Asymmetrical Information

The proposed EU sounds somewhat like the pre-Constitution United States. Which also suggests that a reply to Greene is that this is a waystation for Europe, not the final destination.

It's a real question, though, whether the forces for forming a republic, a USE, will outweigh those favoring leaving it as a confederation. I think attempts will be made.

"All this is to say that the Constitution is not the radical leap forward to a United States of Europe. It is telling that this very name was considered and rejected. Most Europeans still feel their national identity more strongly than their European one. Cooperation at the union level makes sense on technical issues like agriculture, fisheries, the environment, trade and so forth. But until a truly European people is created, many of the union's citizens will rightly prefer that decisions closer to the heart and the wallet — whether to go to war, or to raise taxes — be made by the national governments they think they know well, not by the distant and bafflingly complex set of institutions of the European Union."

its a start... let us see what things look like in 15 years. the eec has been in existence since 1957, maatstricht was 1991. intergration takes time (just look at the american experience). i find it interesting the way that american commentators like to poo-poo the european approach as ineffectual. lord help us if it actually turns out to work (in its ongoing constitutional evolution--and i suspect that that will happen over time).

europe in 2000 is a different historical animal than the american colonies were in the late 18th century, and putting a template of our experience onto theirs might not be so helpful in the long run. looking at europe, and thinking ---"ah, just like the boo-boos we had to overcome caused by those pesky articles of confederation-- and they are falling into the same trap" is a bit premature, i think.

the author may be right, but he may also be wrong. in any case, i would not be speaking with as much confidence on a united europe's viability and power as he apparently is...

“As for a single "foreign and security policy," the draft represents a failure for those — especially the French, but also notably the Belgians — who want to see a unified Europe strong enough to stand up to the United States on the world stage.”

Let’s get something straight right here and now: the Old Europeans have absolutely no interest in paying the price necessary to compete with the United States. We did not become the preeminent power in the world because of our alleged duplicity and sneakiness---but by default! The Old Europeans are essentially lazy and immature. They are more than glad to parasite off our military might and technological creativity. Heck, a very high percentage of them work only 35 hours a week and retire at 55. We owe them nothing for their sense of inferiority. They have nobody to blame but themselves.

A United Europe is not an historical inevitability. In fact, it is more likely to break apart than to stay together, especially if the French and Germans insist on their Common Agricultural Policy, which impoverishes the entire world. It took a Civil War to convince us that the US was an essential unit. I don't see any easy way to a just and egalitarian Europe, given the socialist leanings of most of its constituent parts.

It's an interesting (and sad and tragic) question whether slavery was a kind of catalyst that, by eventually forcing the question of the Civil War, also caused the United States to be welded into a strong republic and almost certain superpower.

The thirteen colonies had much more in common than the Europeans - English language, culture, and political traditions. More importantly, they feared invasion from overseas, and had sufficient recent military experience to know that defending against that would require a tighter bond between the colonies than provided by the Articles of Confederation.

If the Eurocrats want a more perfect union, they'll have to convince their potential subjects that the US is about to start conquering the most vulnerable countries in Europe. Yeah, right...

I'd be more concerned that they might manage to foist French-style centralization on the nations and people without any real democratic process.

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