AMERICAN REACTS TO AN EXPLANATION OF THE EUROPEAN UNION!

[@Phaios95]

I have a friend from Guadeloupe (belongs to France). Once I asked her why they don‘t fight for their independence. Her answer: Why should we? We get the French citizenship and all the bonuses that comes with it and they let us do what we want.

[@kryyto6587]

For real

[@danielwhyatt3278]

Exactly

[@shymike]

No he didn't say the EU is an empire, he said the EU borders are difficult due to islands owned by member States

[@satakrionkryptomortis]

i'd not say difficult. its just easy empire stuff. just keep it.

[@tomitiustritus6672]

@@satakrionkryptomortis That translates to: Several members are former empries and a few of them still hold on to a few remnants of their empires. Not the EU is an empire, but several member states are.

[@SamFromItalia]

@@tomitiustritus6672 Welll... it is fairly imperial

[@justanothername5199]

@@SamFromItalia why don't you ask the inhabitants of those islands why they didn't demand independence?

[@SamFromItalia]

@@justanothername5199 why didn't the Greeks demand independence from the Romans? just because an empire can be beneficial doesn't mean that it's not an empire

[@NunoTuna]

Portuguese Madeira and Azores islands were unoccupied. These are territories that were really "discovered", unlike actual colonies which had people in them.

[@dianapita3056]

Cabo Verde was also unoccupied when the portuguese discover it...I really don't know why we didn't kept it but I imagine it has something to do with ultramar and the majority on the islands at that point. Althought I've heard that Cape Verde never participated in a war. Just speculating.

[@edipires15]

@@dianapita3056 Because after the Carnation revolution, the new government wanted to grant independence to the colonies so fast that they forgot to ask the population of Cabo Verde if they really wanted it (unlike in the other colonies, everybody in Cabo Verde had Portuguese citizenship and many people used it to emigrate to Europe and the US). Ironically enough, in the manifesto of the PAIGC, it was stated that they wanted independence for Guinea-Bissau and a self determination referendum for Cabo Verde. But since Portuguese government wanted to resolve the issue as quickly as possible, they gave everything that the PAIGC wanted, including independence for Cabo Verde.

[@dianapita3056]

@@edipires15 Wow, thanks! Such a big LOL...😂 We're funny in the weirdest way... Such a tuga thing 😅

[@dutchman7623]

@@edipires15 You lucky bastards! We want to get rid of the Dutch Antilles, but they do not want to get rid of us.

[@Jamiro_Van]

if you think that the EU has to give the overseas territories back well... then give Alaska back to Russia and give Hawai there independence and give texas back to Mexico?? I know this is an exaggeration but it is the same with the overseas territories those islands have sometimes been from the one European country in question for more than 100 years

[@lvididnothingwrong1958]

The azores have been portuguese since the 1460s and where unhinabited so they just settled 10 rocks on the atlantic (they didn't kill any native as there weren't any)

[@ratyjoona]

Fricking US is a country taken from natives and a country that plays world police and has military bases here and there. EU isn't similar kinda entity in general.

[@xgentis]

Give back Texas and the rest, look how much land the USA stole from them with their manifest of destiny.

[@mikelamatria3610]

And California and new Mexico to Mexico and half USA to Sioux and other native peoples.

[@donkey459]

Ngl I feel like all of those examples are anti America

[@Kamonohashiii]

I know you are learning what is outside your country. So it's normal not to know certain things. But my criticism is that on certain subjects, you affirm or suggest things that you don't know.

[@CoasterTopia]

Yeah especially about when it suddenly was all about slavery and independence i flinched haha

[@CoasterTopia]

If all those islands would want independence from France they would most likely easily get it, same with the Portugese and Spanish ones. There is a damn good reason those islands are still under control of a bigger nation in these modern times: it's easier for them to survive this way

[@srccde]

Also, if you visit some of these islands, you'll know where all that EU funding is going.

[@srccde]

​@@carlosferreira5114 I'm not talking about personal purposes, I'm talking about public investments.

[@Maxi_94]

Yeah, New Caledonia, one of Frances largest islands just voted against independence a couple years ago. It's not like these people can't decide themselves, they simply see a lot of benefits to it. Martinique is one of the richest regions in all of Africa for example.

[@xgentis]

@@Maxi_94 Except Martinique is in the Carrabean not Africa.

