Europe

[Doc]

the cultural differences between north and south Europe are non trivial, its going to be hard to convince the average German or Dutchie that Italy struggling for finances is because of the coronavirus and not financial incompetence, they have the virus too, why arent they struggling.

It seems their should be 2 unions, the tricky bit being the French and the Northern Italians.

If the trend continues, one of these days, Europe will be made up of individual nation states. Each with it's own borders and laws.

Shirley, no one coulda seen that coming.

Nawh it will never happen. How could they get by without Eurovision?

[Doc]

IeMPB3yqrrI

[Typhoon]

Bloomberg | Flubbed EU Vaccine Rollout Risks Yet Another Existential Crisis

The slow and chaotic nature of the bloc’s vaccination rollout has alarmed politicians, frustrated business and led to simmering anger among its 450 million-strong population. Not for the first time, the EU is confronted with the question: What is its purpose, if 27 countries working together are less effective than when governments go it alone?

After almost a year of lockdowns to fight a pandemic that hit Europe harder than much of the rest of the world, the EU’s seeming inability to do more to come out the other side is stark: Its governments have administered just 2.3 doses of vaccine per 100 people, far behind the 11.4 per 100 in the U.K. and 7.8 per 100 in the U.S. That slow rate of inoculation against the virus has dire consequences for fatalities and the pace of economic recovery.

Confronted with its perceived public failings, the European Commission in Brussels is taking on the pharmaceutical companies and imposing export controls in an all-or-nothing escalation of its response. Privately, EU officials and diplomats worry that the bloc has failed in its prime obligation -- to protect its citizens -- and fear the corrosive effect that could have in the long run.

The Common Market made sense, the EU with its additional layers of bureaucracy, not so much.

[Typhoon]

The Spectator | The EU’s vaccine opportunism will not be forgotten

At first, it sounded like empty rage. The European Union had spent all week making wild statements about controlling vaccine exports — even challenging the notion of contract law. On Friday, it has started to act on its words and announced it will introduce controls on vaccines made in the EU — potentially giving itself the power to stop Pfizer sending Britain the vaccines it has paid for. Worse, when it made the announcement, it included Northern Ireland.

. . .

The EU has long had its critics, but the most positive framing of it has always been its promotion of free trade and free people, providing a rules-based framework for poorer European countries living in the shadow of authoritarianism. Now, it has managed to undermine even its best credentials.

[Typhoon]

UnHerd | Has the EU lost its mind?

To fail a test as big as Covid has existential implications for Europe.

[YMix]

UnHerd | Has the EU lost its mind?

Unheard of blog says EU is failing. Let's see who runs this thing...

Sally Chatterton is Editor of UnHerd. Her distinguished career in journalism has included senior positions at the Daily Telegraph, The Independent, Daily Mail, and the Evening Standard.

Daily Mail. What a surprise.

[Typhoon]

UnHerd | Has the EU lost its mind?

Unheard of blog says EU is failing. Let's see who runs this thing...

Sally Chatterton is Editor of UnHerd. Her distinguished career in journalism has included senior positions at the Daily Telegraph, The Independent, Daily Mail, and the Evening Standard.

Daily Mail. What a surprise.

This particular logical fallacy is the fallacy of origins: dismissing an argument due to its source, regardless of its content and/or the merit of its arguments.

[YMix]

This particular logical fallacy is the fallacy of origins: dismissing an argument due to its source, regardless of its content and/or the merit of its arguments.

OK, then let me put it this way: the author of this article takes a couple of minor EU decisions, that the average EU resident is neither aware of, nor interested in, and uses those minor decisions to conclude that "the EU has lost its mind". What's more likely: that the author is a moron who puts a lot of stock into irrelevant things or that he wrote a hit piece to get views from Brexiteers? If an article sounds like it came from the Daily Mail or the Daily Express, then it "enjoys" the same kind of credibility.

[noddy]

https://www.theguardian.com/australia-n ... ostile-act

we bought some vaccines from Europe. silly us, thinking that contracts are legally binding.

Europe might not losing its mind but its protectionist and parochial ways do make it much more irrelevant than it should be.

[YMix]

https://www.theguardian.com/australia-n ... ostile-act

we bought some vaccines from Europe. silly us, thinking that contracts are legally binding.

Europe might not losing its mind but its protectionist and parochial ways do make it much more irrelevant than it should be.

EU member states got 88 million shots, while exports reached 77 million shots. Unsurprisingly, the bigger countries (Italy, Germany and France) want exports reduced significantly in order to vaccinate their own populations faster. We'll see if they can get the restrictions passed.

[noddy]

Everyone knows they have reasons, they always have reasons, moral posturing and reasons are the 2 things you can absolutely garuntee from Europe.

[YMix]

Everyone knows they have reasons, they always have reasons, moral posturing and reasons are the 2 things you can absolutely garuntee from Europe.

You have insulted the European Union that my ancestors neither wanted, nor fought for. Be on the beach a week from now at noon and I will swordfish you in person.

