Original post date: August 2011, Update: June 2016
Today, after so-called #brexit or "United Kingdom withdrawal from the European Union", I thought it would be nice time to revive one of my old posts related to the European Union dated five years ago. I wanted to put my own thoughts to the test and see if anything changed within my political views and EU after half a decade... and just like I thought in the first place, I couldn't find anything more to say. So here they are—the same thoughts from before, only slightly enhanced with new images and small syntax corrections.
--- Original post August 2011 -----
I read today a very interesting Big Think article regarding the European Union and the future of this big political project (Europe Moves Towards Unitary Statehood), and I can't resist not to post a couple of thoughts about it. After all, I am living in Europe, geographically and politically speaking, and it would be at least a little strange to not have a modest opinion of the world and society that surrounds me and my family on a daily basis. However, I have to admit that I don't follow political media to the level that I can say I am familiar with all the stuff fluently, but on the other end, who does? The political arena is just like musical theater, all looking shiny and superb, but in reality, participants are wearing lots of make-up. You have to be a genius to know how to read all that between the lines, and I am not one of them. Not to mention that my firm belief of the world being a much better place without politicians still stands and is always proven right the moment I turn some news feed online.
So let's see what the major premise is in the mentioned story. The very first line in the article is this: "The economic crisis is proving useful for those who want to see the European Union make the final and logical leap to becoming a unitary state, with a single currency and a single government." You can read details, but the answer to the question of whether this is possible or not is hardly black and white. To me, whatever you say from "this will never happen" to "this is the only outcome for European countries" could be true. It only depends on future events and what will happen with current political streams inside European countries. It will never depend on the Euro or monetary outcome; this is just for daily politics, and it follows the current economic stage worldwide. It will only depend on whether or not people throughout the EU feel that they all belong to it. In other words, it will happen if the majority of people in newcomer countries, such as Serbia, Croatia, Bulgaria, the Check Republic, Hungary, Cyprus, Greece, Kosovo, or whoever, feel the same as the first comers, like Germany, France, Italy, or so on. Yes, there will be differences between cultures, spoken languages, and wallet thickness, but feeling should be more or less the same everywhere throughout the continent.
On the opposite side, it will never happen if EU countries are divided, like they are clearly divided today, into inner European circles, where are Germany, France, and all 12 flag-starred countries, and outer countries, like all eastern Europeans or all other newcomers.
It will also fail if some countries go for their thoughts outside the EU instead of being more involved in old continent affairs. It will also fail if some countries continue grouping into their own historical or regional subgroups, like Scandinavian, Mediterranean, Slavs, or whatever they group now—just watch the European song contest vote and you will know what I am talking about.
It will also fail if there is no Russia in it. Even though this big country is only in part in Europe, this part is almost as big as all other countries, geographically speaking. If you are creating the EU just to be another military force or trench in the upcoming new world order that will be used to "defend" something from Russia, China, or other countries, then it is a definite failure even before it starts. So, if you ask me, it will never happen in the recent future, not until new generations replace the old ones, not until all nowadays politicians in shiny suits you can watch worldwide get off the scene. They are simply too old for the new days. Maybe the ones who are still babies today or wait to be born? Maybe they will not be burdened by the past like it is clearly the case today.
Image refs:
https://gigaom.com/2012/10/03/will-there-be-an-amazon-of-europe/
European Union Official Website:
http://europa.eu/index_en.htm
Europe in Wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Europe
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_Union
Today, after so-called #brexit or "United Kingdom withdrawal from the European Union", I thought it would be nice time to revive one of my old posts related to the European Union dated five years ago. I wanted to put my own thoughts to the test and see if anything changed within my political views and EU after half a decade... and just like I thought in the first place, I couldn't find anything more to say. So here they are—the same thoughts from before, only slightly enhanced with new images and small syntax corrections.
--- Original post August 2011 -----
I read today a very interesting Big Think article regarding the European Union and the future of this big political project (Europe Moves Towards Unitary Statehood), and I can't resist not to post a couple of thoughts about it. After all, I am living in Europe, geographically and politically speaking, and it would be at least a little strange to not have a modest opinion of the world and society that surrounds me and my family on a daily basis. However, I have to admit that I don't follow political media to the level that I can say I am familiar with all the stuff fluently, but on the other end, who does? The political arena is just like musical theater, all looking shiny and superb, but in reality, participants are wearing lots of make-up. You have to be a genius to know how to read all that between the lines, and I am not one of them. Not to mention that my firm belief of the world being a much better place without politicians still stands and is always proven right the moment I turn some news feed online.
So let's see what the major premise is in the mentioned story. The very first line in the article is this: "The economic crisis is proving useful for those who want to see the European Union make the final and logical leap to becoming a unitary state, with a single currency and a single government." You can read details, but the answer to the question of whether this is possible or not is hardly black and white. To me, whatever you say from "this will never happen" to "this is the only outcome for European countries" could be true. It only depends on future events and what will happen with current political streams inside European countries. It will never depend on the Euro or monetary outcome; this is just for daily politics, and it follows the current economic stage worldwide. It will only depend on whether or not people throughout the EU feel that they all belong to it. In other words, it will happen if the majority of people in newcomer countries, such as Serbia, Croatia, Bulgaria, the Check Republic, Hungary, Cyprus, Greece, Kosovo, or whoever, feel the same as the first comers, like Germany, France, Italy, or so on. Yes, there will be differences between cultures, spoken languages, and wallet thickness, but feeling should be more or less the same everywhere throughout the continent.
On the opposite side, it will never happen if EU countries are divided, like they are clearly divided today, into inner European circles, where are Germany, France, and all 12 flag-starred countries, and outer countries, like all eastern Europeans or all other newcomers.
It will also fail if some countries go for their thoughts outside the EU instead of being more involved in old continent affairs. It will also fail if some countries continue grouping into their own historical or regional subgroups, like Scandinavian, Mediterranean, Slavs, or whatever they group now—just watch the European song contest vote and you will know what I am talking about.
It will also fail if there is no Russia in it. Even though this big country is only in part in Europe, this part is almost as big as all other countries, geographically speaking. If you are creating the EU just to be another military force or trench in the upcoming new world order that will be used to "defend" something from Russia, China, or other countries, then it is a definite failure even before it starts. So, if you ask me, it will never happen in the recent future, not until new generations replace the old ones, not until all nowadays politicians in shiny suits you can watch worldwide get off the scene. They are simply too old for the new days. Maybe the ones who are still babies today or wait to be born? Maybe they will not be burdened by the past like it is clearly the case today.
Image refs:
https://gigaom.com/2012/10/03/will-there-be-an-amazon-of-europe/
European Union Official Website:
http://europa.eu/index_en.htm
Europe in Wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Europe
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_Union