Comments by "Nigel Johnson" (@nigeljohnson9820) on "EU project in danger if no solidarity on coronavirus crisis, says economy chief Gentiloni" video.

Solidarity always means the tax payers of the rich member states paying for the poor member states. Is it surprising that Germany and the Netherlands are saying no. If the UK had remained a member of the EU, it too would be expected to make large contributions to this fund, dispute the fact that it is really in no position to do so, and never has been. When stressed, the EU reverts to the mode in which it really should operate, that of a loose collection of independent states cooperating where they have a common interest and not where their interests diverge.
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@openroomxyz there is an argument that it is bad to put all your eggs in one basket. Certainly the richer states sharing a basket with the poor is not going to be good for them. If you will allow a mixed metaphor, one bad apple will spoil the barrel. There is a myth that pooled resources and shared sovereignty brings stability, in fact it reduces resilience as a failure of one results in the failure of all. This does not mean cooperation is a bad thing, but it is better to have many different approaches to a problem rather than a single minded attempt at a solution. The latter can always fail catastrophically. It is apocryphally true that a problem shared is a problem doubled. The EU would be much stronger as a loose collection of sovereign independent states, who cooperate on issues of common concern and interest. Unfortunately it has become a centralised, top down organisation, that imposes it's will on the member states. In the case of a shared currency such as the euro, top down is a requirement so there is central financial control. The only way for the EU to do this is to adopt a federal system of government. This does not remove the resentment between rich and poor states, it just formalised so that objections do not matter. For an example of this, just consider how the US operates, basically rich states complain and try and limit aid to poor states. The federal government just does what is politically expedient.
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@Alfa&Omega 00000 all a federal government does is make any bias or injustice legally enforceable by the federal government. One only needs to look at the US to see how this works.
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@Alfa&Omega 00000 if you are referring to the US, take a look at the way aid and disaster relief is allocated. The situation has been made worse under the trump administration, as funds tend to be allocated to those states that support trump,and withheld from those that do not. The president has even sort statements of gratitude/ allegiance as a condition of receiving aid. The EU operates as a microcosm of globalisation, so corporations have a vested interest in preserving wealth differentials across Europe. It allow production to be conducted in the poorer member states. At the same time the EU has a long term goal of wanting a homogeneous mix, with cultural differences between states minimised to increase loyality to the EU and away from state governments. It has taken the US, almost 250 years to gain the level of unity it has at the moment, but even now there are member states who periodically threaten to break away from the union, and many distrust the federal government and the rules it imposes. Under the current administration, they have very good reason, as it appears to be corrupt and run by a self serving egotist.
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