[noddy]

my nordic bloodline will bring a can of fermented herring and my english bloodline will bring some overcooked cabbage.

your swordfish stands no chances.

[YMix]

my nordic bloodline will bring a can of fermented herring and my english bloodline will bring some overcooked cabbage.

your swordfish stands no chances.

Your ancestors had no taste. And they smelt of elderberries. Best I can do is some stinky sheep cheese.

[Simple Minded]

Everyone knows they have reasons, they always have reasons, moral posturing and reasons are the 2 things you can absolutely garuntee from Europe.

You have insulted the European Union that my ancestors neither wanted, nor fought for. Be on the beach a week from now at noon and I will swordfish you in person.

Typical Yurp! You can't find enough people to hate on your own incontinent?

[YMix]

Typical Yurp! You can't find enough people to hate on your own incontinent?

So you're supporting a reduction of EU hate exports? I'll have you know that Australia signed a contract.

[noddy]

we have the studied the ways of your european hates and learnt from our yankee allies how to navigate the dangers of your so called "pattiserie" shops.

mr73tr9kpkp61.jpg (71.8 KiB) Viewed 3934 times

[YMix]

If you cannot order patisserie products properly in France, no amount of guns will save you.

[Typhoon]

Switzerland vs the EU.

The Spectator | The EU has learnt nothing from Brexit

What inspired the Brits to leave is exactly the same EU approach that has now stopped the Swiss from half-joining

[Typhoon]

The Eurocrats are restless.

The Spectator | Brussels has launched a full federalist assault

[Typhoon]

The Spectator | Hungary, Poland and the EU’s ‘diversity’ problem

‘Unity in diversity’ has been the official motto of the European Union for over 20 years. The idea that the continent can unite in a common political and economic framework without losing the diversity of its constituent nations underpins the very idea of a democratic union of states. But this principle is proving increasingly difficult for Brussels to abide by as the ideological fabric of the EU begins to tear in a cultural tug of war.

A brilliant move by Hungary's Orbán ...

What happens when EU countries choose to be ‘illiberal’? It seems we are about to find out. Last Friday, Hungary’s National Election Committee (NEC) approved Orbán’s plan to hold a referendum on his controversial homosexuality laws, which came into force last month. Hungarians will be asked early in 2022 whether they want to allow sexual orientation workshops to be held in schools even when parents have not given their consent. They will also be asked if the promotion of gender reassignment to under-18s should be made illegal.

This has taken Orbán’s ‘cultural war’ with the EU up a notch, and follows the European Commission launching a legal action against Hungary’s homosexuality law. That puts the EU in an awkward position. What happens if the Hungarian people vote in a democratic referendum to uphold a law that Brussels deems to be illegal?

... if the referendum goes as he expects.

[Typhoon]

Taki's Mag - Polonia Restituta

[Typhoon]

Spectator | Merkel knows how to stop Polexit. The EU won’t listen

Brussels can't learn from its mistakes because its unable to recognise them

[noddy]

the main difference with polexit over brexit is nobody cares if Poland leaves and Poland is fully aware its economy is smaller without the EU.

the English where part of the big 3 with Germany and France, and they had delusions of being able to use the anglo sphere and commonwealth to replace the EU.

At this stage I think Poland is not even caring about the exit, it believes the EU power to be so weak that it can get all the benefits and ignore all the policies it wants to ignore.

[noddy]

https://www.news.com.au/finance/busines ... 664881c304

what if all the european preening about being above and beyond dirty primary industry was a great big fat lie.

what if all the filthy work they exported to australia and china came unstuck due to a cold war developing between those 2 countries.

what if china stopped producing industrial magnesium because it didnt have enough of the sweet australia coal to keep the factories running.

what if the carbon footprint of europe actually included all the chinese and australian bit.. i wonder wonder.

The world’s largest carmakers and other users of aluminium could be forced to halt production within weeks amid a “catastrophic” shortage of magnesium across Europe.

Magnesium is a key material used in the production of aluminium alloys, which are used in everything from car parts to building materials and food packaging.

China has a near-monopoly on global magnesium manufacturing, accounting for 87 per cent of production, but the Chinese government’s efforts to reduce domestic power consumption amid rising energy prices have slowed output to a trickle since September 20.

In Shaanxi and Shanxi provinces, the world’s main magnesium production hubs, 25 plants had to shut down and five further plants slashed production by 50 per cent as a result of the power cuts.

Europe is expected to run out of magnesium stockpiles by the end of November.

On Friday, a group of 12 European industry associations representing cars, metals, packaging and other sectors issued a joint statement warning of the “catastrophic impact” of the production cuts, which they said had already resulted in an “international supply crisis of unprecedented magnitude”.

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles ... evergrande

China’s thermal coal futures have surged in the past month, repeatedly setting records, as concerns over mine safety and pollution constrain domestic output while it continues to ban shipments from top supplier Australia. Meanwhile, natural gas prices from Europe to Asia have surged to seasonal highs as countries try outbid each other for fast-depleting supplies.