01:02:03 - 04/05/06

fryke said:
Bollocks...
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:D

hawki18 said:
what next you want the US to switch to the URO
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I take it you mean the "Euro," but no one is asking the US to switch currencies. Mind you, some other nations have been contemplating it, particularly with respect to dealing with oil (oh, and these countries tend to get invaded or threatened by the US).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Euro#The_euro_and_oil
Wikipedia said:
The eurozone consumes more imported petroleum than the United States. This would mean that more euros than US dollars would flow into the OPEC nations, but oil is priced by those nations in US dollars only. There have been frequent discussions at OPEC about pricing oil in euros, which would have various effects, among them, requiring nations to hold stores of euros to buy oil, rather than the US dollars that they hold now. Venezuela under Hugo Chávez has been a vocal proponent of this scheme, despite selling most of its own oil to the United States. Another proponent was Saddam Hussein of Iraq, which holds the world's second largest oil reserves. Since 2000 Iraq had used the euro as oil export currency. In 2002, Iraq changed its US dollars into euro, a few months prior to the 2003 invasion of Iraq. If implemented by the OPEC, the changeover to the euro would be a transfer of a 'float' that presently subsidises the United States to subsidise the European Union instead. Another effect would be that the price of oil in the eurozone would more closely follow the world price. When oil prices skyrocketed to almost 50 USD/barrel in August 2004, the oil price in euros didn't change nearly as much because of the concurrent rise in the exchange rate of the euro to the US dollar (to an exchange rate of EUR 1.00 = USD 1.33 in December 2004). Similarly, should oil prices lower significantly, together with the USD/EUR exchange rate, the oil price in the eurozone would not fall as much. On the other hand, if the exchange rate and the oil price move in different directions, oil price changes are magnified. Pricing oil in euros would nullify this dependency of European oil prices on the USD/EUR exchange rate. On March 20, 2006, Iran is planning to open an International Oil Bourse (IOB, exchange) for the express purpose of trading oil priced in other currencies, including euros.
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http://www.themoscowtimes.com/stories/2003/10/10/001.html
The Moscow Times said:
President Vladimir Putin said Thursday Russia could switch its trade in oil from dollars to euros, a move that could have far-reaching repercussions for the global balance of power -- potentially hurting the U.S. dollar and economy and providing a massive boost to the euro zone.
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But, anyway, we digress! :)

Satcomer said:
Our diversity is what makes us all special. I will never let the so called "world" (when will people learn the US or Western Europe is not the world) government ever rule over me. I don’t know how Europeans can stand the European Union. I believe those countries are giving up their true identity for some intangible economic benefit.
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I totally agree, we need to value diversity. More so than we do currently. I think people from all nations tend to put their own ways of doing things first, and tend to dislike "foreign"/alien ways of doing things. It's human nature, alas.

I really don't think the EU is an example of something that shouldn't be put up with, because I think Americans take it for granted all the time. For instance, a European could say "I don't know how you Californians can put up with a Federal government, your identity is completely different to that of a Texan." Well, it's true, but it's also about finding things we have in common and working for the common good, while trying to maintain and value diversity. Not always easy, sure, but not impossible. Believe me, if you go to France, it still feels like France, it's not part of a homogeneous "Eurozone" or something! ;)
 
I'm changing my name to Rod Poleorperch ;)

How many litres in a barrel of oil? Or pints for that matter?
 
"Pint of oil please over here!" (After all, we ARE in the café here...)
 
Giaguara said:
well also for japan .. would they have like 06/05/04? or 05/06 .... :p
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For the Japanese, It would have been 04/05/18 (Heisei) so... they are left out of the 123456 deal

P.S. i wish this board were unicode so i could use the proper Kanji >.<
 
JetwingX said:
For the Japanese, It would have been 04/05/18 (Heisei) so... they are left out of the 123456 deal
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I wonder what the Ethiopians do on the Julian calendar.

bbloke said:
Hmm, a pint. Shall we pay in Pounds Sterling? ;)
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Errr… Euros, please!:D

Satcomer said:
Our diversity is what makes us all special. I will never let the so called "world" (when will people learn the US or Western Europe is not the world) government ever rule over me. I don’t know how Europeans can stand the European Union. I believe those countries are giving up their true identity for some intangible economic benefit.
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But the USA is a federal state. Each state is a self-governing entity, that all collaborate of issues of mutual interest, such as defence, foreign policy, etc. Historically speaking, the states of the US were founded by many different nations – the British, the French, the Spanish, hell, there was even a small Swedish colony somewhere in Delaware, I believe. That the people of these colonies managed to overcome the traditional enmities of their founder colonies and united to form one united entity for the benefit of all is an example the whole world would do well to follow. And it wouldn't hurt for the US to look to its history books and follow its own examples.

For better or for worse, depending on where you stand in the political spectrum, the format adopted by the US appears to be a successful one. And one that Europe should strive to emulate.

Apart from the obvious benefits of being able to compete with the US megalist, a Federal Europe would provide a forum for neighbours to discuss and resolve disputes on an everyday basis, before the situation spirals out of control and flare up into armed conflict, thus at least reducing, and hopefully eliminating, the recurrence of war in Europe.

As for the loss of cultural identity, well don't forget that the threat to European national identities is most seriously under threat from the US. The French have the right idea, but the French are also one of the founders of the European Union.

Roll on a United States of Europe! :p
 
CaptainQuark said:
As for the loss of cultural identity, well don't forget that the threat to European national identities is most seriously under threat from the US.
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How so? I tend to like the British the way that they are. They tend to keep the US government on the right path. The French is another story (only kidding).
 
