[Comfortably Numb]

I have been reading through most of this thread (skipped 1or2 pages). As I see it, the EU has been aiming to drive up the living standards of the vast majority (ideally all) Europeans, partly because wars between European countries have all had an economic imbalance or interference component. In doing that, they legislate for common, HIGH standards from all producers, and that also includes humane conditions and welfare for animal production. While we may feel aggrieved that industries are being moved from the industrially advanced northern countries to the previously impoverished southern and eastern new members, we benefit from being able to chose from a huge range of products, made to high standards, at prices that we in the north, would struggle to match. It is only reasonable that to maintain these high quality standards, agreed between its members, of which we are one of the most important, the EU has to protect itself from cheap imports from outside the EU, which do not pay the costs for regulated quality or workers conditions. Given the option on the shelves of EU humanely produced chicken and good quality car parts, or cheaper US chlorinated chicken and cheap car parts of unregulated quality, too many of us will choose the cheaper option. Unlike some of the paranoid, EU Devil-haters who rant on here, I accept that the EU is an imperfect organisation, but not because it has some evil, unstated ulterior motive, but that it, like us, is human, and makes mistakes in its efforts to improve the lives and conditions of the vast majority of its citizens. Within any organisation, there are the usurpers, the lazy, the self-centred, and the crooks. But the majority that I hear appear to be well-meaning, hard working people, who are trying to produce a group of nations, running with smooth, borderless, trade synchronisation, to maximise their efficiency and competitiveness, while maintaining standards, in a dog-eat-dog world, controlled by multinationals backed by their respective governments. As one of the richest nations in the world, never mind the EU, we may expect to pay "more than our fair share" for some time into the future for the peace and prosperity we continue to enjoy, and for the administration that it takes to run it. The EU has invested heavily in run-down areas of our country that successive governments neglected. It is a sad irony that our current prime minister, Farage and others promoted the lie that the EU was responsible for this poverty. But Cameron was hardly about to claim it as his fault, through his "austerity for some" (so we can spend it in the south), or that if we had spent money on both immigration officers, and a computer system that worked, for them, we might have avoided a problem that has already wasted billions in lost investment, and preparation, but will continue to cost way more in lost profit on trade, and the unnecessary, costly administration of it, let alone the further social costs of low wages, unemployment, and a conservative government that has done nothing to resolve the resentment that caused this whole unhappy fiasco - the fundamental and increasing inequality between rich and poor. Even having only the 23rd highest per capita GDP in the world is no excuse, - people will only work harder if they can enjoy the fruits of their labour. We should be ashamed of the state of our poor, and our general social disintegration. Personally, I trust our European leaders far more than our own, of almost any complexion, to produce a peaceful and prosperous society over the whole of Europe. I don't expect much more than a tirade of abuse for daring to express my opinions but someone needs to bring some balance to the carefully selective, slanted, and often untrue assertions bandied about on this forum. On the future of cars? A final date for the purchase of new IC engined vehicles needs to be implemented soon, with, say, a 15 year period in which to switch completely to non-fossil fueled alternatives. And as I have said before, manufacturers should be designing their current IC models to be convertable with ease, to other, non- fossil fueled propulsion. Once we aren't using oil as fuel, the virgin plastic byproduct will become (hopefully) more expensive than the recycled variety, so we can stop that pollution as well. Where there's a will there's a way.