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The EU will continue to get a free ride from this militarism

So true, a free ride to - hell.

and continue to dodge its responsibilities when it comes to dealing with failed states

As in the failed state of Irak, I suppose.
What exactly are Europe's or the US - or anyone's for that matter - duties towards failed states ?

by balbuz on Wed Mar 19th, 2008 at 03:53:06 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Actually I was think more of the failed states in Europe like the bits of the former Yugoslavia, Cyprus and many of the former Soviet republics.

The migration from North Africa which is causing consternation in places like Spain might also be better handled if meaningful aid was given to the places the migrants are coming from.

Isolationism has a tendency not to work as desired over the long run. A lesson both Europe and America fail to learn.

Policies not Politics
---- Daily Landscape

by rdf (robert.feinman@gmail.com) on Wed Mar 19th, 2008 at 06:26:30 PM EST
[ Parent ]
rdf:
The migration from North Africa which is causing consternation in places like Spain might also be better handled if meaningful aid was given to the places the migrants are coming from.
Spain has already negotiated with North-West African states and pledged development aid to try to stem the flow of economic migrants.

afrol News - Migration produces EU deal for Mali; Bissau next

The European Union (EU) has granted substantial extra aid to Mali to assure a faster social development of the country and thus halting its large illegal migration outflow. Mali has turned into the largest source of irregular migrant to Spain and Europe, mostly due to rampant poverty and lack of vision for the country's large youthful population. Meanwhile, Guinea-Bissau seems set to be the next to achieve a lucrative EU deal as migrants have started departing from that country.

...

Spanish diplomats, who have travelled frenetically over most of West Africa during the last year, have been able to secure EU assistance in signing migration control and development aid agreements with the main sources of irregular migrants. Especially Morocco, Mauritania and Senegal - the main countries of departure - have already signed agreements worth hundreds of millions of euros, in addition to receiving logistic aid in controlling borders.

...

Spanish and EU authorities have so far been rather successful in closing the main migration routes into Europe. Economic and diplomatic concessions to Morocco assured Rabat's harsh crack-down on Africans trying to use the country as a base to migrate to Spain. Libya and Tunisia are equally tough on those heading for Italy.

Whether these combined enforcement and development aid efforts will be sufficient or not is an open question, but in any case you might want to inform yourself before makign sweeping statements about what Europe has or hasn't done or has considered doing.

It'd be nice if the battle were only against the right wingers, not half of the left on top of that — François in Paris
by Carrie (migeru at eurotrib dot com) on Wed Mar 19th, 2008 at 06:56:56 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Well eurozone-member Cyprus is many things, but a failed state it ain't. The Northern part is still under Turkish military occupation, but efforts are ongoing for reunification.
The failed states in Yugoslavia, one could argue, were (at least partially) the result of US and EU idiocies, crimes and whatever else is part of the construction kit for spheres of influence.

And, in Greece that I know of, the majority of illegals nowadays crossing the Aegean are from Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan. In other words the recent upsurge in incoming illegal immigrants is in no small part due to the very energetic policies of the US in various parts of the world.

The road of excess leads to the palace of wisdom - William Blake

by talos (mihalis at gmail dot com) on Thu Mar 20th, 2008 at 09:21:43 AM EST
[ Parent ]

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