Iceland refuses to Join EU - This is How Democracy Works - Polidicks

[url="http://euobserver.com/political/120501"]EU Observer[/url] [img]http://euobserver.com/media/6/e5aac37dd9ed346dedc6fc323daf0541.png[/img] [quote]BRUSSELS - Iceland's bid to join the EU is over, the country's foreign minister told the European Commission on Thursday (13 June). "This is how democracy works," said Gunnar Bragi Sveinsson, on his first overseas trip, three weeks after being appointed to the recently elected Icelandic government. He pointed out that both parties in the new government had campaigned against EU accession. He commented that the main purpose of the trip had been "to tell the commission that the new government has made decision to put negotiations on hold. "We are part of Europe and want to strengthen our relationship in other ways," he added.[/quote] I like Iceland.

Good for them. All of my favorite European countries are either not in the EU or controlling it.

[QUOTE=Rangergxi;41039423]Good for them. All of my favorite European countries are either not in the EU or controlling it.[/QUOTE] So... all of them then?

[QUOTE=smurfy;41039443]So... all of them then?[/QUOTE] yeah Romania is controlling the eu

[QUOTE]"We are part of Europe and want to strengthen our relationship in other ways,[/QUOTE] If only more of Britain could take this stance.

you people are fucking nuts what relevancy to anything does Iceland joining the EU even have [editline]14th June 2013[/editline] [QUOTE=Rangergxi;41039423]Good for them. All of my favorite European countries are either not in the EU or controlling it.[/QUOTE] thats super dope and i really dont understand what you even mean by this

-Snip

[QUOTE=Rangergxi;41039533]Switzerland and Norway are my favorite countries in Europe. As well as Germany. Germany holds the power.[/QUOTE] How does this have any bearing on the EU, or Iceland for that matter?

[QUOTE=Rangergxi;41039533]Switzerland and Norway are my favorite countries in Europe. As well as Germany. Germany holds the power.[/QUOTE] You fulla stupid, you know that?

What is the actual difference between a country being in the EU and not being in the EU? Changing to the Euro? Compulsory aid ton under-performing EU nations like Greece?

[QUOTE=BananaFoam;41039589]What is the actual difference between a country being in the EU and not being in the EU? Changing to the Euro? Compulsory aid ton under-performing EU nations like Greece?[/QUOTE] its a complex political system i suggest you take the time to research it instead of taking the obviously flawed opinions of people on fp

[QUOTE=thisispain;41039621]its a complex political system i suggest you take the time to research it instead of taking the obviously flawed opinions of people on fp[/QUOTE] but but eurozone human rights light bulbs

[QUOTE=BananaFoam;41039589]What is the actual difference between a country being in the EU and not being in the EU? Changing to the Euro? Compulsory aid ton under-performing EU nations like Greece?[/QUOTE] The main positives to me are access to the free movement of EU labour and access to the EU free market, some countries managed to negotiate themselves access to the free market without being a full member though. Main negative to me is that because of the massive amount of countries in the EU not many single ones have a significant say in most decisions at the parliament.

[QUOTE=Zenreon117;41039397][url="http://euobserver.com/political/120501"]EU Observer[/url] [img]http://euobserver.com/media/6/e5aac37dd9ed346dedc6fc323daf0541.png[/img] I like Iceland.[/QUOTE] STAND UP TO THE MAN. But no really, Iceland can make their choice, it is a democracy as they said. No idea why this makes them any better/worse than any other nation though? Every single nation that joins the EU does it of their own accord.

quick fill this thread with posts only evidencing how little people actually know about the EU fucking man in brussels taking my bendy bananas!!!!!!

Abortion is Illegal in Iceland. Why do they get so many winners? Being gay there is outright illegal guys.

[QUOTE=Bomimo;41039898]Abortion is Illegal in Iceland. Why do they get so many winners? Being gay there is outright illegal guys.[/QUOTE] Erm, same sex marriage and same sex intercourse are both legal there.

