The United States of Europe!?!?!?!

[charrison]

It has a nice ring to it.

The blueprint for a new constitution for Europe, unveiled yesterday, paves the way for sweeping changes to the EU but provoked instant British opposition by suggesting the bloc could be renamed "United States of Europe".

 

[Booster]

Sounds like BC to me.

 

[Maharaja]

My preference is for European Union, but US of Europe isn't bad.
I'm surprised that it sounds like Britain is the only one complaining. Are all the other EU members perfectly fine with this new constitution?

 

[charrison]

bump.

 

[snooker]

I think EU should stay. After all, that is what it is called now, so why change the name?

Also, if this works, I think it will be the only Nation that will allow it's 'states' to leave if they want. Even the US constitution does not allow that. Not that any would, but that isn't one freedom that we have

 

[charrison]

Originally posted by: snooker
I think EU should stay. After all, that is what it is called now, so why change the name?

Also, if this works, I think it will be the only Nation that will allow it's 'states' to leave if they want. Even the US constitution does not allow that. Not that any would, but that isn't one freedom that we have

Actually it does, but the federal govt overstepped its bounds....

 

[Hayabusa Rider]

Originally posted by: charrison

Originally posted by: snooker I think EU should stay. After all, that is what it is called now, so why change the name? Also, if this works, I think it will be the only Nation that will allow it's 'states' to leave if they want. Even the US constitution does not allow that. Not that any would, but that isn't one freedom that we have

Actually it does, but the federal govt overstepped its bounds....

First rule of Government-

The primary function of any govermnent is to keep itself in power.

This is the reason for the Civil War. Lincoln (most likely correctly) determined the US government would fall if states were allowed to leave. You know the rest.

 

[AU Tiger]

Doesn't Texas have the right to leave the United States in their constititution? I don't know much about Texas, but I thought they were the one state with that ability.

Edit: After further research, I believe Texas lost their right to secede when they joined the Confederacy and were conquered in the War of Northern Aggression. Of course there is no law preventing a state from seceding. I believe a state could secede if the rest of the country was willing to let it go.

 

[XZeroII]

Um, why would the countries of Europe go along with this? They are giving up their control over their own people and giving it to someone else. That's like selling your own people, but for what price? Why would all these countries suddenly gang together? The US was formed because we needed more people to fight the brittish. After we won, people who had no country before could join one that claimed to protect them. In Europe's case, the countries are already formed so there is no need to join together. I don't think this is a good idea...

 

[Dari]

what's with the dual-citizenship? It makes no sense. Why create a superset or general laws governing all the states if there is going to be two governments. Aren't the individual states part of the EU? Or are they entering new territory where there is a sh!tload of intermingling directives that conflict with European states' laws but everything is so confusing that people accept it just so as to not be bothered with the dearth of laws? If this is so, then Europeans could one day find themselves members of a federalist state (like the USA) without even knowing it.

 

[wyvrn]

THE MAIN POINTS

? European Community/ European Union/United States of Europe/United Europe would be created.

? Its objectives would include economic and social cohesion, protection of common values, high employment, liberty, security and justice, foreign policy.

? The union would have "legal personality", with the power to sign treaties and take a seat on international bodies such as the United Nations.

? Union citizenship would be established and defined, giving rights of free movement, residence and voting in the union and diplomatic protection in other countries.

? An "exit clause" would allow countries to withdraw voluntarily from the union.

There are several good reasons outlined above from the article.

Originally posted by: XZeroII
Um, why would the countries of Europe go along with this? They are giving up their control over their own people and giving it to someone else. That's like selling your own people, but for what price? Why would all these countries suddenly gang together? The US was formed because we needed more people to fight the brittish. After we won, people who had no country before could join one that claimed to protect them. In Europe's case, the countries are already formed so there is no need to join together. I don't think this is a good idea...

 

[GTaudiophile]

Copycats!!!

 

[43st]

Last months Atlantic magazine had a great piece on the new EU. It offered some interesting insight into the direction and possible outcome of the current EU. It also theorized on the possiblility of the EU becoming the next super power. Good read.

