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Posted: 16 Jan 2007, 23:39
by Big Si
DeWinter wrote:United States of Europe? Well, the tendency these days is for countries to split, rather than unify. Give it ten years, and the chances are we'll be seeing an independent England, Scotland, Catalonia, and Flemish nation.

So, heres a scenario:

Without their Scots and Welsh M.P's, Labour find themselves almost permanently on the opposition bench in England. The Tory party under pressure by it's own Eurosceptic wing and the threat of defections to the Independence Party(the former UKIP), and the growing strength of the BNP, finally offers a referendum on EU-withdrawal. The English, who have been slowly drifting to the right politically, the most sceptical as to the EU's worth, vote to withdraw.
England's withdrawal means Scotland finds itself unable to transport it's goods through England without paying a tariff, and the English put up border controls to ensure EU members from poorer countries don't enter England illegally through Scotland, all this costing Scotland billions through lost trade.
Spain, vetoes Catalonia's application to join the EU as well as continuing it's current unofficial boycott of Catalan goods. Without the wealthy Catalan area, and a resurgent campaign by the ETA, Spain finds it's economy in dire straights, yet the EU, without the 13 billion provided by the former UK, is unable to find funds for Spain's assistance. Spain finds itself breaking the stability pact, and is fined by the EU, It responds by dropping the Euro.
The Euro goes into freefall.
You can guess the rest. You might even think I wanted it to happen I've thought it through so thoroughly. I don't, but it'd serve the EU well for trying to carve my country up and abolish it's name.. :x
What about the North Sea Oil Fields, we'll get a few quid to keep us going from them! :wink:

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Posted: 17 Jan 2007, 04:39
by DeWinter
Big Si wrote: What about the North Sea Oil Fields, we'll get a few quid to keep us going from them! :wink:

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Indeed, despite what Labour might like you to think, Scotland would never be a poor country. Problem is, the oil revenues aren't reliable as a source of income, as Gordon found out this year, hence his sudden enthusiasm for "green" taxation.
My point was more that a USE wouldn't be viable given the way countries are leaning towards seperation, and thats one way the EU might find the strains upon it too great. :|

Posted: 17 Jan 2007, 10:50
by markfiend
nowayjose wrote:
markfiend wrote:1 Billion (German) = 1 billion (US English (and increasingly UK English)) = 1 thousand million
Nope, in German, 1 Billion is 1 million million (10^12), 1000 million (10^9) would be "Milliarde". The German system goes like, Million (10^6) - Milliarde (10^9) - Billion (10^12) - Billiarde (10^15) - Trillion (10^18 ) - Trilliarde (10^21) - etc., like in ("old-fashioned") UK English (million/milliard). In US English, or in an international English context, the -iards are omitted, and instead each factor of 1000 adds another -illion (million - billion - trillion - ...)
Properly, a billion is a million million, but I'm fighting a losing battle to a thousand million on that usage.
Yes, that's true... confusing, isn't it...
Confusing indeed. I stand corrected.

Posted: 18 Jan 2007, 11:01
by King of Byblos
can we have an EU wide campaign on this :?:
Milliarde is a lovely word and doesn't deserve to be sidelined by lazy USA speech