I couldn't make China, America, Great Britain and Russia use the same currency and make it work. The laws and currency values are just too different.
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A lot of mindless "Anti Establishment" RIght Wing venom here.
Post edited March 30, 2017 by dudalb
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MajicMan: Well, again the 10th amd and the Constitution are clear only the feds can print money.
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timppu: So what? We are not talking about what some Holy Book says, but freedom. If the Holy Book is against Michigan's freedom (to e.g. print their own money), then the Holy Book with its amendments and constitutions shouldn't be followed.

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MajicMan: In America, we have the same federal income tax laws, same federal finance laws in every state. if you are in Greece, Italy, France, Germany, etc. you all have different tax laws, finance laws, banking laws. It is one currency gov by the EU, but used by 27 different nations with 27 different taxation, currency and financing laws. That is why the euro is causing so many problems.
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timppu: So should all EU states have the same taxation and financing laws then? That is where many (EU federalists) would like it to be heading, and there already has been lots of work to synchronize the banking laws etc. in different EU countries.

I get a bit mixed feeling of your suggestions. Sometimes you say how awful it is that EU tries to govern the life and economy in different EU member states... but then you seem to suggest how US is better off because all the states are under the same rules. So which is it? Don't try to eat the cake and keep it too, make up your mind. Freedom or order?
They are two different things.

The USA is 1 country. The EU is 27 countries.

Our states don't have different federal laws.

The only way for the EU to function like the USA is to eliminate your nations. It would be the United States of Europe. One citizenship - USE. No Finnish citizen, no Polish citizen, etc. each nation would become a state, and each state would have two senators and the house of representatives would be based on populations of each state. One federal government, one President elected by the people.

The EU is a mishmash, hodge podge now of the two. You have one currency, freedom to travel, but different taxation laws, different immigration laws, very different speech laws and very, very different gun laws.

Also, you need one universal language for the country. One so every road sign, every map, every school is taught the same.

Personally, I don't think you all should do this. I think you should keep your individual heritages and nations. I just think you need to get rid of the EU and negotiate individual trade deals that are balanced with each other.
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timppu: I can better understand Russia is against EU because they want Europe overall to be as weak as possible, as they see Europe as their adversary.
The EU is not a serious threat to Russia, the EU is primarily a threat to Europe.
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dudalb: A lot of mindless "Anti Establishment" RIght Wing venom here.
It's always "fun" to watch people who never experienced anything but stable democracy in a well developed country and have no understanding of history or politics rage against the status quo that ensures their liberties. Makes you realise that mother nature made a huge mistake not giving the opposable thumbs to elephants instead.
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dudalb: A lot of mindless "Anti Establishment" RIght Wing venom here.
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Breja: It's always "fun" to watch people who never experienced anything but stable democracy in a well developed country and have no understanding of history or politics rage against the status quo that ensures their liberties. Makes you realise that mother nature made a huge mistake not giving the opposable thumbs to elephants instead.
THIS.
Ignorance of history is dangerous. What we are seeing is some people reverting to right wing nationalism (as opposed to patriotism, a completely different thing) and that inevitably leads to war.
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dudalb: A lot of mindless "Anti Establishment" RIght Wing venom here.
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Breja: It's always "fun" to watch people who never experienced anything but stable democracy in a well developed country and have no understanding of history or politics rage against the status quo that ensures their liberties. Makes you realise that mother nature made a huge mistake not giving the opposable thumbs to elephants instead.
I have lived in other countries, so your assumption that I have no knowledge of other nations is incorrect.

As for your comment that somehow people who have lived in these countries are less qualified to speak is xenophobic.

The success of these countries has been hard earned and continues to be a struggle.

The USA history: Revolutionary War, Civil War, Reconstruction, Industrial Revolution, WWI, Great Depression, WWII, Cold War, Terrorism.

It has never been easy or gifted. You think it is magic that we won the Revolutionary War? Magic that ended slavery? Do you think it is magic and not hard work and ingenuity that we built tractors, automobiles, airplanes, satellite, rocket ships, space shuttles, skyscrapers, the internet, atomic energy, the turbine, the light bulb, the Hoover Dam, Walt Disney World, the internet, radio, television, transistors, computers, etc., etc.

No, it is not magic. it is hard work, it is messy.

And Republics are not the "Status Quo". The USA turns just 241 years old this year. Our history is not thousands of years of monarchies, dynasties Tsars, emperors and feudal lords. That has been the "Status Quo". Our republic and liberty is never taken for granted. It is why we argue, debate and fight so vigorously about it, to keep it and preserve it and improve it. That is why our constitution allows for amendments to be ratified and nullified.

