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We’re Already Europe
Topic Started: Feb 24 2012, 08:53 PM (737 Views)
MrsS
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Banandangees
Feb 25 2012, 12:36 AM
Hey, the EUs in good financial shape.


You took the words right out of my mouth..... :bounce:


Some countries of the EU are in bad shape, some are not. It`s the broad brush I don`t appreciate, Banan... :smile:
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Chris
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MrsS
Feb 25 2012, 12:22 AM

Quote:
 
We’re Already Europe....the European model into bankruptcy....



The author of the article, Michael Tanner, obviously grabbed the broadest brush he could find to justify his gloom and doom title!!

Did he forget, that Europe consists of fifty states? Or if you just take the EU, that 27 states are left after all? .....And all of them on the brink of

bankrupcy?

Europe, the bugaboo of the US-right? :lol:



Possibly overly broad, but the news these days is Greece and Italy where the model is failing, or should I say bailing?

50 states or nations? Only raise that because I was reading recently how at one time Germany was multiple states, each a principality or something like that--is that right?
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MrsS
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Quote:
 
...Germany was multiple states...


Germany, officially the "Federal Republic of Germany" is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. It consists of 16 states , the so called

Bundesländer. I`d compare it to "USA" and the single states.

The Bundesländer are independent to some degree, but subordinated to the Federal Government.

I hope that helped.... :smile:
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Chris
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MrsS
Feb 25 2012, 01:20 AM
Quote:
 
...Germany was multiple states...


Germany, officially the "Federal Republic of Germany" is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. It consists of 16 states , the so called

Bundesländer. I`d compare it to "USA" and the single states.

The Bundesländer are independent to some degree, but subordinated to the Federal Government.

I hope that helped.... :smile:
Yes, I didn't know German states still exist. Thanks!!
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Chris
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OK, back, off topic, but is there anything equivalent in Germany then to the issue of state's rights like we have here?
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MrsS
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I would think so.

For better understanding, I copied a respective article from Wikipedia ( I hope it`s not too long ) :smile:


Quote:
 
The Basic Law for the Federal Republic of Germany divides authority between the federal government and the states (German: "Länder" or "Laender"), with the general principle governing relations articulated in Article 30: "The exercise of governmental powers and the discharge of governmental functions shall be incumbent on the Länder insofar as this Basic Law does not otherwise prescribe or permit." Thus, the federal government can exercise authority only in those areas specified in the Basic Law.

The Basic Law divides the federal government's legislative responsibilities into exclusive powers (Articles 71 and 73), concurrent powers (Articles 72, 74, and 74a), and framework powers (Article 75). The exclusive legislative jurisdiction of the federal government extends to defense, foreign affairs, immigration, transportation, communications, and currency standards. The federal and state governments share concurrent powers in several areas, including civil law, refugee and expellee matters, public welfare, land management, consumer protection, public health, and the collection of vital statistics. In the areas of mass media, nature conservation, regional planning, and public service regulations, framework legislation limits the federal government's role to offering general policy guidelines, which the states then act upon by means of detailed legislation. The areas of shared responsibility for the states and the federal government were enlarged by an amendment to the Basic Law in 1969 (Articles 91a and 91b), which calls for joint action in areas of broad social concern such as higher education, regional economic development, and agricultural reform.

Unlike in other federations, the German states retain the right to act on their own behalf at the international level. They retain the status of subjects of international law, independently from their status as members of a federation. This unique status is enshrined in Articles 23, 24, and 32 of the Basic Law.

The states are represented at the federal level through the Bundesrat, which is the upper house of the German parliament.
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Chris
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Interesting!! Again, thanks!! --We should let the regularly scheduled programming resume... :-)
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Banandangees
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That would be, "We're Already Europe."

It has been said on another thread discussing "Liberal" and "Conservative," in regard to "Socialism," that Europe and Canada were financially conservative and socially liberal. I'd have to say that Canada better represents that as a nation compared to the EU as a "union" (nation) in that across Canada that "liberal/conservative" is more moderate and uniform than is the EU nations. I put emphasis on "more moderate," meaning balance between the two.

In reality, when it comes to the economy, you can't really separate the two, in that one affects the other. The one is not independent of the other. if your socially liberal programs get too liberal, it puts a strain on the financially conservative side and vice versa. Canada, as a nation is more moderate and is more uniform in that respect across the nation. The EU on the other hand has it's Germany and it has it's Greece, Portugal, Italy.... not uniform. Greece is affecting Germany. Across the EU, there is no comparison to Canada in moderation of the two (socially liberal and financially conservative) and uniformity. I'd have to say that I see no similarity.

The US isn't much different from the EU in that respect. IMO.
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MrsS
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Banan:
Quote:
 
Across the EU, there is no comparison to Canada in moderation of the two (socially liberal and financially conservative) and uniformity.


I agree. The 27 nations of the EU will most likely never be uniform....and the sovereignity of each nation is still above the EU-membership, which

does not always make things easier...


It would be interesting to have Canadians comment on this.

Allez hop... :lol:
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Chris
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"does not always make things easier.."

But isn't that the purpose of sovereign nations and independent states, to make centrally planned politics harder? We're none of us the same, you can't expect a few cookie cutter elites to know what people want. The more local the government the better.
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