https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-47430993

The centre-right Reform party has won Estonia's general election, beating the ruling Centre party.

Reform, led by former MEP Kaja Kallas, took about 29% of the vote to 23% for Centre in Sunday's ballot.

Meanwhile the far-right Conservative People's Party of Estonia (EKRE), which has called for a referendum on EU membership, came a close third. <18%-more than double>

(03-03-2019 10:01 PM)bullet Wrote:  https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-47430993

The centre-right Reform party has won Estonia's general election, beating the ruling Centre party.

Reform, led by former MEP Kaja Kallas, took about 29% of the vote to 23% for Centre in Sunday's ballot.

Meanwhile the far-right Conservative People's Party of Estonia (EKRE), which has called for a referendum on EU membership, came a close third. <18%-more than double>

The feminists should be happy... Ms. Kaja Kallas looks set to become Estonia's first female prime minister.

Is that good?

(03-03-2019 10:09 PM)Marc Mensa Wrote:  Is that good?

Poland is anti-EU and they have been a good US ally for decades. WE aren't sweating this, but some in the EU might.

Anything that damages the EU's quest to be a sovereign entity that controls its nations is a good thing.

(03-04-2019 08:43 AM)EverRespect Wrote:  Anything that damages the EU's quest to be a sovereign entity that controls its nations is a good thing.

...it certainly is for the Russians but I don't know how good it actually is for us.

(03-04-2019 10:13 AM)Marc Mensa Wrote:  

(03-04-2019 08:43 AM)EverRespect Wrote:  Anything that damages the EU's quest to be a sovereign entity that controls its nations is a good thing.

...it certainly is for the Russians but I don't know how good it actually is for us.

It is a good thing for the people.

I don't think whether Estonia is ruled by the Europeans or by itself makes any difference for us right now.

(03-04-2019 10:13 AM)Marc Mensa Wrote:  

(03-04-2019 08:43 AM)EverRespect Wrote:  Anything that damages the EU's quest to be a sovereign entity that controls its nations is a good thing.

...it certainly is for the Russians but I don't know how good it actually is for us.

(03-04-2019 10:33 AM)q5sys Wrote:  

(03-04-2019 10:13 AM)Marc Mensa Wrote:  

(03-04-2019 08:43 AM)EverRespect Wrote:  Anything that damages the EU's quest to be a sovereign entity that controls its nations is a good thing.

...it certainly is for the Russians but I don't know how good it actually is for us.

Regardless of the President’s possible obligations to him, a fragmented Eastern Europe with weakened trading and strategic ties to the west is better for Putin than it is for us.

Its a good thing for everyone but the EU. If you're concerned with Russia taking over Europe, why are you okay with the EU doing the same thing? I prefer a Europe of sovereign nations instead a Europe conquered by the EU or anyone else.

(03-04-2019 11:20 AM)Jugnaut Wrote:  Its a good thing for everyone but the EU. If you're concerned with Russia taking over Europe, why are you okay with the EU doing the same thing? I prefer a Europe of sovereign nations instead a Europe conquered by the EU or anyone else.

Europeans have a history of not playing nice with each other, but everything about the EU seems it would lead to war quicker than anything.

(03-04-2019 11:20 AM)Jugnaut Wrote:  Its a good thing for everyone but the EU. If you're concerned with Russia taking over Europe, why are you okay with the EU doing the same thing? I prefer a Europe of sovereign nations instead a Europe conquered by the EU or anyone else.

Perhaps because member nations in the EU are our closest strategic and economic allies, and the Russians have nuclear warheads pointed at American cities.

(03-04-2019 11:50 AM)Marc Mensa Wrote:  

(03-04-2019 11:20 AM)Jugnaut Wrote:  Its a good thing for everyone but the EU. If you're concerned with Russia taking over Europe, why are you okay with the EU doing the same thing? I prefer a Europe of sovereign nations instead a Europe conquered by the EU or anyone else.

Perhaps because member nations in the EU are our closest strategic and economic allies, and the Russians have nuclear warheads pointed at American cities.

Actually, they're not. But keep saying that if it makes you feel better.

(03-04-2019 08:22 PM)Owl 69/70/75 Wrote:  

(03-04-2019 11:50 AM)Marc Mensa Wrote:  

(03-04-2019 11:20 AM)Jugnaut Wrote:  Its a good thing for everyone but the EU. If you're concerned with Russia taking over Europe, why are you okay with the EU doing the same thing? I prefer a Europe of sovereign nations instead a Europe conquered by the EU or anyone else.

Perhaps because member nations in the EU are our closest strategic and economic allies, and the Russians have nuclear warheads pointed at American cities.

Actually, they're not. But keep saying that if it makes you feel better.

The EU is our largest trading partner and the NATO members nations that comprise it are bound to us, if we are attacked as we are if they are.

