Cameron to be eaten for breakfast?

[DodgyAgent]

In my vision the method of governance would have to change. Elected representatives only. Similar to UK or US possibly.

No idea how you would implement it mind.

It also covers blasters point. No nation state could borrow individually as the whole thing would be centrally governed.

So if there is a central government controlling the raising and spending of taxes assuming it is possible to draw up a system of democratic accountability, then what mandate would such a government have? Would it control foreign policy for example? a single army? after all this EU government would have to allocate budgets to fund these entities.

[doodab]

Name me one single individual in the EU who could (and more importantly would) run the economy of Greece better than the Greeks.

Sasguru.

[BlasterBates]

OK so which authority presides over the Greek budget and ensures that it is implemented?

First of all Greece does have the option of going bankrupt, it is choosing not to do this beacuse following conditions by an "authority" would be better than not paying salaries or pensions.

"The authority" is actually made up of the EU, IMF and the private banks. If Greece were to leave the EU, it would have to defer to the IMF (as Argentina and Iceland did) , and the private banks.

So it isn't actually just the EU.

[sasguru]

Sasguru.

Quite. I would implement tried and tested truths that I have applied myself such as: invest your income in good times for the future, live within your means, always have something to sell in the open market.

[Arturo Bassick]

That is exactly what Hitler thought. he thought he could control Europe without any need for democratic accountability. He emerged from the ruins of the post WW1 Economic collapse of Germany. Just imagine letting loose the thousands of little hitlers in Brussels. Do you really think that this bunch of people would act sensibly??? Name me one single individual in the EU who could (and more importantly would) run the economy of Greece better than the Greeks. The loss of sovereignty ensuing from this mess (created entirely by the bureaucrats of the EU) is an Orwellian nightmare. We will be living in Oceania.

Why cant it work? The UK is Governed from London. Each individual County could be viewed as a "nation" but it works (I know the arguments that say it doesnt). The thing that really stops Europe working now is mainly (IMHO) that those who govern it are far too busy feathering their own nests or gaining concessions for the nation they represent. Very few are conceding to Europe for the common good, though I do see the UK giving up far more than any other member state has. It seems to me that the UK is actually the best European representative. We make a net contribution. We implement the laws as passed by the EU. We have given up our fishing industry, we pay other nations farmers so they do not lose out because they are incapable of competing with ours. We stand against damaging, ridiculous or woolly legislation. This final point is the one the other member nations use to point the UK out as being anti EU.

** I seem to getting into full on rant mode today. Better go away and calm down and do some work.

[russell]

The folks saying tell Europe to get stuffed, they don't quite seem to understand how badly the UK economy will be if Europe keeps getting into more difficulty. Cameron and Ozzy are quick to blame the glacial growth on the Eurozone crisis, acknowledging that we are tightly coupled with Europe's economy, but then refusing to do anything to help.

[BlasterBates]

So if there is a central government controlling the raising and spending of taxes assuming it is possible to draw up a system of democratic accountability, then what mandate would such a government have? Would it control foreign policy for example? a single army? after all this EU government would have to allocate budgets to fund these entities.

The EU's governing body is the council of ministers i.e. the heads of state get together and hammer out agreements, that's how it's always been and how it always will be.

You seem to assume the EU is run by the commissioners, it isn't. The rules are made by the heads of state. The commissioners merely implement what they've been told to do. If they step out of line, the council of ministers will chuck em out.

[Arturo Bassick]

So if there is a central government controlling the raising and spending of taxes assuming it is possible to draw up a system of democratic accountability, then what mandate would such a government have? Would it control foreign policy for example? a single army? after all this EU government would have to allocate budgets to fund these entities.

The EU would effectively become one nation so the Government would perform all the function and provide all the facilities a national government does.

[sasguru]

The folks saying tell Europe to get stuffed, they don't quite seem to understand how badly the UK economy will be if Europe keeps getting into more difficulty.

I do understand how tightly we are linked to the European economy. We shouldn't be. This is a failure or our business elite, doing the easy thing.
But maybe a hard shock is the only way to focus minds.

[DodgyAgent]

The EU's governing body is the council of ministers i.e. the heads of state get together and hammer out agreements, that's how it's always been and how it always will be.

You seem to assume the EU is run by the commissioners, it isn't. The rules are made by the heads of state. The commissioners merely implement what they've been told to do. If they step out of line, the council of ministers will chuck em out.

That is what Hitler and the Germans thought of the third Reich, it was the Iraquis thought of Saddam Hussein. History of course is littered with "permanent regimes" that funnily enough fell apart. I suppose you also thought that lehman brothers would always be around. Isnt it bizarre how so many people just accept the status quo, how easily they are led by populist movements (he's rioting oh so will I then - everyone thinks Adolf hitler is great - Oh so will I then)

But you have not explained how the EU would run and implement the finances of say Greece have you?