RE: Sociological question

Yeah, was true. In 1999 the comission had to resign due a corruption scandal, but corruption and democracy have always been closely connected. 2B BP is not that much Rabie. Spain will have to pay more when Europe will expand (if this ever happens ofcourse because it seems like the EU will be a rich-only club for the next 20 years).

RE: Natural gas…

Well, Europe is not playing fair either. belgium for example, is buying air from Russia!!! Buying air indeed :D. Kyoto is more of a political deal between Europe and Japan than a real ecological treaty like it supposed to be.

RE: International Court

Here you can find all info on the ICC.

http://www.usaforicc.org/facts_index.html

RE: Sociological question

Hi Rabie,

2. Well, non of the EU-countries can be described as poor, but many regions were poor before they became a member of the EU, like Portugal, Greece and Ireland. The EU doesn’t cost the UK that much every year. Every country has to give in something, but in return, gets back a lot.

3. The EU is not undemocratic. Like in any other country, one can vote for a parliament which will appoint the ministers or commissioners in the case of Europe. The EU also has its own court in Luxembourg (not the European court on human rights which is based in Stratsbourg). The EU is also not corrupt, but there are scandals everywhere: just look at the Bush-Cheney administration. But I agree many institutions have to reform, in order to become more effective and to get closer towards its citizens.

Read this and find out more about who funds the EU.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/static/in_depth/europe/2001/inside_eur…

RE: Sociological question

[updated:LAST EDITED ON 11-07-02 AT 12:58 PM (GMT)]There have to be leaders, and the EU of today is one which is still dominated by the 3 ‘superpowers’. None of them is of any military significance, but when it comes to economy, Germany still is the strongest. I don’t think the Germans have been treated fair the past 50 years, and especially the French, more than the Britons, still see Germany as an ‘enemy’. How about the representatives in the EU parliament? France and Germany have both as many seats in the parliament, though Germany has some 24 million inhabitans more. When I mean leading Europe I’m not referring to any of the world wars, but about the politics. Today, it is still France and the UK who are ringing the bells. The Germans try to stay more neutral, although they have more reasons to be pissed off! Germany is the only EU-country which is giving in more than it gets (for France and the UK it is about the same, input and output), so therefor I find that Germany should get more respect, not only among the people, but also among the gov’ts. And Germans are not the boring-hardworking man. They are more like the “let’s have a Barbeque and invite everyone in the neighbourhoud”-people.

RE: Sociological question

What has shocked me a bit was the reaction of some dutch on the WC finals between Germany and Brazil.

“We don’t care who wins, as long as it is not Germany.” Well, I’ve always supported the German footballteam. The Germans stayed calm despite this, but imagine a Belgian saying on the finals between Holland and Brazil “we don’t care who wings, as long as it is not Holland”. Not very sportive, isn’t it?

Everybody is against Germany, but if they need money, guess whom they’ll be calling. Germany still does not get the respect it diserves from the other European countries, because of its past. That has to finish!

Euro nations

[updated:LAST EDITED ON 11-07-02 AT 11:14 AM (GMT)]”What concerns me about it is the fact that the change from the old currency to the new is not proportional in various areas – for example, someone’s hourly wage or salary may not be proportional to the cost of a loaf of bread during the switch. How do we know people aren’t/haven’t losing/lost money during the changeover??”

The big problem was not the transition itself. Everything went fine, but the prices itself have raised. For example, I used to pay about 240 BEF for AFM, now I have to pay € 6.70, which is about 270 BEF. 30 BEF doesn’t seem that much, but it’s the price of a loaf of bread.

RE: Which up & coming films ar

Also saw it, not my cup of tea. Wanted to see Ice Age actually.