Thread

Canada welcomes EU proposal to become 'associate member'

284 points · 354 comments · witweb

flowerlad · 1789653827 · focus · HN ↗
Can the blue states of USA become associate members too? He has declared that the blue states are the "enemy from within" and may launch the military against us soon.
<a href="https://www.npr.org/2025/09/30/nx-s1-5557232/hegseth-generals-trump" rel="nofollow">https://www.npr.org/2025/09/30/nx-s1-5557232/hegseth-general...
1. petcat · 1789654530 · focus · HN ↗
  There are no blue states that would want to join the EU. The big ones would rather go independent. EU doesn't offer much
  1. greggoB · 1789655136 · focus · HN ↗
    Would it be possible to offer anything more substantive? For example:
    1) Why would none of the ~20-25 blue states want to join the EU? Why would it be preferable for the big ones to go it alone in an increasingly fractious world?
    2) In what way does the EU not offer much? If this is the case, how did they end up with 28 members joining, another 5 or so waiting to do so, and only 1 ever leaving?
    The point isn't about being pro/negative the EU, it's about providing something thoughtful, as opposed to just throwing out your opinions.
    petcat · 1789666095 · focus · HN ↗
    Because the only two blue states that matter, California and New York, would immediately be the richest members of the EU. And the EU is already way too top heavy. Why would those two states allow themselves to be subject to equal voting power of a bunch of Eastern European micronations? Not to mention that neither of those states is going to be interested in allowing free movement and immigration from Europe. It would be a bonanza.
    It would be a wildly lopsided relationship. The EU would get more from those two states than those two states would ever recoup from the EU.
    flowerlad · 1789671868 · focus · HN ↗
    Blue citizens will be able to move freely to EU and live and work there without special visas. Worth it. Also worth it for silicon valley tech companies who will be able to hire the best of EU as well.
    petcat · 1789671982 · focus · HN ↗
    That is a microscopic number of people compared to the ones that will not want Europeans freely moving to California or New York.
    And SV companies have never had any problem hiring the best people in the EU. That brain drain has been happening for decades.
    greggoB · 1789674533 · focus · HN ↗
    I'd imagine they'd find it interesting for the same reason that the US finds its membership in NAFTA/USMCA and NATO interesting, despite being significantly larger: market access and strength in numbers.
    > It would be a wildly lopsided relationship. The EU would get more from those two states than those two states would ever recoup from the EU.
    I seem to remember very similar arguments doing the rounds circa Brexit. Funny how that turned out.
    To be clear, I'm not saying that EU membership necessarily is interesting for NY and CA. It clearly wasn't particularly interesting for Canada before now, but here we are.

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