[QUOTE=Bomimo;41039898]Abortion is Illegal in Iceland. Why do they get so many winners? Being gay there is outright illegal guys.[/QUOTE] It's legal and they're probably one of the most liberal country in the world when it comes to sexual rights, aside from radical feminists trying to ban porn.

[QUOTE=Bomimo;41039898]Abortion is Illegal in Iceland. Why do they get so many winners? Being gay there is outright illegal guys.[/QUOTE] Outright false. It's legal if it fits certain conditions and I don't see any anti-homosexuality parades either. Heck there was a Gay Pride parade once. I forgot if it's annual or not though.

[QUOTE=Bomimo;41039898]Abortion is Illegal in Iceland. Why do they get so many winners? Being gay there is outright illegal guys.[/QUOTE] what are you talking about, everything you said is wrong

[QUOTE=SinjinOmega;41040013]Outright false. It's legal if it fits certain conditions and I don't see any anti-homosexuality parades either. Heck there was a Gay Pride parade once. I forgot if it's annual or not though.[/QUOTE] Not being an arse, but what are the conditions? Homosexuality doesn't really seem like something that needs government regulation A quick Wikipedia check says that there is no sort on anti-gay legislation or regulation aside from gay men not being allowed to give blood. But I'm not Icelandic so I wouldn't know for sure.

[QUOTE=Scrappa;41039654]Main negative to me is that because of the massive amount of countries in the EU not many single ones have a significant say in most decisions at the parliament.[/QUOTE] I hear this complaint quite a lot, but what exactly would constitute a 'significant say' in your mind? Veto power for all 27 states?

[QUOTE=DaysBefore;41040541]Not being an arse, but what are the conditions? Homosexuality doesn't really seem like something that needs government regulation[/QUOTE] Maybe he meant conditions on, y'know, abortions? [editline]15th June 2013[/editline] [QUOTE=Megafan;41040565]I hear this complaint quite a lot, but what exactly would constitute a 'significant say' in your mind? Veto power for all 27 states?[/QUOTE] It's not so much that, it's more that no one really fuckin' knows what the hell the EU is ever doing before they've already fucked it up and we're mad, or done something good and we ignore it. Education and information on what the EU is and does and the processes involved is so damn sparese and hard to get by, especially in a form that is understandable to the few non-politics-majors in society. Apart from that, many see it as quite simply being too big for anyone to have any individual power in it. There's 754 MPs in the European Parliament, and using my country as an example, there's only 13 danish members. Sure, it's representative of the Danish population as a whole compared to the rest of Europe, but on the other hand, even if Denmark is unitarily against something, we still don't even make up 5% of a decision that [I]is[/I] going to heavily affect us.

[QUOTE=Riller;41040593]Maybe he meant conditions on, y'know, abortions?[/QUOTE] Ah, missed that. Thought we were only dealing with Bomimo's stupendously stupid statement that being gay is illegal in Iceland.

[QUOTE=Riller;41040593]It's not so much that, it's more that no one really fuckin' knows what the hell the EU is ever doing before they've already fucked it up and we're mad, or done something good and we ignore it. Education and information on what the EU is and does and the processes involved is so damn sparese and hard to get by, especially in a form that is understandable to the few non-politics-majors in society. Apart from that, many see it as quite simply being too big for anyone to have any individual power in it. There's 754 MPs in the European Parliament, and using my country as an example, there's only 13 danish members. Sure, it's representative of the Danish population as a whole compared to the rest of Europe, but on the other hand, even if Denmark is unitarily against something, we still don't even make up 5% of a decision that [I]is[/I] going to heavily affect us.[/QUOTE] Except it's covered in most textbooks on the subject and freely available on Wikipedia (if you wanted information on the structure of the European Commission, for example). On the 'how it affects the average citizen' side of it, I don't know what each and every EU office does. But, as one example, I was in Berlin recently and the EU office there had booklets in every language of the member states as to what rights you have as a citizen. Perhaps I'm missing the point, but what you're asking for seems vague at best.

the only disadvantage of the EU is that there is only a single central bank for the whole eurozone, so individual nations can't perform their own monetary policy. what might work for Germany might not be suitable for Greece, for example.

