I was contemplating the recent economic issues the EU has been having as of late relating to Greece, and it got me wondering what will happen to the EU.
As I see it, with a standardized currency comes the need for a centralized and powerful government, otherwise individual countries can go ahead and do stupid stuff, screw over the currency, and every other european will be near powerless to stop it. However, in order to do that, you would have to effectively make the EU into a country, and what are now countries states, and I suspect some of its members would be less than happy to give up their sovereignty.
So, what do you see happening to the EU in the next few decades?
As with everything in this universe, the idea behind the EU is good, but the execution is terrible.
I for one would welcome the idea of a unified Europe into one nation with one central government. It would make us stronger in any possible way of the word.
However, I don’t like the latest trend of trying to get every European country in the EU. The East-European (and South-Eastern) countries simple have no business in the mindset of the EU. They only want to join in for all the benefits, but they don’t actually participate themselves.
So if the EU was to become one, I’d rather see it happening with France, Belgium, Holland, Denmark, Germany, Luxembourgh, Spain, (maybe Portugal), Italy, Sweden, Finland and Austria.
I’m fairly sure the UK won’t join in, as they’d rather device a way to steer the island across the Atlantic so can they go and suck of the tip ofthe cock of the US, than join a proper European Union.
Pick a name:
Oceania or Eurasia
The UNA, tbh.
The United Nations of Awesome
For once I agree with Bolteh. And I mean the name: Europe is awesome.
On topic: For the EU I hope all will go well and won’t fuck up, like some many similair things.
A friend of mine, who is a student of Law and had to suffer through 1 year of “European Law”, recently explained to me and others that the biggest problem with the European unifying process is that no-one defined any “Ultimate goal” – i.e., what do we want to achieve by “getting together”. So, for 60 years already, we are joining more and more countries together, we invent things like “common currency”, we establish European parliament and European Commitee, now we have a president and Constitution of EU, but “for what purpose”? No-one defined what is the ultimate purpose of all this.
It’s like leaving on a holiday trip without deciding where you want to go, and thus discovering along the way that you are not packed properly. Some people will start complaining or threatening that they are leaving unless you turn the car south, others will require that you head north, or into the mountains… The most adventurous will soon start complaining about the complaining whiners who can’t accept occasional discomfort, while these whiners will grow fed up by the adventurer’s constant bragging abou this adventures…
The goal is to make a union to help each other out when in trouble.
Straight over your head, huh?
Apparently it did. Do explain yourself.
It’s a reference to 1984 by George Orwell, 3 totalitarian states rule the world Eurasia, Oceana and Eastasia. I think Eurasia is most of mainland Europe, Eastasia is the Asian coutries. Oceana is the Old Britsh Empire colonies, plus the rest of the Americas.
Personally I think Europe is so diverse, I’d hate to see it homogenised into one state. I’d hate to lose my cultural identity and history. Language would have to be standardised too, we’d likely all end up speaking Esperanto, it’s end up as a precursor to doublespeak 
Precisely, Bolteh’s description of his version of a perfect EU brought to mind Orwell’s Big Brother society.
Just out of curiosity, besides obnoxious idealists (I really hate those people), is anyone in the EU saying they want unification who has a significant backing?
No. I think it is a bad idea to unify Europe in one big nation. Sure we’d be stronger than the US but I don’t want to lose my identity.
It’s hard to say. I’d say there’s not significant support in Britain, but outside that I cannot comment. It reminds me of a book by Rob Grant called incompetence. A genuinely laugh out loud read, on what a USE might be like.
No - just a centralized and powerful banking/monetary system. That’s the direction they are going to move in.
If a banking system is what they’re going for, I’d suggest them to stop their plan for a little while given the current economic state…
??? the current economic state is what makes an EU central bank necessary, so that problems with one member state’s economy doesn’t damage the legitimacy of the entire EU currency.
There’s also an argument to be made for a GLOBAL central bank, to avoid things like the current Wall Street crisis damaging the global economy.
Oh, I thought the economy is pretty shitty ATM so we should wait until it’s less shitty.
Suddenly, laundered money, EVERYWHERE!
This is sad, but very true.
Although we do make more than a passing wave at European laws now, even if we OPT OUT OF BASICALLY EVERYTHING RARGH.
A unified Europe would be nice in theory, but would you really want to loose your nationality? Being called British is bad enough.