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Comment Re:Yes to Brexit (Score 1) 396

Although the German economy is the largest of the EU countries they could never hold up the EU by themselves.
Based on GDP the UK economy is marginally smaller and depending who does the calculations ranks just before or after France, Italy ranks fourth.
Looking at GDP per capita the UK ranks 14th. with Germany 12th, a lot of the smaller economies seem to be giving better returns.

Comment Re:Yes to Brexit (Score 1) 396

Hmm, you should stop believing the tabloids :)
http://blogs.ec.europa.eu/ECin...

Once again we are seeing big bold headlines claiming massive increase in the UK’s contribution to the EU budget in 2013. We provide figures and explanations below, but first a reminder of some general points that put these figures in context: Traditionally, the UK net contributions to the EU budget are less than 1% of UK’s public spending. While all bigger and richer member states are net contributors, as a contribution per capita the UK is behind countries like Germany, Sweden, the Netherlands or Austria, Finland and Belgium. Finally, the estimated benefits of EU membership for the UK economy vastly exceed the UK’s gross budget contribution, let alone its net one. You don’t have to take our word for it – the CBI estimates the direct net economic benefits alone at between £62bn and £78bn every year http://www.cbi.org.uk/campaign...

Comment Re:Yes to Brexit (Score 1) 396

http://ec.europa.eu/budget/exp...
For once you should inform yourself.
Your health services are not overloaded because of Brussels, it is because you have a lack of capable national politicians that can legally limit the number of people claiming benefits.
There is no EU rule that forces a nation to pay for visitors, of course there is a rule that makes the nations treat workers equal, a sore point for the conservatives.
Those that work can hardly be considered a drain on the system, on the contrary, they contribute to it.

Comment Re:Yes to Brexit (Score 1) 396

The EU budget is a lot of money but a small fraction of the combined national budgets.

http://ec.europa.eu/budget/explained/myths/myths_en.cfm

The EU budget was about €144 bn in 2013 - very small compared to the sum of the 28 EU countries' national budgets (over € 6,400 bn). Total government expenditure by the 28 EU countries is almost 50 times the EU budget! To put this into perspective, in 2013 the average EU citizen paid 283 euros a year towards the EU budget. This is less than a euro a day - hardly very expensive given the benefits that the EU brings its citizens. In fact, the EU budget is smaller than the Austrian or Belgian budgets. The EU budget stands at about 1% of the 28 EU countries' gross domestic product (GDP) – the total value of all goods and services produced in the EU. By contrast, the budgets of EU countries represent 49% of GDP on average. The EU budget is always balanced, so there is no deficit or debt. And 94% of what is paid into the EU budget is spent in the EU countries on policies and programmes that benefit citizens directly.

To expand on the last sentence, this is not money that disappears in a black hole, people get paid from it.

Comment Re:Yes to Brexit (Score 1) 396

Denmark is more integrated with the EU than say the UK.
The Danish currency used to be tied tot the Deutschmark and is now tied to the euro, for less cost they could have given up their kroner and joined the euro.
Denmark has a strong EU sceptic party that for once is not led by an idiot but the majority of Danes has always voted for pro-EU parties.
If only to avoid Danish tax and be able to buy their beer in Flensburg.

Norway is due to it's oil a hugely wealthy country with a very unusual tax system that would be hard to integrate with normal countries.
Yet the Norwegians have so many by-lateral treaties with the EU (Schengen!) that they could become a member overnight.
But they are not allowed to vote in Brussels.

Comment Re:Yes to Brexit (Score 1) 396

Uhh, if I were you I'd check up on which EU members are so in favour of the treaties you mention.
The EU commission is appointed by the democratically elected governments of the member nations, that is arguably more democratic than the first past the post system the UK has!
Many EU countries form their government from people that were not elected, it's the parliament that controls the government what is elected.
Your last sentence is quite challenging coming from someone with your nickname..., who is antagonising who?

Comment Re:Yes to Brexit (Score 1) 396

What burdens and if so, for whom?
What is by certain British politicians seen as EU burdens are by the vast majority of EU citizen seen as consumer and workers rights.
Therefore it is inconceivable to have open borders without also insisting on a more or less 'Level Playing Field.
You know, that stuff that hard core capitalists hate.

Comment Re:This will be a historic mission. (Score 1) 190

by Teun (#49748737) Attached to: Arab Mars Probe Planned For 2020
Sorry for the late reply but it can't be denied that the first prophet of Islam was an Arab and it became the next iteration of the existing Middle Eastern Abrahamic religions.
I dare postulate that today's Islam is mainly different from it's predecessors due to great simplification and the inclusion of certain ancient beliefs from the Arabic peninsula.
After all, the holy sites of Mecca had seen worship for much longer than Christianity existed.
I see nothing wrong in my observation Islam is still heavily dominated by Arabic culture or do you feel that culture is somewhat inferior?

To cut it short, I have nothing against Islam as the religion of the Koran (Gods word) but I have serious reservations with the almost automatic inclusion of the Hadith, Sira, Salaphistic and other local customs like female circumcision or the hiding of women from public life.

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