Frau Merkel today in Poland

Why is it presented as a given that the EU has failed and that its model is dead ? It remains the most equal and richest place to live - 16 of the top 25 happy countries are in tech EU and that includes the supposed basket cases Portugal, Greece and Italy. A similar number of EU states are in the top 20 of any quality of life index or any quantifiable measure of wealth. How many of the EU 27 are really neoliberal? Many have high tax, well developed safety nets and high level of workers rights.

The refugee influx was a big mistake but the root cause remains US interference in Iraq, Afghanistan and Russian interfence in Syria. The other chancers from Africa, Kosovo etc should be turned back at the borders.

The EU is far from perfect but at the moment i would rather live there than in Putin's Russia or Trump's America. And it's awesome to see what a pigs ear Trump and the Brexiters are making now that they have to implement their crazy ideas.

I agree!

@Lyzko
A leftist agrees with another leftist. SHOCKING!

I know it's difficult for you to understand 3 or 4 sentences but I am not a leftist.

@cms
I read many of your posts in the past. You're liberal Westerner. Yuck.

If by liberal you mean a lover of freedom then yes I am. And yes I am a Westerner - not much you can do to change that.

it's not that the EU as a whole is dead, but a particular version of it (ever greater integration, euro in all countries) is dead because no one wants that anymore (though those in charge of the EU don't seem to really realize that yet).

The Euro has failed because that's all it can do. There is no way to make a non-transfer union with no shared fiscal policy between Germany and southern Europe work.

There is no evidence that the majority of EU citizens want ever-greater intergration with more and more decisions that affect their lives being made by unaccountable technocrats in Brussels.

Cms,

Yes economically the EU is the way to go (and arguably is the only thing the EU should be about). But it will cost you socially and culturally. The EU will force you to take in extremist and threaten to sanction you if they don't agree with your free election results

Obviously, Poland being 95+% Native, we can sacrifice a little culture for more money.

But the migrant crisis isn't just a big mistake. It is the biggest fork in the road for this Union. Going on Year #2 and external borders are still open? We need to stand firm and demand these Western nations to rev up deportations. We don't want these migrants or even radicals to be in possession of EU passports - coming in and out of Poland as they please.

Trump is putting America first - and that's a crazy idea? Should be fun to see whom blinks first in the German election and is forced to put German interest first for votes but the gullible Germans probably won't even get to that point. Pro-EU, Pro-Refugees but what about Pro-German?

Currently the EU is too preoccupied and involved in Non-European matters. The problem stems from some broad ******** about Europe having certain values and ideals - which of course are decided and shaped by.....wait for it....Westeners.

No. Europe stands for Europeans. Cut and dry. Simple. European interest and issues first. Then our allies and then if we have the means and resources (we currently do not when you see the increase in European poverty) can go around the World playing Mother Theresa or George Bush.

This is the main reason the Left is in such decline. You know its bad when the self righteous leftist don't even bother spinning it into how Europeans will benefit. Now it's just broad and empty cries of "we owe it to humanity". **** you my European relatives need help first. I don't even like blacks or Islam, why the hell would I want to help them? So they can keep breeding like cockroaches to one day overrun my people?

The reason the Left has been in decline is that it hasn't paid attention to trends over the last fourty years or so. As society becomes more and more greedy, selfish, piggish, and distant from the original teachings of the Judeo-Christian tradition (before being corrupted beyond repair by Calvinism aka the Protestant Ethic, aka PURITANISM!!!), the more right leaning aka Republican in the post-Lincoln American sense it will continue to become:-)