[@SirNobody9765]

And even if they wanted to "give the islands back" there is often no one to give them back to because they were uninhabited or the original people have long since assimilated and are indistinguishable from the newcomers.

[@alessandroverallo9707]

The islanders on Martinique and Guadalupe have had a shite ton of referendums to become independent and 91% of the pop voted to stay as a region or as the French call it a "department of France" so technically those Islands in the Caribbean are as French as Normandy or Paris.

[@peterfireflylund]

How did Russia get all that land? Well, how did the US get all that land? By conquest, of course. Russia is basically Western Russia + a huge Eastern inland empire full of native peoples with their own languages and customs and lots of Russian colonialists that they don't particularly like.

[@SirNobody9765]

Also helps that the majority of Russia has barely anyone living in it

[@gerardflynn3899]

The parts of Russia to the west of the Ural mountains are on the European continent. The rest of Russia to the east of the Ural mountains are on the Asian continent.

[@Čangrizavi_Cinik]

Its easy to claim the land which is empty. Asian Russia is almost all empty.

[@Luredreier]

@@SirNobody9765 Or hurts, depending on how you look at it... If there where more locals then perhaps they'd be able to resist back in the day...

[@antonm1834]

A very small minority of non-Russians in Russia want independence friend, many non-Russian languages and cultures still thrive, they just learn Russian as well and are protected by the state. (Pre-War)

[@MazzaEliLi7406]

The commentator did not say that the EU was an Empire. Some EU member nations have an Empire, for instance France, which has islands all over the globe. These far flung citizens of the empire are fully French citizens & speak French as a 1st or 2nd language as do the mainland citizens.

[@biondakersemakers4016]

The same goes for The Netherlands we also have overseas Islands like Sint Maarten/St. Martin. In this case we are even neighbours 😄

[@straighttalking2090]

France is not an Empire. It doesn't have an Emperor.

[@emperorpaws8447]

As a portuguese i feel i have the need to let u know that when we found Madeira island and the azores arquipelago, they were devoid of any civilization, no One lived there, 😂 so give it back to who?

[@Alainke]

To the sheep

[@valo2872]

06:11 I thought you knew by now... Sweden and Swedes are NOT the same as Switzerland and Swiss.

[@FavourInternational]

I probably just misspoke, no need to cry about it

[@crazyzebra6400]

@@FavourInternational Oh yes there is. Imagine we call you canadian...

[@randomdude4207]

As a swiss I literally shouted out loud. Swiss and swede isn't even close to the same thing.

[@AnaryaVhargon]

@@crazyzebra6400 or Mexican ...

[@alcidesforever]

@@FavourInternational aaah nice, some US arrogance.

[@veronicajensen7690]

we are NOT citizens of other countries in EU just because of "EU citizenship" it does however makes it easier to work in another country but to get citizenship in that country will take years

[@TheKennyboy92]

Yeah he could have explained that a bit better in the video.

[@maxzoch9705]

But you also don’t need the citizenship of any other EU country except of course if you want to vote there (which we should change)

[@bessonnet]

Most of France 's ex-"colonies" islands don't want to be independant. They would find very hard to live without all national help.

[@borislabfrances7226]

Sweden-Swedish, Switzerland-Swiss There's a slight difference!

[@hannofranz7973]

"i'm from Liechtenstein. No-one has ever said that". Imagine you are from Liechtenstein and someone else denies your sheer existence for this fact!

[@PDVism]

Being from a smallish country myself (Belgium) I can feel your pain. You may be small but you do count. :)

[@artistbervucci1716]

@@PDVism I mean, you have even smaller neighbour (Luxembourg), so that's not really comparable (coming from a person, in relatively the same sized country like yours - Slovakia)

[@simonlitten]

The EU is not a military alliance, so no attack on one is an attack on all. However, most members of the EU are members of NATO (which also includes the USA and Canada), which is a military alliance.

[@Kamonohashiii]

The EU has a defense treaty (Article 42.7) like NATO

[@simonlitten]

@@Kamonohashiii I'll take your word for it as I don't live anywhere near the EU.

[@danielw.2442]

@@simonlitten Yup, it's true. Article 42.7 is the mutual defence clause of the Treaty of the European Union.

[@BourrinSavant]

And the topic of forming a European army is still in discussion

[@paul1979uk2000]

@@simonlitten It's true and it acts very closes to the treaty that NATO has got, truth is, with how integrated EU countries are, a lot more so than NATO countries are, they likely would have to come to the aid of others out of self-interest, as an attack on one would actually harm the interest of the others, and just like NATO, it's highly unlikely an outside country would attack an EU country.

