Non-European Views on the EU

With the European Union, the largest trading, political, and economic bloc in the world (far outstripping the US, even), in turmoil, it seems intriguing as to how non-EU tropers perceive the Brussels-Strasbourg-Luxembourg behemoth. There are many European tropers with wildly differing attitudes to the EU (some with nationalist ideas, federalist ideas, or abolitionist ideas), and it is only fair to see the opinion of individual non-EU troper opinions, and the view of the EU in their popular presses.

I would advocate unification. But as I'm not a citizen, my view counts for little, and will in fact become increasingly unpopular as the EU tears itself apart.

Pfft. The EU. Widely divergent economies all using the same currency? One size fits all approach to monetary policy? That'll come back to bite em in the ass, I swear it!

I would comment if I wasn't from Finland Anyhoo, some people here are worried about German/other major countries of EU doing decisions for countries that are from their perspective "backwater countries", like Finland. Me? I just hope they keep euro, simpler when you go to abroad because you don't need to change currency

Is that an American Civil War reference?

Uh. I used to not be in the EU. Does that count enough for an opinion?

No, it's a European Debt Crisis reference.

I'm pretty skeptical that it will succeed in the long run (at least in its current form). The cultures of the member nations are both very diverse and centuries old, and I see this as being a major impediment to true 'integration'. Plus, the trend in (relativity) recent decades has been for nations to break apart and I don't see that changing much.