What about Latvia? Estonia? Lithuania? These former soviet countries are now succesful democracies, most of them growing faster than Western Europe and it's all thanks to foreign investments? You've basically reduced dozens of millions of people to cheap labourers. You should be ashamed for that disgusting insult.
Foreign investments are part of the picture but what lifted those countries out of the ashes of communism was hard work, sacrifice, the fight against corruption, education etc. The same thing can and will happen in the Ukraine.
Read my opening post, the section about Lithuanian nuclear power station and how we handled it.
Will just add 1 more thing....
You say democratic?;
" A 2008 referendum proposed extending the operation of Unit 2 until a new nuclear plant could be completed as a replacement; the referendum gained 1,155,192 votes for the proposal, but ultimately failed to gain the 50% turnout necessary to be passed.[18] President Valdas Adamkus opposed the measure on grounds that continued operation would not respect Lithuania's international commitments.[19]"
Population of Lithuania is about 3 million, with many working in EU so the exact number is much lower and they had nearly 1.2 million voting in favor of this proposal but it was "waived" obviously because of the reason stated and had nothing to do with EU being quite angry if they went ahead....
Reminds me of the Switzerland refferendum on immigration
EU said it will place harsh sanction on Switzerland should the Swiss government go ahead with this referendum and if it will result in Switzerland refusing freedom of movement....
So much democracy, too much to handle.
Poland,Baltics,CZ all joined in 2004, at the time they had chance since those are relatively low population countries (minus poland) and you cant deny the fact cheap labour caused foreign investors to start investing so much and causing their economy to go up...
In all fairness, I`ve been to Baltics a lot and I honestly cant say that the people in LT,LV,EE live better than in dictatorship, soviet styled Belarus. I have spent fair time in all of those countries, the only upper hand I found in Baltics is that nearly all who I met either had family or themselves working in EU...
At the time I visited which was around 2009, the cleaner in UK earned around 800 pounds while teacher in LT earned equivalent of 400 pounds, this is monthly. I cant say what about now, but I still dont think teachers in LT earn same or more than cleaners in UK....
You also cant forget that before 2004, EU actually and UK especially didnt have people to fulfill the low end jobs, so the influx of immigrants who agreed to manual labour for cheap hourly wage was welcomed by employers. No need to go all emotional about this, this is a fact.
This is no more the case, Before 2004 there were NONE post soviet or warsaw pact countries within EU.... As I say again, even those countries who joined in 2004 are not in great shape, the ones who joined recently have no chance and Ukraine is just hopeless.
