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Thread: Will the EU survive 2016?

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  1. #1

    Default Will the EU survive 2016?

    See discussion between Hazir and RB in the UK referendum thread.

    In your estimation

    - How high is the likelihood (%) of the EU disintegrating before the end of 2016?

    - How high is the likelihood of Schengen ending before the end of 2016?
    "One day, we shall die. All the other days, we shall live."

  2. #2
    <1% chance of the EU disintegrating before the end of 2016

    Schengen more complicated. In practice Schengen at least partially ended in 2015. De jure I expect Schengen to survive the year, de facto I'd say 50/50.
    Quote Originally Posted by Ominous Gamer View Post
    ℬeing upset is understandable, but be upset at yourself for poor planning, not at the world by acting like a spoiled bitch during an interview.

  3. #3
    ^^ Same, Same.
    "Wer Visionen hat, sollte zum Arzt gehen." - Helmut Schmidt

  4. #4
    Senior Member Flixy's Avatar
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    Sounds about right. I guess it really depends whether 'we' can get our shit together regarding outer border control. Without that Schengen has not much (de facto) future.
    Keep on keepin' the beat alive!

  5. #5
    What Randblade said.
    The light that once I thought compassion still casting shadows in your action
    The words you shared were cold transactions that bring me to curse what you've done
    When you're up there absorbed in greatness with such success you've grown complacent
    I hope you scorch your many faces when you fly too close to the sun

  6. #6
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    It's ridiculous to separate the survival of Schengen and the EU. If one goes the other goes with it. Chances are 50/50.
    Congratulations America

  7. #7
    Senior Member Flixy's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Hazir View Post
    It's ridiculous to separate the survival of Schengen and the EU. If one goes the other goes with it. Chances are 50/50.
    Why is it that ridiculous? Not all of the EU is even in Schengen.
    Keep on keepin' the beat alive!

  8. #8
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    Quote Originally Posted by Flixy View Post
    Why is it that ridiculous? Not all of the EU is even in Schengen.
    Any collapse will be the result of unwillingness of states to cooperate, to imagine that the fall out of something as the collapse of Schengen could be contrained is purely wishfull thinking.

    Otherwise you explain to me why for example the Dutch people would want to remain in a club where the lack of solidarity of net-recievers (i.e. the unwillingness of the Greeks to actually guard their borders) leads to the collapse of a system that pretty much is the life blood of one of our biggest economical sectors (transport).
    Congratulations America

  9. #9
    Quote Originally Posted by Flixy View Post
    Why is it that ridiculous? Not all of the EU is even in Schengen.

    "Ever-closer union" is the defining phrase of Hazir's religion. If the EU ever takes a step backward, it isn't the EU anymore but some heretical apostasy. He can entertain the idea of it getting smaller but the idea that it might ever take a step backward along the path of integration is anathema.
    Last night as I lay in bed, looking up at the stars, I thought, “Where the hell is my ceiling?"

  10. #10
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    Quote Originally Posted by LittleFuzzy View Post
    "Ever-closer union" is the defining phrase of Hazir's religion. If the EU ever takes a step backward, it isn't the EU anymore but some heretical apostasy. He can entertain the idea of it getting smaller but the idea that it might ever take a step backward along the path of integration is anathema.
    REALLY ? You never considered that I am simply fed up trying to talk some common sense into idiots of the kind we see in Randblade who doesn't understand that if you start disassembling any mechanism, even a bad functioning one, while it is still working creates massive damage. You never considered that I have decided that with the number of reckless populists in Europe I feel that I have better things to do with my time? Like hedging against what these idiots are happily going to bring about?
    Congratulations America

  11. #11
    Because in Hazir's warped worldview the whole purpose of the EU is to become a single state. In the real world there are other views as to what the EU should be and that irks him which is why he so hates people like me and my countrymen who don't want to leave the EU but have a different view than him as to what the EU is to be.

