“I wish I had a strong hand for the sole purpose of thrusting it into this incoherent construction that I am. And yet what I am saying here is not even precisely my opinion, not even precisely my opinion at this moment. When I look into myself I see so much that is obscure and still in flux that I cannot even properly explain or fully accept the dislike I feel for myself.”
— Franz Kafka, Letters to Felice (via philosophybits)
I am American and I have never seen photos like this. I had no idea there are borders like this. Even though I LOVE the idea of open borders, I am staring at these pictures like “wait…people can just…walk across some stones or grass and BE IN ANOTHER COUNTRY??? and nobody stops them?? how does that WORK?!” So you can tell that my country’s propaganda has gotten to me by convincing me that this CAN’T work even though…it…obviously can.
These pics just seem unreal to me. I’ve been taught my whole life that this can’t exist. In 27 years no one has ever sat me down and gone, look, here’s how it is elsewhere. It isn’t impossible at all.
^
The EU is one of the best things ever to happen to Humanity. Dozens of tribes that had been at war for literally centuries finally came together to create a peaceful and integrated country.
Which is what this photo series is missing: those are borders within the EU*. Borders within the EU are as open as the borders within the US or Canada or Mexico.
80 years ago those borders were as militarized as any on Earth. Today all those nations are one nation sharing one passport and one parliament.
That’s a huge achievement and should be celebrated as such. We should not take it for granted or pretend it “just happened” on its own. It was a lot of difficult work and very controversial. But ultimately it’s lead to the longest sustained peace in European history.
Anyway. Fuck Brexit and all the “eurosceptics” who want to turn the EU into squabbling tribes.
*with one exception: Lithuania is not an EU member state. But it’s trying hard to become one.
stop assuming i want to be clark in the clark/malfina relationship. what if i want to be the big titty goth witch with a small well-meaning connecticut husband? huh? you ever consider that?
Is your backyard too hot and dry to
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Humanitarian foundations spearheaded the development of keyhole
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eye view of these features.
Airbnb has become so prevalent in Great Britain that some parts of the country now have one listing for every four properties, prompting concern that the rapid expansion in short-term lets is “out of control” and depriving communities of much-needed homes.
Exclusive analysis by the Guardian identified Airbnb hotspots in both rural areas and inner-city neighbourhoods, where the ratio of active Airbnb listings to homes was more than 20 times higher than the average across England, Scotland and Wales.
The highest incidence of Airbnbs was in Edinburgh Old Town, where there were 29 active listings for every 100 properties.
The north-west of Skye had the second-highest concentration, at 25 listings per 100 properties, including a seafront bothy (£50 a night), a modern cottage clad in corrugated tin (£190) and an isolated cottage with ocean and mountain views (£160).
In England, the area with the highest rate of Airbnb lets was Woolacombe, Georgeham and Croyde, in Devon, with 23 listings for every 100 properties.
In one area of the Lake District: Windermere North, Ambleside and Langdales, there were 19 listings per 100 properties. Local MP Tim Farron described the growth of Airbnb in an area already dominated by second home owners as “a really disturbing issue”.
Airbnb questioned the accuracy of the findings, emphasising that unusual listings such as caravans or large manor houses, used for events, may not affect the local housing stock. It said some listings may be booked for only a few nights a year.
But others warned that the growth of Airbnb played to wider concerns about the effect of short-term lets. “The unchecked growth of online holiday lettings is depriving communities of much-needed homes,” said Dan Wilson Craw, the director of housing pressure group Generation Rent. “In rural areas and cities alike, the story is the same: young adults can’t afford to settle down in the areas they grew up in.”
In 2014 30% of homes in some parts of the Lake District national park were classed as second homes. In Chapel Stile, a picturesque village in the Langdales, research from the local school found 70% of houses were not regularly occupied.
Six years on, a two-bed terrace in the village now sells for £325,000, way out of the reach of working locals, who earn on average just £345 a week. Such properties are now listed for £130 or more a night on Airbnb – much more during the peak tourism season.
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