Hey Rocket, where d'ya go?

Quote from: Observer on November 16, 2007, 12:07:54 AM

So, did the EU ever get their Constitution online?

How many more years do you think it will be before the various member states split into sides and start shooting at each other?

It will be many, many years before there is anything approaching a single unified constitution. I'm not even certain that it will ever happen, but there is progress towards a unified Europe in the sense of community. Things are different and have changed for the better, even in the past 20 years or so.

I have never heard even a flippant conversation regarding any inter-state animosity where it was suggested that it best be resolved by declaring war.

In my experience, intra-European xenophobia, especially within the core EU member countries has really dropped to little more than historical jokes. Of course it helps that real political power has been wrestled away from the monarchical families.

There is however perceived animosity where it comes to economic migration, more so in western European countries where relatively large numbers of eastern European workers are crossing borders in search of prosperity. But it's the same old story, immigrants are doing the jobs that the spoiled Westerners don't want to do and often to a higher standard and for lower salaries.

The Nationalists within each country rely upon misinformation and bigotry to use economimic migration as a wedge issue, but even then the real targets are none-European immigrants, North Africans, Indians, Pakistanis. You know, the ones that can be easily identified by their colour. Even that nonsense is changing, a good example of this decreased racism can be seen between the white and West Indian communities within the UK. It took 50 years, but even the least well educated of Brits now realise that the original reason for West Indian immigration was economic, the original families were promised streets paved with gold and a warm welcome. No one bothered to explain that to the British at the time.

Economically the EU allows me freedom of movement my parent's generation could not imagine. I am free to set up shop anywhere and take my money, pensions and health insurance with me - untaxed and unhindered.

Even though the UK has yet to officially join the Eurozone with regards to currency, I can easily trade in Euro, keep my business and investments in European banks, my last mortgage was Euro denominated at European interest rates. With no British governmental interference.

The biggest burden on all European countries was a forced adoption of the US Dollar with which to trade in commodities, especially energy. Imagine a situation where US states were having to trade between themselves in something other than US Dollars. Each state forced to purchase Euro with which to buy energy, food stock, steel... But this situation is changing, as can be seen as countries flush their Dollar holdings. The fall in value of the US Dollar is proportional to the forced support it enjoyed by nothing other than the international requirement to buy and hold the stuff.

It is no coincidence that those within Europe yet to join the Eurozone currency are countries with energy resources. Officially at least, there are still only 2 markets from which to purchase oil. New York and London. Therein lies the real root of Anglo-American 'understanding'.

So I'm not sure which European states you are speaking of when it comes to a shooting match, East vs West?

Perhaps you can give a specific military scenario and we could discuss the pros and cons and the likelihood of the next European war.