[@HSF-hb4mc]

The UK is not in the EU anymore

[@kevingrant7098]

☹️

[@emiliajojo5703]

Funny,you really think they ever were.don't think so.

[@pabloagusti5104]

It is a video from 2009, I think.

[@alcidesforever]

@@kevingrant7098 Yeah, its rough, but keep your chin up, we'll meet again, someday. Don't worry. (It may take some time, though)

[@Upcastpanther]

12:22 The Canaries have been owned by Spain since the 15th century, I don’t think they’re giving it back lol.

[@ashleytrew3508]

The Canaries are 100% Spanish. They were not stolen from Africa.

[@MrAdventure750]

And tbh, as a Canarian myself, I prefer being Spanish. If we became independent, we would probably be absorbed by another country.

[@sofiaortega4199]

And to whom?

[@jameshart6196]

The EU isn’t an empire - there was no conquering involved from anyone . A group of countries sat down at a table to agree some rules kinda thing . Also Portugal and Spain claimed unoccupied islands - again - no conquering happened . Like the video though - and dw the EU can be a complicated thing to fully understand

[@dyawr]

10:30 _"Wait, who's that? Who is he shadding?"_ 😂 That's Greece. Which almost went banckrupt a few years back - but being in the EURO did help them cope, actually... otherwise things would've gone down harder.

[@monacophotographyevents2384]

Absolutely, and the same with Italy as well. The ECB supported the Italians to the tune of Billions of Euros.

[@dyawr]

@@monacophotographyevents2384 That's cool! Wish Romania will join soon, but it will still take 6-7 years probably..

[@gerardflynn3899]

@@monacophotographyevents2384 There is no 'S' in Euro. Both singular and plural it is called Euro.

[@fb55255]

@@monacophotographyevents2384 no Italy was not saved by the euro as it was one of the founders and because the country never went bankrupt. Greece instead cheated their way into the eurozone by faking their economic values and once in they had to be saved. Ofc I'm not saying Italy doesn't get benefits from the euro but they get the same everyone else gets.

[@askallois]

@@monacophotographyevents2384 The ECB bought a share of Italian BTPs to prevent the greedy sharks of international finance from speculating on the misfortunes of others, and of course Italy bought back at maturity

[@markusolofzon]

5 miles don’t even get me to the train station in the suburb of Stockholm I live in. Europe is a lot bigger than it looks. Sweden alone is the size of California in landmass.

[@pastvz2781]

Yeah but less than two hours in Belgium get you to the netherlands, germany, luxembourg, france, etc. Obviously it’s not the same in the furthermost parts of the bigger countries.

[@praapje]

@@kikiv1993 The trick is to travel towards the border.

[@edipires15]

In five miles I’m either in Belgium or in France (I live in Luxembourg near the border) 😅

[@internalpolitics461]

A bit odd having such a brutal opinion to the island that most if those countries have owned for centuries when America took all the natives lands, bit hypocritical

[@FavourInternational]

I literally point that out in every video but theres no denying Britain pioneered imperialism.

[@Mr-Cane]

@@FavourInternational Sins of the Parents? 😅

[@bentels5340]

​@@FavourInternational Actually that was probably the Assyrian empire (about 2025 bCE - 609 bCE). Maybe the Marhasi, but I know nothing about them.

[@koomaj]

This was an old video. The UK is no longer in the EU. And people from Switzerland are not called Swedish, they are called Swiss. Swedish are the people of Sweden.

[@zuzkam2468]

If you are in a foreign country and you need embassy assistance on some issue and can’t find your country’s embassy anywhere, you can go to any embassy that is in the EU if you are EU citizen. So for example, you are German and need help from embassy, you can go to Czech embassy and they have to treat you as their own. Pretty cool I would say.

[@flummi6966]

didnt knew that

[@justarandomgothamite5466]

Me, eu EUropean: Huh. How interesting.

[@Luredreier]

6:16 Swedish people have nothing to do with Switzerland. Swedish people are from Sweden. Swizz people are from Switzerland.

[@saetemusic]

The part of Greece where women are banned are a series of monasteries called Mount Athos. They are allowed to ban them for religious reasons

[@EliasBac]

The EU is just some kind of United States of Europe but not as United as the United States. Simply because the states of Europe are culturally way more diverse/different from each other than the USA.