    The EU without Schengen is perfectly viable. The EU without the Euro is perfectly viable. The EU as a single nation without either isn't viable but since it isn't what the EU is that's good news.
    Quote Originally Posted by Ominous Gamer View Post
    ℬeing upset is understandable, but be upset at yourself for poor planning, not at the world by acting like a spoiled bitch during an interview.

  12. #12
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    Quote Originally Posted by RandBlade View Post
    Because in Hazir's warped worldview the whole purpose of the EU is to become a single state. In the real world there are other views as to what the EU should be and that irks him which is why he so hates people like me and my countrymen who don't want to leave the EU but have a different view than him as to what the EU is to be.

    The EU without Schengen is perfectly viable. The EU without the Euro is perfectly viable. The EU as a single nation without either isn't viable but since it isn't what the EU is that's good news.
    No you ignorant piece of excrement; what I am talking about is what happens if you start taking apart a working mechanism.
    Congratulations America

  13. #13
    Quote Originally Posted by Hazir View Post
    No you ignorant piece of excrement; what I am talking about is what happens if you start taking apart a working mechanism.
    Whereas we are discussing what happens when you put down a mechanism that isn't working. I am in the reality based community.
    Quote Originally Posted by Ominous Gamer View Post
    ℬeing upset is understandable, but be upset at yourself for poor planning, not at the world by acting like a spoiled bitch during an interview.

  14. #14
    Same reason anyone else would want to remain in the club, by weighing up the pro's and the negatives and reaching a conclusion as to what is best. Just as we are doing outside of Schengen.

    If the club is based purely on puerile conceits like "solidarity", or the absurd notion that co-operation has no limits rather than actual benefits it deserves to fail.
    Quote Originally Posted by Ominous Gamer View Post
    ℬeing upset is understandable, but be upset at yourself for poor planning, not at the world by acting like a spoiled bitch during an interview.

  15. #15
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    Would you take your pro's and con's and stick them where the sun doesn't shine?
    Congratulations America

  16. #16
    No but you can take your delusions and dreams of fiction and write them in a story book where they belong if you please.
    Quote Originally Posted by Ominous Gamer View Post
    ℬeing upset is understandable, but be upset at yourself for poor planning, not at the world by acting like a spoiled bitch during an interview.

  17. #17
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    Quote Originally Posted by RandBlade View Post
    No but you can take your delusions and dreams of fiction and write them in a story book where they belong if you please.
    The only thing that preoccupies me is hedging against the inevitable. You have fun dreaming about renegotiating.
    Congratulations America

  18. #18
    If the EU is worth negotiating with it will be possible to get a better deal. If the EU is too blinkered to give us anything then that speaks volumes.

    Take your very own logic. Why should we as the people who are paying into the system stay in the club if those who are net recipients from us are not willing to co-operate?

    I would phrase it differently. "He who pays the piper calls the tune", we pay now its time to listen to some British music whether it is to your taste or not.
    Quote Originally Posted by Ominous Gamer View Post
    ℬeing upset is understandable, but be upset at yourself for poor planning, not at the world by acting like a spoiled bitch during an interview.

  19. #19
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    Quote Originally Posted by RandBlade View Post
    If the EU is worth negotiating with it will be possible to get a better deal. If the EU is too blinkered to give us anything then that speaks volumes.

    Take your very own logic. Why should we as the people who are paying into the system stay in the club if those who are net recipients from us are not willing to co-operate?
    Trying to get a deal with an organisation that's dissolving that's real sensible and logical.
    Congratulations America

  20. #20
    I don't think the organisation is dissolving though and put the odds of it happening this year at <1%. How many members have left currently?
    Quote Originally Posted by Ominous Gamer View Post
    ℬeing upset is understandable, but be upset at yourself for poor planning, not at the world by acting like a spoiled bitch during an interview.

  21. #21
    To those of you who share RB's outlook: do you believe your estimate is likely to change after the March summit?
    "One day, we shall die. All the other days, we shall live."