Your arrogance to assume that because we have great nations, that we don;t understand or that we are somehow less worthy to speak, or have no understanding of history, is supremely ignorant.
Post edited March 30, 2017 by MajicMan
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MajicMan: The only way for the EU to function like the USA is to eliminate your nations. It would be the United States of Europe.
That is basically what many EU federalist seem to be hoping for.

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MajicMan: The EU is a mishmash, hodge podge now of the two. You have one currency, freedom to travel, but different taxation laws, different immigration laws, very different speech laws and very, very different gun laws.
I have no idea what the gun laws have to do with it. And aren't they pretty different in NYC or some backwaters Alabama or whatever anyway? In one state you can walk on the streets with a revolver on your waist, while on the other it is much more restricted where and how you can carry a gun.

Different immigration laws... I am unsure if they are so different. If you want a visa to an EU country which belongs to Schengen, then you are in fact applying for a Schengen visa. Having a Schengen visa allows you to travel to other Schengen countries as well. I am quite sure there has been quite much synchronization between EU countries for the rules for granting the visa, otherwise it wouldn't work.

When it comes to e.g. asylum seeking process, there are differences (that's why e.g. most Iraqis (and Somalis) travelled all the way through Europe to Finland, not even stopping in Germany or Sweden, as they had heard in Finland it is far easier to get a permanent residence permit (if you are from Iraq or Somalia); at the same time Syrians did not come to Finland as they got residence permit quite easily to other countries already) , but lately there have talks of synchronizing those too, and all the talk about EU countries taking asylum seekers from the border countries. (I oppose that even though Finland is a border country. I feel it is Finland's duty to make sure that our EU border doesn't leak; I feel e.g. Hungary has done tremendously good job with its border, closing it down.)

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MajicMan: Also, you need one universal language for the country. One so every road sign, every map, every school is taught the same.
I am not convinced those are really needed. Also I am not quite convinced that children are taught exactly the same in Bible Belt USA or San Francisco.

Now, back to USA. As far as I understood, the more liberal people in e.g. California have felt that Trump represents USA that is alien to them and has quite different values from them. Similarly, people in some other states probably felt similarly when Obama was elected. I would even go to say that the values between some US states are more different from each other than those between EU countries (albeit there certainly are differences too).

So wouldn't it make sense that e.g. California and Texas would have different laws, different president etc.? Then they both could be happy with their own way of life, have the abortion and immigration laws that they like etc.

While I don't necessarily feel that much cohesion with Portuguese or Italians, I still feel I have much more in common with them than e.g. people living in California and Texas have with each other.
Post edited March 30, 2017 by timppu
I am happy, because British are smart people, who do not want to be a slave or vassal of EU. I wish Finland does same thing in near future. Eu is just politicians playground and they are far from ordinary people's everyday life.

As the Europa Universalis IV lesser partner of union says: "A Union Only in Name".
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supplementscene: The economic problem is nothing to do with laws and everything to do with monetary and fiscal issues. The problems you list for Michigan are the same for Greece, they both overspent their budgets.

Ultimately both the US and the EU could have protected economically impovished regions (ie Greece/Michigan) by devaluing their currency and neither took that action.
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MajicMan: No. Devaluing the US dollar would not have done anything for Michigan except make it worse off and make the whole nation worse off.

And both are because of fiscal spending policies we agree, but again, if you have one nation (Greece) with a federal pension for everybody and one nation that does not carry that burden then two nations, different laws. Michigan does not suffer that problem.

I couldn't make China, America, Great Britain and Russia use the same currency and make it work. The laws and currency values are just too different.
If the dollar devalued, Michigan based car companies would have sold more units outside of the US because they would get more Euros/Pounds/etc for their product and been able to undercut. They would also sell more units in the US because it would be less profitable for European car makers to sell in the US. Devaluing a currency, devalues debts, so Detroit going bust is a lesser debt.
While it is a significant historical event, there are still a few things to worry about.

I've got family living in Gibraltar (voted ~ 97% Remain) and their worried over whether they will be to still enter and leave spain freely, as well as worrying whether Spain will start fresh demands for Gibraltar to be given back to them.

I've got family who've retired to spain and don't know if their healthcare will continue to be covered if we leave the single market.

I've got friends worried by the loss of funding given by Horizon 2020 (Though Israel currently has access to it, so it might not be all bad).

In more comedic worries: My friend is worried that if we leave, no one will vote for us in Eurovision (Not that they really did anyway).