[pennaMan]

The EU maybe is functional maybe not, but one thing is for sure: The Kremlin anti-western propaganda machine is obviously highly functional. More and more people are blaming their countries poverty on the EU while being oblivious to the actual scope of the EU jurisdiction, to the detriment of both their home country and the EU. Without the EU the poor countries would be way, way worse off.

[coldtea]

Yeah, those silly people, blaming an EU that enforces a monetary policy for the benefit of Germany, imposes pro-corporate and anti-labour laws and agreements (Maastricht, Lisbon treaty, etc), and is ruled by backroom deals and "might is right", for their countries ills...

Obviously they were victims of the "Kremlin anti-western propaganda"...

[thesaint]

Like Greece?

[ben_w]

Yes, like Greece, who the EU helped by getting their creditors to back off and give up some of their claims.

[DyslexicAtheist]

after 2008 the EU had a gun to their had and were made to sign loans that they could never ever repay. they were lent that money because private citizens mostly owned their homes.

Yanis Varoufakis gives good insight into what happened. e.g. "The Euro Has Never Been More Problematic" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rhSg9X3q2gc

Germany should not and can not be made responsible for bailing these countries out: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QtrrN2uWUl8

[ben_w]

I am unlcear what point you are making. Are you saying the other EU member states should have let one of their own fail?

[thesaint]

Is that what you believe? The EU bankrupted Greece then asset stripped them..

[ben_w]

Asset stripping is generally what happens to those who are in default on their debts. The EU reduced that asset stripping from what the creditors could’ve demanded — but did not eliminate it entirely.