[QUOTE=BananaFoam;41039589]What is the actual difference between a country being in the EU and not being in the EU? Changing to the Euro? Compulsory aid ton under-performing EU nations like Greece?[/QUOTE] A relatively wide array of things starting with congruent lawmaking, many cross border freedoms, ability to take part in communal votes in a member country you live in, nondiscriminatory national legislature towards citizens from member countries, a lot of economic tarifs and many many other things. [QUOTE=Antdawg;41041067]the only disadvantage of the EU is that there is only a single central bank for the whole eurozone, so individual nations can't perform their own monetary policy. what might work for Germany might not be suitable for Greece, for example.[/QUOTE] False - there's the ECB which deals with policy for the Eurozone but it doesn't do policy outside of the Eurozone. The eurozone is defined as nations which use the EURO and many EU members do not use the EURO and instead maintain their national currencies and full monetary policy. The cz with the czech crown or the UK with the pound are two examples from the top of my head. [QUOTE=Riller;41040593]Maybe he meant conditions on, y'know, abortions? [editline]15th June 2013[/editline] It's not so much that, it's more that no one really fuckin' knows what the hell the EU is ever doing before they've already fucked it up and we're mad, or done something good and we ignore it. Education and information on what the EU is and does and the processes involved is so damn sparese and hard to get by, especially in a form that is understandable to the few non-politics-majors in society. Apart from that, many see it as quite simply being too big for anyone to have any individual power in it. There's 754 MPs in the European Parliament, and using my country as an example, there's only 13 danish members. Sure, it's representative of the Danish population as a whole compared to the rest of Europe, but on the other hand, even if Denmark is unitarily against something, we still don't even make up 5% of a decision that [I]is[/I] going to heavily affect us.[/QUOTE] The information is in no way sparse or hard to get at. It's readily available both offline and online. The fact that a lot of people have no clue is not a failure of the EU. It's more in the sense that people love scapegoats and they utterly despise actually going out of their way to inform themselves.

[QUOTE=Wiggles;41039637]but but eurozone human rights light bulbs[/QUOTE] Was there an actual, valid, reason for banning incandescent light bulbs?

[QUOTE=Bomimo;41039898]Abortion is Illegal in Iceland. Why do they get so many winners? Being gay there is outright illegal guys.[/QUOTE] [url]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jóhanna_Sigurðardóttir[/url] [QUOTE]She became Iceland's first female Prime Minister and the world's first openly lesbian head of government on 1 February 2009.[/QUOTE]

[QUOTE=Riller;41040593]Maybe he meant conditions on, y'know, abortions? [editline]15th June 2013[/editline] It's not so much that, it's more that no one really fuckin' knows what the hell the EU is ever doing before they've already fucked it up and we're mad, or done something good and we ignore it. Education and information on what the EU is and does and the processes involved is so damn sparese and hard to get by, especially in a form that is understandable to the few non-politics-majors in society. Apart from that, many see it as quite simply being too big for anyone to have any individual power in it. There's 754 MPs in the European Parliament, and using my country as an example, there's only 13 danish members. Sure, it's representative of the Danish population as a whole compared to the rest of Europe, but on the other hand, even if Denmark is unitarily against something, we still don't even make up 5% of a decision that [I]is[/I] going to heavily affect us.[/QUOTE] But in the European Council, every country has the same number of ministers representing them. It functions kind of like the senate in the USA, in that every country is equally represented. Besides, it would be a completely bullshit system if, say, the population of Albania and Luxemburg had equal voting power as Germany and France together. It'd basically be like telling the French and Germans "your votes are literally worth less than those of people living in smaller countries"