[@paul1979uk2000]

It's like a hybrid United States of Europe, you have a lot of central laws, rules and regulations, you have a lot of rules and laws at a country level, it's not that different from the US with federal laws and states laws, the major difference is in key areas like taxes, military, foreign policy that is still done at a country level but that is likely going to change in the future if EU countries want to compete better on the world stage. So it's not a carbon copy of the US but there are a lot of overlaps that's work like the US, but in truth, the EU is its own thing, even us Europeans are still trying to figure out what kind of form we want the EU to be but I think because of outside pressures, more integration will happen.

[@RaduRadonys]

@@paul1979uk2000 And then there's the language, which is just one in the US and 40 in Europe.

[@dutchman7623]

@@RaduRadonys The US do not have an official language. Many texts in the south-west are in Spanish and in the middle south in something French like...

[@antonm1834]

It's a homogenised union between countries, quite dissimilar to the US in that we are all different countries.

[@nicofraga3052]

If you tell a Canarian from the Canary Islands of Spain to be independent from spain he probably be surprise cause they want to be spanish. From a spanish person.

[@martinvalentine9228]

Spain says that about Catalonia too though and you have to be a moron to believe that.

[@Lostouille]

Same thing from our French islands.

[@randomdude4207]

same thing with all overseas territorries. the reason why they still belong to the countries they're owned is because they're populated by the those people.

[@bfedezl2018]

The canary Islands are probably one of the most patriotic regions of Spain. Why would we give them back? To whom? They have been rightfully Spanish from the moment they got conquered. They feel Spanish, they are fully integrated into the structure of the country, they are Spain

[@victorcapel2755]

My last trip to Las Palmas gave me another impression. Lot's of graffiti in the vein of "We're Canrians, not Spanish" and a somewhat large presence of Military Police all over the place didn't scream "patriot" to me. But it was maybe 15 years ago, things might have changed.

[@emi5788]

You can give them Back to germany 😂😂 pls Dont

[@AntonioR05]

4:50 Liechtenstein is a small mini country,the richest in Europe, i.e. it has the largest GDP-per capital

[@dyawr]

per capita*

[@monacophotographyevents2384]

@@dyawr I think Monaco is just after Lichtenstein for GDP. Of course, Lichtenstein is considerably larger than Monaco, which is the second smallest state after the Vatican.

[@dyawr]

@@monacophotographyevents2384 Yep, or at least it was in 2020. The IMF didn't report in the last 2 years for some reason 🤔 Monaco is super rich!

[@gonzo2495]

You mean Luxembourg, they have the biggest GDP pc

[@paul1979uk2000]

I wouldn't say the EU is an empire and if it was, it's more of one of cooperation, peace and free will, by working together for the betterment of all in the union and even with the EU expanding, it's not a conquest or anything like that, it's cooperation, with benefits on both sides. As for the EU it's self, some people have mixed views on it but I think it's a great project, even thought it does have its flaws, it started out with the aim of preventing war after the second world war by sharing resources together, it was called the Coal and steel Community, after that, it became a political and economic union with the EEC and basically went further with more integration into what we have now with the EU. As for the purpose of the EU, it started out as a peace project to prevent war, something that today seems unthinkable that war would ever break out among EU members as it would do as much damage to the ones starting the war, now it's mostly a project to improve European standards of livings, protect and expand European political, economic and social interest and to compete better with other world powers like the US and China, something that without the EU, the countries in the EU would look quite weak on the world stage and would find it much harder to protect their interest, something the UK is starting to see the early signs of that since they left the EU.

[@MazzaEliLi7406]

On the latter point - sad but true. Cheers.

[@jarls5890]

11:19 - Mecca and Medina. Where you cannot enter unless you are Muslim. Also - the Vatican is not only a city - it is its own country.

[@francisconnellan350]

The UK is not in the EU. not everyone in Europe has free health care.

[@AntonioR05]

6:20 They did pick a side in Russia-Ukraine war 2022 And they imposed sanctions on Russia

[@praapje]

Real genius move, now Russia is sanctioning the gas to Europe.

[@janabananaaaaa]

@@praapje nobody cares about ruzzian gas lol

[@praapje]

@@janabananaaaaa Everybody cares about rising gas prices.

[@Agherosh]

@@janabananaaaaa Except all of Europe.