(03-04-2019 10:17 PM)Marc Mensa Wrote:  

(03-04-2019 08:22 PM)Owl 69/70/75 Wrote:  

(03-04-2019 11:50 AM)Marc Mensa Wrote:  

(03-04-2019 11:20 AM)Jugnaut Wrote:  Its a good thing for everyone but the EU. If you're concerned with Russia taking over Europe, why are you okay with the EU doing the same thing? I prefer a Europe of sovereign nations instead a Europe conquered by the EU or anyone else.

Perhaps because member nations in the EU are our closest strategic and economic allies, and the Russians have nuclear warheads pointed at American cities.

Actually, they're not. But keep saying that if it makes you feel better.

The EU is our largest trading partner and the NATO members nations that comprise it are bound to us, if we are attacked as we are if they are.

Except for the fact that outside of the Brits they can't get here to defend us, and in some cases like Germany it's academic because they have no assistance to send because they have skimped on defense for so long living off of the American taxpayer. If we are attacked we can depend on the UK and Australia and that's it.

(03-04-2019 10:17 PM)Marc Mensa Wrote:  

(03-04-2019 08:22 PM)Owl 69/70/75 Wrote:  

(03-04-2019 11:50 AM)Marc Mensa Wrote:  

(03-04-2019 11:20 AM)Jugnaut Wrote:  Its a good thing for everyone but the EU. If you're concerned with Russia taking over Europe, why are you okay with the EU doing the same thing? I prefer a Europe of sovereign nations instead a Europe conquered by the EU or anyone else.

Perhaps because member nations in the EU are our closest strategic and economic allies, and the Russians have nuclear warheads pointed at American cities.

Actually, they're not. But keep saying that if it makes you feel better.

The EU is our largest trading partner and the NATO members nations that comprise it are bound to us, if we are attacked as we are if they are.

Our largest trading partners are Mexico and Canada. And it's not like we do a lot of trading with anyone. International trade is a smaller part of our GDP than any other developed country, and almost any other country, period, with the exception of places like North Korea. And we spend and do a whole lot more defending Europe than they do defending us.

(03-04-2019 10:45 PM)Kaplony Wrote:  

(03-04-2019 10:17 PM)Marc Mensa Wrote:  

(03-04-2019 08:22 PM)Owl 69/70/75 Wrote:  

(03-04-2019 11:50 AM)Marc Mensa Wrote:  

(03-04-2019 11:20 AM)Jugnaut Wrote:  Its a good thing for everyone but the EU. If you're concerned with Russia taking over Europe, why are you okay with the EU doing the same thing? I prefer a Europe of sovereign nations instead a Europe conquered by the EU or anyone else.

Perhaps because member nations in the EU are our closest strategic and economic allies, and the Russians have nuclear warheads pointed at American cities.

Actually, they're not. But keep saying that if it makes you feel better.

The EU is our largest trading partner and the NATO members nations that comprise it are bound to us, if we are attacked as we are if they are.

Except for the fact that outside of the Brits they can't get here to defend us, and in some cases like Germany it's academic because they have no assistance to send because they have skimped on defense for so long living off of the American taxpayer. If we are attacked we can depend on the UK and Australia and that's it.

Canada will help us out, right?

Estonia has the highest population (ever?) that participated in its own independence. They formed human walls around radio stations to stop Russian tanks from rolling in on them and shutting them down. They joined the EU only reluctantly. They were the Chile of Europe in the 90's ... explosive economic growth fueled by free market reform. Then, just like Chile, they decided to play a bit more on the Marxist side of the fence.

(03-04-2019 11:50 AM)Marc Mensa Wrote:  Perhaps because member nations in the EU are our closest strategic and economic allies, and the Russians have nuclear warheads pointed at American cities.

Our closest strategic allies are Canada, the UK, Australia, New Zealand, and Poland. In that order.
Our closest economic allies are Mexico and Canada.

(03-04-2019 10:17 PM)Marc Mensa Wrote:  The EU is our largest trading partner and the NATO members nations that comprise it are bound to us, if we are attacked as we are if they are.

Our largest trading partner is NAFTA. We have the largest peaceful energy transfer in natural gas sales to Mexico in world history. The US has less than 10% of GDP involved in international trade. When you remove NAFTA it is more like 2-4% of GDP. The EuroZone isn't even a blip on the damn radar. The US could shut off all its ports tomorrow and not suffer a full on depression. No other country can say that. We're the least involved military power when it comes to participation in the global system of trade and commerce. Most Americans work for smaller companies. They don't trade internationally much if at all. When you think America playing ball in a global scale ... think of the Fortune 100. Coca-Cola. McDonalds. Exxon. IBM. Microsoft. Red Hat. Ford. GE. Boeing. Those people are hugely outnumbered by small and medium businesses.



If you're getting this EU #1 trading partner thing from an actual source, you should look for the statistical fine print. For example, the US Census data on trade doesn't includes FDI or Services. Kind of like how the government inflation figures don't include food and energy (e.g. - are at best deceitful).

I suppose we can pull data to support whatever argument we need it to support ... yet in terms of goods and services the EU is the largest at 1.2 trillion annually. I don’t think we can walk away from that and not be significantly impacted.

https://ustr.gov/countries-regions/europ...pean-union