[Catfish]

@Ju88: Of course you are right. There are problems and the EU needs a lot of reforming, if it can even be helped anymore. I am just getting sick and tired of people echoing the whole far-right Bannon and Farage claptrap published in media like Breitbart, Fox, The Sun, The Express, the german Bild and those other usual suspects, without individually having any own idea or even the pretense to have informed themselves before they spread their opinonated hate, when the whole internals of the EU can be openly viewed, including all problems and challenges, and successes.
But conspiracies and endless lamenting are so much more fun!

Quote Ju88:

But the EU is in a very real financial, cultural and existential wobble right now. With no real solutions in sight. The very fact that its problems and challenges are so multi faceted, doesn't bode too well - its getting hit from several angles at once.

The EU is under attack from the far right not only because of facts or real existing problems, but for a major part because it is free in almost every aspect and has become a real worldwide competitor, with free trade and free borders, and nationalists hate that. Like Russia i might say. Others hate it because it means real competition, and a lot of others are just bored with a good life searching some sense for themselves, and certain media give them a reason and a target to blame.

Of course the Eu has problems, it consists of nations that fought each other to death not long ago, and as we see nationalistic chauvinism is not dead (Hungary, Romania, Poland, Turkey, now Italy blaming all on the EU (remember this bridge collapsing due to neglected maintenance? Italy's right wing immediately blamed it on the EU - when it was the right wing party's president who stopped maintaining bridges in Italy some years before. So again, BULL!), not to forget brexit and so on).

Do you think life will be better in a Europe without the EU? Really?
Think of who wants to destroy the EU, and why.

Originally Posted by Georg Lassen

Compared to the USA and USSR the EU is closer to the latter by a large margin.

Yeah and it is so much better to live and work there, than in the EU
Once again certain people do not differ between a social democracy and socialism/communism?

Yes the far right is rising again, using "corruption", alleged "unfair treatment" towards them and terrorism as arguments to hide their racism and hate. It is not very well hidden but it seems to work good enough for a lot of people who "inform" themselves via tabloids and petty slogans.
(aww i get tears in my eyes when i think of poor Farage and Bannon, and Trump - they would never lie or just live out their hate)

The right wing uses everything in their urge to destroy the EU. Successes and humanitarion efforts are described as "weak", and China and Russia are the new heralds of a brave new world while indeed going back to isolated, sealed-off states.
Maybe it is only me but no i do not like their political systems at all!

Ok so maybe you can be "lucky" soon and have isolated, sealed off borders again, with nations that prefer war to trade. Have fun, i hope it hits you right between the eyes when it happens. Winter war anyone?