[@gonzo2495]

@@praapje its not the sanctions that gas prices are rising. btw. they are not rising anymore in the meantime.

[@i.ak.1684]

"You drive five miles, you're looking at the eiffel tower" hahahhaahha

[@Denis-Maldonado]

Those portuguese and spaniard islands were never inhabited, there is no-one to give the islands back; those were just discover by europeans. I don't know about the dutch, french and british ones.

[@Denis-Maldonado]

Btw im from south america, not europe; just know about those particular islands.

[@bigenglishmonkey]

that last bit wasn't a brag it was more an example of why they might stay rather than go independent if its an option

[@carolinekofahl8867]

You seem to forget that we speak a lot of different languages in Europe 😊

[@jamesswindley9599]

Russia is so big, because most of the land is literally uninhabitable 🤭😂 most Russians live close to Europe.

[@GdzieJestNemo]

you mean in Europe, not close to it

[@jamesswindley9599]

@@GdzieJestNemo to the side closest to Europe 🤭

[@GdzieJestNemo]

@@jamesswindley9599 simply said most Russians live in Europe : )

[@dyawr]

@@jamesswindley9599 What Dzdie means, I think, is that 23% of Russian territory *is* on the European continent. So that's where 80% of its people live - technically in Europe. 🙂👍

[@monacophotographyevents2384]

@@dyawr I suppose it depends if one looks at Russia politically or geographically.

[@AntonioR05]

1:56 that country is Switzerland and they are not part of EU or Nato because they are neutral ,since forever in the times of WWI,WWII..

[@PDVism]

Being neutral doesn't mean a thing if other countries don't agree to it. E.G.: Belgium was neutral in WW1 and still got dragged into the war. Belgium and the Netherlands were neutral in WW2 and got dragged into the war. In both cases the Germans just ignored neutrality. If Germany had wanted, they could have invaded and conquered Switzerland as well, there just was no need for Germany to do so because it would cost them standing in Switzerland as well as cause economic harm. Compared that for instance to Belgium and the Netherlands which clearly had strategic advantages such as ports.

[@lazyeyejohn]

You don't need a passport to visit Ireland from Europe you just need some form of identification. I recently drove from ireland to poland without any border checks. )

[@siloPIRATE]

7:35 you can even continue a police chase across borders. The police that started the chase will just continue driving and call in reinforcements from the country they entered

[@GdzieJestNemo]

Goals about joinging eurozone are not about being rich, but about stable economy and controlled debt/spending. Also the graph ilustraining which countries are in eurozone is incorrect eg. Poland is not in eurozone, while Lithuania and Latvia are. Croatia joined eurozone just few days ago

[@GdzieJestNemo]

@@Sikt map yes, but not the diagram showing EU/euro/shengen/eea overlaps

[@dyawr]

I think Croatia is gonna effectively join on the 1st Jan 2023, no? 🤔

[@GdzieJestNemo]

@@dyawr correct

[@alcidesforever]

@@GdzieJestNemo I am happy for them but I am glad I (Netherlands) don't have to go through that procedure of: 'It says € 5,95 on the price tag, but how much is that in my own money?' calculating shi...... again. The horror....

[@joannasimmonds3706]

Vatican City is an independent state in it's own right. Britain didn't join the eurozone because the economic cycles were not aligned and then disastrously left the EU altogether.

[@gindrinkersline3285]

10:05 Denmark uses Danish crowns (DKK), Sweden uses Swedish crowns (SEK), & Vatican City which isn't even an EU member uses Euros.

[@MazzaEliLi7406]

Swiss not Swedish!

[@simonebosticardo964]

swedish are the people of sweden not switzerland😭

[@arathperez7528]

They would be Swiss

[@simonebosticardo964]

@@arathperez7528 no way! you're so smart

[@josumds1896]

1:22 The short explanation is because that land was almost empty so they just kept going until they found sea or other civilization. The shorter and most accurate explanation is imperialism

[@puclopuclik4108]

Those dependent islands can have referendum on independence. For most of them it's not worth to be independent. They are small islands with little opportunities except the tourism. The only thing they would achieve is loosing the citizenship and all privileged content to it. For example those Caribbean islanders can travel to US as tourist without visa since EU and USA has visa free agreement for touriststs for upto 90 days.

