A Spring Book

Can I suggest a book for everyone to read, it's 'The European Dream' by Jeremy Rifkin. He's an American author so its an outsiders view of the EU present and future. Its a wonderful book and I think it would be great way to get us all talking about the future of the EU without mentioning Ganley and Co. I couldn't find a free version on the net but heres a link to a summary.

www.itssd.org/Issues/EuropeanDream.pdf

and heres a link if you are buying:

Swww.amazon.com/European-Dream-Jeremy-Rifkin/dp/1585423459

Art wrote:

Can I suggest a book for everyone to read, it's 'The European Dream' by Jeremy Rifkin. He's an American author so its an outsiders view of the EU present and future. Its a wonderful book and I think it would be great way to get us all talking about the future of the EU without mentioning Ganley and Co. I couldn't find a free version on the net but heres a link to a summary.

www.itssd.org/Issues/EuropeanDream.pdf

and heres a link if you are buying:

Swww.amazon.com/European-Dream-Jeremy-Rifkin/dp/1585423459

Ganley never read that book, had nothing to do with its publication and any mention of a relationship between Ganley and Hugo Boss is an outrage!

Thanks Art - someone had a good "anti" read last year. With the European Elections coming up I wouldn't mind - in the interests of balance - reading both.

cactus flower wrote:

Thanks Art - someone had a good "anti" read last year. With the European Elections coming up I wouldn't mind - in the interests of balance - reading both.

At the same time, through separate eyes like? You’re some woman, so you are.

Jeremy Rifkin - former Reagan Administration economist who wrote the book 'Entropy' among others on the environment, resources, over use of resources and saving the world with hydrogen gas?

Sort of New Age stuff ? Be interesting to see the likes of him writing about the EU

Auditor #9 wrote:

Jeremy Rifkin - former Reagan Administration economist who wrote the book 'Entropy' among others on the environment, resources, over use of resources and saving the world with hydrogen gas?

Sort of New Age stuff ? Be interesting to see the likes of him writing about the EU

I had a look at the summary, and he seems to be a US europhile ???

cactus flower wrote:

Thanks Art - someone had a good "anti" read last year. With the European Elections coming up I wouldn't mind - in the interests of balance - reading both.

I'm not sure that we need balance in this case. I think the book has balance in that he points out things that are wrong with the EU at the moment but he feels these are teething pains that will be resolved over time. He compares the EU now to the US in the beginning i.e. there were lots of difficulties (I hope we avoid the civil war ). I suppose rather that being a pro-European he is confident of the future for the EU.

He feels that because the EU is a modern organisation based on partnership it is better suited to the 21st Century, whereas the US system is old now and needs updating to continue to succeed. He also points out that in this anglophone world a lot of achievements of the EU are not known (especially to an American audience, but I think this applies to the Irish to a smaller extent) whereas the achievements of the US are exaggerated.

cactus flower wrote:

Auditor #9 wrote:

Jeremy Rifkin - former Reagan Administration economist who wrote the book 'Entropy' among others on the environment, resources, over use of resources and saving the world with hydrogen gas?

Sort of New Age stuff ? Be interesting to see the likes of him writing about the EU

I had a look at the summary, and he seems to be a US europhile ???

How do you mean a US europhile?

Because he's American, and he admires what he sees as the European cultural model more than the US's.

This one may help you find a spring.

cactus flower wrote:

Because he's American, and he admires what he sees as the European cultural model more than the US's.

True, one of the few it seems. The opposite are what we usually here from, under Bush it became fashionable to bash Europe in the US. This may change now with the new president. Considering the EU and China underwrote their huge budget deficit for the last 30 years, and continue to do so, its weird the abuse the EU gets from America at times.

Do you ever listen to the American anti-European neo-con Michael Graham on the George Hook shown, he's on at 5.35 on Friday evenings. Its funny how insulting and anti-European he is, George lets him away with it all the time. I feel like screaming at the radio at times, but he is entertaining (hes an ex. comedian). I think this refusal of people like Hook to stick up for Europe is a small factor in the reduction in enthusiasm for the EU among the Irish. The power of the media.