Repost from https://todon.eu/@marcohackney/115992340469511552 with ALT text added.

[mms@mastodon.bsd.cafe]

@jwildeboer Let's not forget that anti-eu propaganda is what some governments do.

[erik@mastodon.erikberger.de]

@jwildeboer thank you for your post! It's important. To all naysayers: Yes the EU has its flaws, yes I don't like every regulation imposed, but the EU makes life sooo much better! I have travelled a lot, working in many dif. countries. In the EU we have one major currency, need no work permits, visa extensions, carnet de passage etc. Pay 30+€ SWIFT fees for money transfers? No we have SEPA. Even though I cross Schengen borders regularly I haven't been in a border control since many, many years.

[sherbang@chaos.social]

@jwildeboer When I moved here from the US, I was amazed at how much better the banking system works here.

Now I'm amazed whenever I have to interact with US banks on how bad it is over there.

[tobikabla@mamot.fr]

@jwildeboer I really appreciate your approach to highlight positive things 🙂

[heptasean@social.tchncs.de]

@jwildeboer Yep, the naysayers are not completely wrong that it has its gross sides – and you probably know that as well as all of us – but to overcome them, it needs more EU, not less. Most anti-EU platforms want to be even more gross, not less.

Have to work with what is realistic. And for that it helps to highlight the things that are actually quite impressive compared to the bad reputation.

[nerdherz@mastodon.social]

@jwildeboer
Incidentally, I would like to point out that these graphics come directly from the European Commission's social media accounts.

It's sad you (or someone else) cropped out the watermark.

[jwildeboer@social.wildeboer.net]

And For The Record (FTR) I am acutely aware that we, the EU have closed our borders and that Frontex did horrible things to refugees. Pushbacks, attacking their boats. I am fully aware the EU integration is far from perfect also on the inside. But the EU also did good stuff. There's a thread for everything. This one was meant to give you a bit of reassurance and positivity. That the EU is also worth it. Let's make it better.

[jwildeboer@social.wildeboer.net]

@nerdherz Do you have a link to the original post? Will be added immediately.

[diasyy11@mstdn.social]

@jwildeboer are you an European cuz you don't look like one😊🤷

[jwildeboer@social.wildeboer.net]

@diasyy11 Born in the Netherlands to dutch parents, moved to Germany at age 12, now living in Munich. With the dutch passport to prove it :)

[diasyy11@mstdn.social]

@jwildeboer there won't be any reason to prove it yet 😊 nice meeting you man.....

[nellie_m@autisticpri.de]

@jwildeboer

Yes.

Let’s.

And if we are unable to celebrate our successes, we’re not going to have the strength or motivation to try and improve things further.

So let’s pause, and appreciate, regularly. And then move on to the next step.

[sven222@goto.hardwarepunk.de]

@jwildeboer Always when people tell me how bad the EU is, I ask them, what they would like to have instead. Yes, the EU could be better, and that is, what everybody should try to achieve every day, but we have also great fortunes, that we would not have without it. I love not carrying around 8 different power supplies and not paying roaming fees. I had times, when I paid several € per minute, when somebody called me in Spain. Phone bills with several hundred € where normal. And we can travel in the complete Union (and beyond) without passport and visa and so on. So let's celebrate the EU while we try to make it better.

[irisherself@mastodon.social]

@jwildeboer peace brother ☮️🫂

[txtx@mastodon.social]

@jwildeboer I lived in a refugee camp in Europe for three years, coming from a country that was not in the EU. Now it is, having ditched communism. Over the last decades, my life and ability to work and travel has continuously improved, thanks to the EU.

[jwildeboer@social.wildeboer.net]

@nerdherz I found the original pictures and have replaced the cropped ones with them so now with the commission logo. Thank you for pointing that out and my apologies for not doing my research right away.

[dexruus@chaos.social]

@jwildeboer DONT EVER FORGET; EUROPE HAS HAD ITS LONGEST PEACETIME SINCE EVER.

The EU isnt only a people project, its a peace project.

[stiefel_fan@troet.cafe]

@jwildeboer
And don't forget the Euro €! Going to The Netherlands, France or Greece and you don't need to go for an exchange desk, just pay with the coins you have in your pocket. 😁
I really like to go for Czech Republic but there you need to change, hope they will join someday ... 🤷🏼‍♂️

[krist@wehavecookies.social]

@budududuroiu @mfru @jwildeboer
A lot of people seen to equate Frontex with ICE.
I acually spend some time on Lampedusa last year. Refugees is a complicated subject, with a lot of moral hazard traps. I don't know the solution either.

[stiefel_fan@troet.cafe]

@jwildeboer
Even the original toot has a nice blocklist recommendation! 😜