An Interesting Read
Sorry for being all political on such a ordinary tuesday morning, but I just saw an article linked to at jamiemcc. Entitled, The European Counterweight, Part One: A Leaderless Superpower, the article is a lenghty piece about how europe could be seen as a real counterweight to the United States. It states:
It [the EU] has more people (454.7 million) than the United States?â€â€�a larger consumer market?â€â€�more troops (collectively, almost two million armed forces personnel)?â€â€�and, with more votes on the United Nations Security Council and every other international body, stronger political muscle.
It has a president, a legislative body, a flag, a national anthem, a motto (?“Unity in Diversity?�), open borders between member states, a constitution (yet to be ratified), a Bill of Rights, and a court system that can overrule the highest of any member court.
It also has an emerging common culture that speaks a common language: English
It is an interesting read and kinda makes me rethink this whole European Union thing in which Denmark more or less is a second-class citizen by choice.
I’m curious, how much would those guys get in the optimism text. IMHO, it’s hard, or not even impossible to reach unity, if diversity is too big. Socially, culturally, politically, economically etc. the european countries are so different, that it’s extremely difficult to agree on something reasonable (e.g. to ratify the constitution, that makes sense), therefore the rampant bureacracy can ratify just silly, and unimportant laws. Social differences are also huge problem to overcome. Labour market is still not open for the newly joined countries (probably no wonder becauso of the labour price here and there – moreover think about Turkey, Ukraine, Romania – how do you think joining them to EU will influence the living standard in the west? how has it already influenced the living standard e.g. in Germany (unemployment)?) Concerning politics, west tends to the left in general (I know, I know – Angela Merkel, but anyway) vs right orientation in the central Europe (Poland). Consider attitude to the Iraq invasion (Villepin) vs Blair, Merkel, KaczyÅ„ski and their sympathy towards USA politics. How can they agree. Immigration politics in the west pretty sucks. Socalled european left humanists, trying to make Europe peacuful, secular, non-ideological place maybe overlook the increasing problems with muslim minorities, hoping, they’ll solve themselves one day, but anyway – left humanism is usually not the way how to beat another superpower in economics (i.e. take labour efficiency in eastern Asia, USA, EU – in this order). etc. etc.
Conclusion – EU is too bureaucratic and fragmentated to make reasonable decisions, too social to be economically efficient, and too naive to avoid solving great minority problems in the future. Will take a long, long time to change it. Too long to make any prediction about whether or not it can replace USA as a leading superpower. Think rather about China.
When the comment is three times as long as the original article then, certainly, the commenter must be Mirka …
He he ;-)
for fitzi: I thought you don’t read blogs by default. … and as you can see, I not only talk too much but I’m also a graphoman. Actually, I love discussions, but I have not too many opportunities to participate to some here in Aarhus, so I try to use every chance to say what I want to say.
for all: i.e. do you know about some?
Well usually Planet DAIMI is mostly just about stuff that’s only funny if you wrote it yourself or if Rune is threatening you with his baseball bat. Political discussions are quite rare here.
I try not to discuss politics anyway. Not because I don’t want to (I love to argue), but because everyone else pretty much hates it when I do :)
for mikkel: I wouldn’t hate it.
Don’t tempt him :-)