[@sp9459]

Actually I’m more proud of being a European citizen than being German citizen 😅🇪🇺

[@masterjunky863]

Greetings from Milan brother, I hope we will become a federation 🇪🇺

[@ForgedInFire6469]

Me too! I am proud to be an European! 🇩🇪🇪🇺🇪🇺🇪🇺🇪🇺

[@dyawr]

Me too.. 🙂🇷🇴🇪🇺

[@pabloagusti5104]

Spanish here, same feeling 🇪🇺

[@johnpaulmcdonnell6562]

Mecca is a religious city. Those French and Spanish islands are populated by French an spanish

[@rogermagnusson115]

You mixed up sweden with Schweiz.. Sweden is a EU member and aply for nato.

[@nicoladc89]

Citizens of countries in EU aren't citizens of all countries in EU. An Italian isn't a German citizen. The citizens of countries in the EU are EU citizens (is different)

[@MazzaEliLi7406]

Yup.

[@aphextwin5712]

I know a couple of people from Liechtenstein, some of them really have run into problems travelling outside of Europe because custom/border control agents looked at their passports and said it must be fake because they never heard of a country named Liechtenstein.

[@MazzaEliLi7406]

The Vatican is a 'city state' within Rome. The Holy See. Wikipedia has a page which also includes information (very brief) about the unification of Italy.

[@MikeGill87]

Yeah, one of many funny (sad) moments in the video. "Can you think of any other religion having a city?" I was like: Wow. For one, Vatican is a palace with museum, a church and a big garden, not a city. On the other hand, how is it possible to think about it for five seconds and not come up with Mekka (an actual city)? The difference is in Vatican, a Muslim can visit while in Mekka, presence of non-Muslims can still be punished by death.

[@gerardflynn3899]

The only thing is The UK is no longer a member of the EU

[@austinclark6451]

sorry but I'm pretty sure those islands owned by france spain and the uk have held referendums on their independence and have decided to remain, you can't force people to be independent if they don't want it lmao

[@ratyjoona]

13:50 Well, what about Hawaii? Also not near...occupied by the US

[@PDVism]

even better... Puerto Rico or what about Guam not to mention all those other islands across the pacific.

[@ya_dad_sellsavon8718]

In all the left over colonies that are now territories of nations such as UK France Netherlands Spain Portugal, the people there want to be citizens of that nation and therefore don't want independence they have that right to choose to stay or go. Although new Caledonian In the Pacific which France owns does does have an independence movement and did have a vote on it. Tho I do not remember the outcome

[@crispyduck5192]

I find it interesting how you can say so many things at the same time without knowing anything about the topics

[@snurfli5605]

If Insulin on the us side of the border cost 300 Dollar but on the Canada side only 20 Dollar, you really need a hard controlled border. Hahaha

[@biondakersemakers4016]

The European Union is absolutely not like NATO, actually more like the United States only in Europe its countries and not states.

[@nari5025]

Where is your multi country citizenship? You think of the United States as one country, which are by name an agglomeration of seperate states in one union. Whereas most of europe thinks of the EU as 27 seperate countries, which are just the same as states in a union. The governing laws are not that different (albeit they are), Union overrides state law, you can't be too drastically out of line, and everybody is free to roam around. We have a parliament, a council, even a President. But we pretend they don't do shit, so we can be our own nations still.

[@arathperez7528]

That country in the middle is Switzerland which is known to be neutral and why it is not in the EU. Some of the other countries haven’t met criteria to join but might join in the the future.

[@josefvonbrunn6607]

Neutral = I don't care about the others and they can die as long as I'm doing well...

[@rashomon351]

6:13 - yeah I alway wondered myself why swedish people want to stay out of anything related to Switzerland. On the other hand, I don't think the swiss people would take it kindly for Sweden to mess up their affairs.

[@magnustool]

In 1995 I was with my relatives in Ontario, Canada. They live less than 10 miles from Niagara Falls. When we wanted to go to New York, the customs officer asked where we came from. My cousin replies that he is Canadian and I am an EU citizen. The nice gentleman obviously didn't understand that 🤨. Only when I told him that I came from "Good old Germany" did he wave us through. 😱🤣🤣🤣

[@flitsertheo]

It is well known that USA citizens are geographically challenged.

