Don't agree there with your analysis of why The EU [[originally The European Economic Community) was first set up StuBass. Its roots were in an agreement in the early/mid 1950s to set up a trading area for Iron/Steel/Coal with the very noble ideal that this would prevent squabbling which might lead to another war. Also I don't agree that places such as Greece and Spain are "un-productive" .. it is just that they are "different" to places such as Germany as they have huge cultural differences and because of the imposition of The Euro Currency they have become un-competitive. In the good old days they would have been able to de-value their currencies [[thus making themselves competitive again) and they would have remained happy and fully employed, although they would not have been so materially prosperous as Germany etc. As they now use The Euro they cannot do this.

As to the whole "immigration" thing ... as Europe recovered from WW2 there were shortages of labour, so the more prosperous countries started to recruit workers from abroad .. in The UK it was from Commonwealth countries such as India, Pakistan and Jamaica, in Holland it was from former Dutch Colonies such as Indonesia .. in Germany it was mainly from Turkey.

Unfortunately The EU is trying to make everyone in Europe "the same" by imposing common standards and regulations .. thus ignoring hundreds of years of cultural differences. Basically it doesn't work.

Totally agree with you about NATO .. although the "Eurofanatics" would have us believe that it is only the European Union "Project" that has kept the peace. Really you would need to live here to hear the nonsense that is spoken about this.

Anyway ... about to cook supper

Roger