 

[Hayabusa Rider]

Originally posted by: wyvrn
THE MAIN POINTS ? European Community/ European Union/United States of Europe/United Europe would be created. ? Its objectives would include economic and social cohesion, protection of common values, high employment, liberty, security and justice, foreign policy. ? The union would have "legal personality", with the power to sign treaties and take a seat on international bodies such as the United Nations. ? Union citizenship would be established and defined, giving rights of free movement, residence and voting in the union and diplomatic protection in other countries. ? An "exit clause" would allow countries to withdraw voluntarily from the union. There are several good reasons outlined above from the article.

Originally posted by: XZeroII Um, why would the countries of Europe go along with this? They are giving up their control over their own people and giving it to someone else. That's like selling your own people, but for what price? Why would all these countries suddenly gang together? The US was formed because we needed more people to fight the brittish. After we won, people who had no country before could join one that claimed to protect them. In Europe's case, the countries are already formed so there is no need to join together. I don't think this is a good idea...

Nice theory. Now what happens in a hundred years if one of the countries tries to pull out? Why Civil War. Many things in writing never come to be because of the force of arms and economic necessity. I do not know if this is a good idea or a bad one, but it will eventually create something like the US, where individual countries eventually lose their identity, and a common language is formed. Once this happens, there is no going back

 

[denali]

Most Europeans are opposed to this and many other things their leaders have done in Brussels. Just take a look at the current situation most EU countries use the euro with a few exceptions namley England. Somehow I don't see this happening anytime soon as the current EU looks like it's getting ready to back out on the already agreeded to expansion in 2004. Also you are going to see big problems regarding the CAP, the agriculture subsidies, these scheduled to go down, however the big three recipients Germany, France and Spain are fighting this tooth and nail.

 

[0roo0roo]

bah i'd be against something that gave france power over me too

maybe they should create a national language.

how about english?


english are wary of their nutty neighbors on the continent. they have more in common with the US then europe.

 

[ROTC1983]

I believe that Europe is finally accomplishing what it has attempted so long ago. Finally uniting under one government is a good choice for mutual protection and economical advancement. I believe that the British are mad because the Euro is worth less than the pound is, lowering the worth of all the assets in Britain if there is an uniform exchange rate throughout Europe...

 

[ThreeLeggedGnome]

I thought they already tried this once by a guy named Hitler.

 

[freegeeks]

I thought they already tried this once by a guy named Hitler.

get an education, you clearly need one

 

[m2kewl]

Originally posted by: ThreeLeggedGnome
I thought they already tried this once by a guy named Hitler.

yeah - and the idiot attacked the Soviets, we all know how that turned out

they should stay with EU, US of Europe doesn't have a good ring to it and plus, one united states is 'nuff

 

[Booster]

The main trouble with 'states' is that these aren't states in a general sense, but rather totally independent countries with their own languages, culture etc. And borders. I think it's only a matter of time before the EU ceases to exist. Heck, I still can't believe they now have one and the same money everywhere! How did they give up their currencies that had existed for thousands of years? Hard to believe and it's even harder to believe this 'EU' will exist for a long time.

 

[JellyBaby]

Peoples Republic of Europe?

 

[Goosemaster]

uhem...

"AMERIGO VEPUCCI OWZZ JOO!!!"

I like our name better...

 

[ElFenix]

texas does have the right to split into 5 states at any time

 

[dpm]

Originally posted by: ROTC1983
...I believe that the British are mad because the Euro is worth less than the pound is, lowering the worth of all the assets in Britain if there is an uniform exchange rate throughout Europe...

That's not quite how it works - if/when britain joins the euro the pound would be tied to the euro at the equivalent exchange rate at the time; a lot of britons don't like this idea because
i) they remember that the similar European Exchange Rate Mechanism (ERM) didn't work too well for them a decade ago.
ii) they're still a bit sceptical about the whole "being a part of europe" idea.
and iii) they aren't very good at change...

But seriously, becoming some sort of federation/confederation has been the goal of the EU from the start, although its never exactly been emphasised - people in the original six countries thought it sounded like a good idea just after WWII, but after 50 years of relative progress and growth many people don't see it in quite the same light...

As far as the name thing goes - United States of Europe? lol. Its not exactly unique and original. Its kind of surprising to hear that come from one of the old-school "the influence of the USA is evil" frenchmen like d'Estang.