[@MichaelJohnson-vi6eh]

It does make sense to be a little selective when admitting new members. As we found out, Greece had a really generous retirement system and a government that loved to borrow lots of money and spend it as soon as they got it, in very bad shape. Rich countries like Germany and the UK did not want to bail Greece out. (Just like California does for Alabama all the time)

[@ThePixel1983]

Calling the people of Switzerland "Swedish"... 🤭 I guess they're used to it. 😉 (not criticizing, just funny)

[@pedroviana8687]

The Portuguese islands were complitly desert when war discovers by Portuguese navigators in 1400

[@Bajro97]

My favourite know-nothing-at-all KZbinr :) Every one of your deductions is incorrect. You have a talent, girl.

[@bilbohob7179]

You're right...

[@benni8057]

Thats what makes her so likable in a way

[@decim161]

I'm sure you're the smartest person on earth, buddy

[@nik-roshansirak3398]

It sometimes really hurts. :D

[@ShoreVietam]

"free vacations" would be bad, we got vacations. :D

[@Fabian-Wenzel]

Frontex is the European Border and Coast Guard Agency, this agency protects the EU external borders.

[@raffaelae1020]

Vatican City is a state. It's its own country. Just like Monaco, San Marino and Andorra. All micro states .

[@AndDiracisHisProphet]

13:29 yeah those island totally want independence from france. totally.

[@dyawr]

11:20 😄😄 I think the city of Mecca in Saudi Arabia is another one. Up until recently, non-Muslims couldn't even *enter* it... by law. Nowadays I think things relaxed a little on that, but I'm not sure. 🤔 So they go extra-extra! 🤚😂

[@melchiorvonsternberg844]

Thanks, to mentioned it...

[@dyawr]

15:55 It's not actually imperialism, but more like a *federation* of states. Who will probably turn into the USE someday...

[@bentels5340]

Confederacy. We're more or less a confederacy, but we don't claim to be a country.

[@LiIBabs]

Christians have the vatican and muslims have Mecca

[@joker35871]

Non muslims aren't even allowed in Mekka so i would say Islam has a city too

[@jennycraig4613]

Lichtenstein is actually the richest country in the world if its gdp per capita

[@joaoantunes2917]

Nop, is monaco.

[@jennycraig4613]

Look it up.

[@UltraCasualPenguin]

Why? Some countries want to stay out. Some other countries haven't met strict requirements tp join. You can't drive 5 mails to get Ugandala (whereever the hell that is). Btw, it's not Litchtenstein.

[@williamdesler9894]

early this year me and my friend moved from Denmark to Greece without really doing anything with paperwork

[@fiachramacaodha1260]

The economic goals required for joining the Euro are about economic stability and levels of corruption etc., plenty of poor countries have joined the EU and Euro.

[@goran77ish]

How old is that video? UK left EU.

[@shanmoon537]

i think 2009?

[@Lars_erik]

There’s no reason to ‘give it back’ if the people that are living there don’t want to become independent. And that’s usually the case these days.

[@remboldt03]

3:25 Your multi-country citizenship is the USA. Travelling between US-States is technically quite similar to travelling between EU-States.

[@jensschroder8214]

1:53 Switzerland, is not one of them but has strong agreements with the EU. The same applies to Norway and Lichtenstein. Many small colonies today benefit from receiving money from mainland Europe and have partial autonomy. To be in charge on the small island and to call the big boss with every big problem.

[@conan2735]

just like Vatican City is a holy city for Catholic Christians. there is also Mecca for Muslims. And the Jews have Hebron (besides Jerusalem) Jerusalem is the holiest place for Christians and Jews and third holiest for Muslims.

[@gerginborisov]

It's not "having enough money to get it" - it's having lowe debt:GDP ratio and a healthy economy.

[@antonymash9586]

That hole in the center of europe is switzeland. They are nuetral and pretty much dont join anything. They mananged to stay out of both world wars even as the continent went up in smoke around them. People leave them alone because its all mountains and men with guns, (like every adult gets issued an assault rifle). The countries around the baltic not in europe are most of the former Yougoslavia. This country was born after the first world war, it went comunist after the second and colapsed into a bloodly mess in the 90's. Croatia has joined the EU out of that but various issues have held the rest ot since. The EU was a trading partnership designed to provent war by making the contries economies depend on eachother. It is slowly in fits and starts becoming a European superstate, The United States of Europe or Rome 3.0 if you will. This idea is controvercial and why some want out, why the UK got out. Islam has Mecca for cities. Well worth a look as their pilgramage is insane feet of logistics.