  22. #22
    Quote Originally Posted by Hazir View Post
    Any collapse will be the result of unwillingness of states to cooperate, to imagine that the fall out of something as the collapse of Schengen could be contrained is purely wishfull thinking.
    No it wont. You know what. Whenever you post a prediction here, I usually assume the opposite. You know why? You are so bad at making the prediction that your chance is less than 50% to be right, flipping a coin would do better.

    It is as if you think that your prediction would change reality in some way.

    Quote Originally Posted by Aimless View Post
    To those of you who share RB's outlook: do you believe your estimate is likely to change after the March summit?
    Predictions should always change if new information is available. In the case of the March summit I think we will only get new information about the future of Schengen.
    "Wer Visionen hat, sollte zum Arzt gehen." - Helmut Schmidt

  23. #23
    What is your obsession with the EU Hazir? If you could wave a magic wand and have the EU of your dreams what would the benefits of it be to you?

  24. #24
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    Quote Originally Posted by Lewkowski View Post
    What is your obsession with the EU Hazir? If you could wave a magic wand and have the EU of your dreams what would the benefits of it be to you?
    If you don't mind; I have better things to do with my time than a failed experiment in European cooperation.
    Congratulations America

  25. #25
    Calling namens when you run out of arguments has become a trend here.
    "Wer Visionen hat, sollte zum Arzt gehen." - Helmut Schmidt

  26. #26
    No leaving bad mechanisms in place is what causes damage. If that is the best you've got, it's bad but it's in place so let's leave it then you know you've lost the argument.
    Quote Originally Posted by Ominous Gamer View Post
    ℬeing upset is understandable, but be upset at yourself for poor planning, not at the world by acting like a spoiled bitch during an interview.

  27. #27
    Quote Originally Posted by RandBlade View Post
    No leaving bad mechanisms in place is what causes damage.
    Which "mechanism" are you speaking of and what damage do you expect it to cause if left in place?
    "One day, we shall die. All the other days, we shall live."

  28. #28
    I was responding to the philosophy behind this insanity:
    Quote Originally Posted by Hazir View Post
    REALLY ? You never considered that I am simply fed up trying to talk some common sense into idiots of the kind we see in Randblade who doesn't understand that if you start disassembling any mechanism, even a bad functioning one, while it is still working creates massive damage. You never considered that I have decided that with the number of reckless populists in Europe I feel that I have better things to do with my time? Like hedging against what these idiots are happily going to bring about?
    I'm not an idiot for suggesting that badly functioning mechanisms should be changed, quite the opposite that is entirely the duty of governments to take the long-term structural changes necessary rather than merely look at immediate short term tinkerings.

    The idea that "yes this mechanism is bad but its in place so we'll leave it there untouched" like Hazir proposes is not a sign of genius and opposing that is not idiocy. Leaving outdated, failed or bad mechanisms in place that don't belong there is lazy, short-termist and just incompetent. It isn't clever.

    If a bad mechanism is in place causing damage (or is simply not as good as a better one) then even if there is a short-term price for moving to something better then we should not avoid difficult decisions for that reason alone.
    Quote Originally Posted by Ominous Gamer View Post
    ℬeing upset is understandable, but be upset at yourself for poor planning, not at the world by acting like a spoiled bitch during an interview.

  29. #29
    Quote Originally Posted by Lewkowski View Post
    What is your obsession with the EU Hazir? If you could wave a magic wand and have the EU of your dreams what would the benefits of it be to you?
    One could ask what your obsession is what is your obsession with the United States

    But seriously, until a few days ago I had no idea that the EU was offering proposals to the UK. I find it really surprising and wonder if it's a bit all for show, and ultimately this is heading towards a high-stakes referendum.

  30. #30
    Quote Originally Posted by Dreadnaught View Post
    One could ask what your obsession is what is your obsession with the United States
    Yes but the EU isn't a country. It would be like me being very passionate about NATO. Sure you can be but our national identity is that of 'we are part of NATO' but I get the impression being part of the EU is of vast importance to him.

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