The Norwegians are free to choose EU policies they approve of and adopt them while the EU is still grinding its way through the process.
That's the perfect definition of selfishness: let's pick those policies of the group that are advantageous to us while sitting out those that would have a cost, or be inconvenient for us. Solidarity is not a one way street.
"Oh but we're rich, so we would pay all the time". "Oh but we're doing things a lot better, why should we lower ourselves to the paltry EU standards". Back again to our starting point. In the long run, we're all dead. John Maynard Keynes
When Norway first voted 'no' to the EU, we were certainly not rich, so that argument does not hold. There are fundamental issues behind Norway's choice to stay outside the EU, not least her principles and values.
It seems you have not taken in/listened to (or not understood?) much of what I have tried to explain - but you appear to construe dissent as an 'attack', and therefore you "counter-attack".
I have gained much detailed knowledge about the EU from ET discussions, and I feel I understand more. I find it strange that you do not seem to be interested in understanding the 'other side'.
The main problem I have with today's EU is the power-bloc mentality. I dread all talk about a common EU foreign policy and army. And, as for the need for the EU to exist to "compete" globally - what's wrong with global cooperation, and why is the EU essential for that?
The EU "leaders" are not people I would trust...and from what you write, I get the impression that you don't trust them either. The difference is maybe that you believe a future EU leadership is capable of becoming 'trustworthy' and 'egalitarian' - I see no chance of that. "Power corrupts"...and all that. You may call that being cynical, I call it being realistic.
There are fundamental issues behind Norway's choice to stay outside the EU, not least her principles and values.
The EU is not incompatible with countries' values and principles. On most issues, it sets minimum pan-European standards, but never prevents countries from going further.
And you certainly have more influence from the inside than from the outside if you want these values to be protected
The main problem I have with today's EU is the power-bloc mentality. I dread all talk about a common EU foreign policy and army.
And I would say that the main problem is the lack of a power-bloc mentality. All talk of building up the political legitimacy of the EU (the only way that values will ever be promoted, as opposed to narrow economic interests) is being killed off by eurosceptics, whose (bad faith, or completely opposed to the values you think you want to defend) arguments you seem to believe fully.
as for the need for the EU to exist to "compete" globally - what's wrong with global cooperation, and why is the EU essential for that?
The EU is the only global entity able to set standards of behavior (technical standards, social standards, as well as, for countries that might become members, democratic/political standards) that do not go to the lowest common denominator. That comes from its economic clout and its willingness to use that economic power in a united way. Norway, or France, or Germany, would never have been able to impose standards like those embedded in REACH (the chemicals products directive).
So yes, the EU is essential for global cooperation, as the main entity able to enforce some discipline and willing to show a good example on many topics.
The difference is maybe that you believe a future EU leadership is capable of becoming 'trustworthy' and 'egalitarian' - I see no chance of that.
The only way to get a better leadership is to make it more accountable.? and the only way to do that is, oddly enough, to give more political power to Brussels, so that the political debate - and the checks and balances - happens in the right place. A weakened, discredited (by national leaders) EU machinery is worse than a powerful one under the spotlight. But it needs to be powerful to be in the spotlight. In the long run, we're all dead. John Maynard Keynes