[@dyawr]

_"The countries around _*_the Baltic_*_ not in Europe, are most of the former Yugoslavia."_ Bro, that's the *Adriatic* - the Baltic sea is up North, next to Estonia, Latvia & Lithuania. 🤭

[@dyawr]

_"becoming a European supercaste."_ 🙄 lol. It's becoming a *federation of states.* And that's not why UK left.

[@danobanano2505]

12:30 did you just say give that back? While the land in America was stolen?

[@enchantnix]

The Canary Islands are Spanish, wdym give them back???

[@dyawr]

3:00 Yep, that one is a *very* good advantage for the ppl. Being a EU citizen..

[@ZachSawyer2077]

If you are a "poor" country you can get in the EU, you just don't have to be in huge deficit with your finance, these are two different things

[@rioneh4831]

Those overseas territories are not colonies, they are internal parts of the country, we are not own. I tell you as an inhabitant of those same islands. If there was one, the modern empire would be the USA

[@alwynemcintyre2184]

Russia has always been huge, where did you think you got Alaska from. Yep you got Alaska from Russia.

[@DavidSmith-cx8dg]

Wow you picked a subject that could take several lifetimes to explain . We ( the Uk) have left the EU and have spent the last four years arguing about it so complex and divided are the views and issues involved . So that video must be quite old . In general terms of started off as the Common market - a borderless trading bloc and has grown and become more politically and economically orientated over the years . There are numerous benefits from being a member but it does bind member nations governments to EU laws and regulations , financial accountability was also one of the reasons advanced by the leave campaign .

[@diablo.the.cheater]

Technically it doesm't bind a member nation to the laws and regulations, because those laws and regulations have to be unanumusly agreed by all and then codified in their own laws, so the EU can't decide a thing and force countries to accept it, it is the opposite, all the member countries agree to do something together and when they find something that they can all agree, they codify it as an EU law. So basically all EU laws are laws that where accepted by all members. This is because the EU is at the end of the day, a diplomatic body not a government body. OFC the EU is also a mess of a lot of vested interests in each other, that is what keep the EU united after all, so a country may agree to something they may not like in exchange for other countries to agree to something they do not like but this country really wants. But that is just how international treaties work, the EU just creates a framework to create them more easy, fast, and withing a shared framework. It is diplomatic oil.

[@lukedalton]

and better remember that the politically and economically closer integration has been planned by day one (in the 50's) and put on great evidence in the founding papers, in almost every speech and in the objectives of the then EEC (the common market) and the others sisters organizations that were later merged. Sorry but one of the reason advanced by the leave campaign was how sudden and shocking this developement has been, while from an external pow it was more like: ignoring the enormous clasue written in gigantic mode and with very brilliant ink and also referred many many many many times

[@MazzaEliLi7406]

@@diablo.the.cheater Cheers, I enjoyed that explanation.

[@youssefrachach2220]

The pound came in existence few 100 years ago and the euros have only been existent for the last 30 year

[@PDVism]

And the Euro is the second most important reserve currency in the world (20%), after the USD(60%), while the British pound is in fourth position (5%). Your point being ?

[@emiliajojo5703]

The money paid to EU goes back to poorer parts of EU.

[@edipires15]

It also goes to projects funded by the EU in the richer countries

[@emiliajojo5703]

@@edipires15 richer countries have poor regions,too. always room for improvement, but no sense for solidarity is just awful.I'm glad UK left,always held the european project back.

[@MazzaEliLi7406]

@@edipires15 The poorer parts of the UK & specific UK charities benefited from EU resources when it was a member. The C & U Party promised to match that but failed to keep that or any other promise after Brexit.

[@edipires15]

@@MazzaEliLi7406 like the “let’s fund the NHS with the £50 million/week we send to the EU”

[@MazzaEliLi7406]

@@edipires15 Cheers! Sigh.

[@Akkarri]

9:53 not really "if you are poor you are not getting in". Actually quite a lot of countries DO fulfill those requirements for several years but don't want to get euro. When there was a big economic crisis and euro got hit by it, the countries with their own money had it much easier to control situation in their country. Plus changing your currency is terribly difficult and costly so many countries avoid doing it

[@genrabbit9995]

About the question related to Vatican, you have Mecca. Also he didn't say EU was an empire.

[@arathperez7528]

Vatican City is not only a city it is a country.

[@MazzaEliLi7406]

Has its own passport I believe - correct me if I am out of date.