Ten reasons why the world hates America:

• Insane gun laws
• Racism
• The death penalty
• Biggest polluters on the planet
• Biggest exploiter of the world’s wealth
• SUVs
• Immoral foreign policies
• The religious right
• Corporate greed
• Calling the World Series the World Series

Ten reasons why the world wants to be American:

• Avarice
• Fast food is convenient
• So they can have skyscrapers too
• American accents are cool
• All the big blockbusters are made in Hollywood
• To be able to sue the ass off anyone and get rich quick
• To be able to legally own a semi-automatic and shoot anyone you like
• To own a house with a swimming pool
• To own an SUV
• Elvis
 
rhisiart said:
Ten reasons why the world hates America:

&#8226; Insane gun laws
&#8226; Racism
&#8226; The death penalty
&#8226; Biggest polluters on the planet
&#8226; Biggest exploiter of the world&#8217;s wealth
&#8226; SUVs
&#8226; Immoral foreign policies
&#8226; The religious right
&#8226; Corporate greed
&#8226; Calling the World Series the World Series

Ten reasons why the world wants to be American:

&#8226; Avarice
&#8226; Fast food is convenient
&#8226; So they can have skyscrapers too
&#8226; American accents are cool
&#8226; All the big blockbusters are made in Hollywood
&#8226; To be able to sue the ass off anyone and get rich quick
&#8226; To be able to legally own a semi-automatic and shoot anyone you like
&#8226; To own a house with a swimming pool
&#8226; To own an SUV
&#8226; Elvis
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I will keep our insane gun laws countries that took away that right has had crime increase the press may not talk about it but it true

I love my 4x4 pick up and I don't like somthing I got the right to say so

As far as baseball the world series, I guess a few other counties need to start teams and then the title will fit.

I have not been England or France for may years wonder if it has change alot with the union?
 
fryke said:
Start using the international format, people. It really helps... *sigh*
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Yes, and henceforth this board shall be in Esperanto.
Hmmm, 'henceforth' isn't that an imperial unit of time?
 
kial fari vi senti la bezoni al konduki up malnova fadeno? (Esperanto)


(why do you feel the need to bring up old threads?)
 
Satcomer said:
Our diversity is what makes us all special. I will never let the so called "world" (when will people learn the US or Western Europe is not the world) government ever rule over me. I don’t know how Europeans can stand the European Union. I believe those countries are giving up their true identity for some intangible economic benefit.
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Well, while the thread already was bumped up... would you say that Texas lost its 'true identity' when they become part of USA? I think they are still quite special, and if any state of US gives the most love / hate among Americans (my ex from midwest hated everything Texan) and among abroad .... So would Texas be any more true Texas if it was still a Republic? If people had a Texan passport (not those touristic kind but real), if they paid in Texan dollars or pesos ... ?

The 'true identity' of a country or a nation is stereotypes; the 'true identity' of people isn't based on what's printed on the money they use to pay. Or yes, the French had the Francs, but did every single French person choose the Franc (or have any options?) while that currency was in use? No. Does a person lose 'his true identity' even when he lives somewhere else for longer times? No, he just becomes slowly free of the stereotypes (often). Did I lose something about MY true self when I started to pay in Euro? I don't care, it's just money, it's just a mean. At least it's one money, instead of having Liras, Pesetas, Pesos, Pounds, Marks, Crowns, etc etc of different kind. And I had been paid my salaries in Liras, Pesetas, Pesos, Reais, Crowns, Marks ..... if a country feels like it lost something with the new currency, then it's nothing more than a (stereotype of a) nation that can't deal with changes.
 
It's not a need I have, I just never notice they're old.
I'm hopelessly unobservant, but will try and observe more.
I also got a bit carried away yesterday because I was having fun

The 'true identity' of a country or a nation is stereotypes
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I kind of agree with Giaguara. I feel more English (or perhaps British, agh, confoozed) now I'm 14,000km away from that sceptred isle, and that fellow feeling manifests itself in some quite frankly clicheed nostalgia, almost, almost bordering on the patriotic <shudder>. I pine for music, curry, mists, mellow fruitfulness and green pastures - all stereotypes in their own way.
And now I'm here I use kilos, km and litres - something people back 'home' fight against for all they're worth. But change is good for the soul.
 
Oh wait I noticed only now that you are in Patagonia?? Cool, one of the weird places on earth I still want to see. :)
You could always go to Malvinas to get more British food ... ;) err I mean Falkland. Whichever
 
Yep, Patagonia stole my soul. It's a fabulous place that belongs high on anyone's list of essential destinations, and at leisure, too, rather than in three high-impact weeks. Savour the flava!
Best not to mention those islands, though. Here there be demons.
But I could barf on at great and impassioned length about the awesomeness there is to see around here. If you go nowhere else, chesk out Ushuaia - southernmost city in the world and full of fantastic people. And crazy geography. And shipwrecks, and mad, ancient prisons, and the most enigmatic lighthouse in the world (after Barnegat, of course).
My god, I need to go travelling again.
 
Giaguara my post meaning was about the European giving up some of there local laws to become part of central government. The money change was just the first step. I still feel it is a pipe dream of the small European countries that they will matter more if there is a central European government. The brutal truth is the European government is going to be a power tool for the French & German politicians, this is where the real power will be. These counties wouldn't have it any other way.
 
I think it's rather the other way 'round. It's not that smaller countries hope to count more in a European Community. It's that some stuff should be easier to accomplish across European countries. I'm aware that Switzerland isn't part of it. Just shows that "our national identity" doesn't have to _exactly_ match my thinking. ;)

Btw.: Esperanto is not "the international language". And the thread should've been revived on 2006-05-04 already. ;)
 
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