As an American I should probably withhold comment. However, in general, I am not a fan of the EU - and was a supporter of Brexit to the extent that it was any of my business. (I am an ardent Anglophile who knows all three verses of "God Save the Queen." Even my British friends don't know all three verses.) That said, it would be more trouble to be rid of it than it is worth.
The EU evolved in response to the violence of two world wars that were, it was argued, born of the heightened nationalisms that were, in turn, born in reaction to the rationalism of the Enlightenment. A rationalism that claimed that man was a solitary being, endowed with natural rights and that pre-rational ideas of ethnicity, religion and the like were not essential, indeed even counterproductive, to human identity.
While that diagnosis was, in part at least, mistaken, the EU was not without its precedents in European history. The Roman Empire, Christendom and the Holy Roman Empire were all examples of political entities created to bind Europe's disparate populations together by a set of common ideals.
So in that sense the EU is not unprecedented in European history. Indeed, in some ways it mimics that European offshoot that is most purely the product of the Reformation and the Enlightenment - i. e., the United States of America. A "nation dedicated to a proposition" as Lincoln put it.
The problem, of course, is that Europe is made of various peoples who identify themselves not by a creed but by their history, language and nationality and who therefore have different perspectives on where their interests lie. Within bounds, this gave Europe an incredible dynamism and allowed it to dominate the world.
The problem being that, in 1914, the peoples of Europe slipped the bounds and Western civilization has never recovered. As the historian John Toland wrote in his book on the Battle of the Somme, "The boys went 'over the top' and off of a moral cliff.'
That a civilization that had come to dominate the world, whose ideas had spread far and wide, whose science was the cutting edge, and whose ships were so sturdy that not even God could sink them - so He sent an iceberg to do it - could fall into such uncontrolled violence and mayhem shook the confidence of the West. It has never recovered.
There being further irony in that the EU was constructed later, in reaction to Communism, National Socialism and Fascism. Which were themselves attempts to replace the various nominally discredited nationalisms of the post-Enlightenment and pre-WWI era. It having, perhaps not surprisingly given the circumstances, the founders of Europe that for all their risks, nationalism afforded to various peoples a sense of organic cohesion and community that the post-nationalist rationalism of the Enlightenment could not.
Long story short, the EU is not without its predicates in European history and it has evolved into a fairly complex entity, albeit one that is not entirely compatible with the nationalism that gave Europe both its dynamism and, paradoxically, its self-destructive dimensions.
Frankly, I am not a fan of the EU as it has developed and what you see in Scottish, Catalan nationalism, in the populist movements in Germany and Italy, and the populist governments in Poland and Hungary, and ultimately in Brexit is, in part, the backlash against it. The EU is an artificial construct and it sits ill, but not without precedent, with Europe's complex array of identities and there is risk in that. (See again, National Socialism, Communism and Fascism for historical lessons and parallels.)
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There is one big error in your post, the EU is not about liberalism its about authoritarianism. I am firmly against the EU, because it is designed to be anti-democratic and takes our rights away indeed at the benefit of the rich elites. However it has done some minor things well, like reducing roaming tarrifs. The EU done right could have been a force for good, but the people in charge and the architects of the EU do not do it with the will of the people in mind. Its a new Reich and they know it but don't openly dare to say so. We should leave as soon as we can.
For the uninformed i highly recommend this interview :
It's a corrupt way of controlling every country in it. Honestly I am so proud of the UK's decision to leave. Many people have whined and gotten angry since the leave vote, but it is for the best. Why would we want to keep asking permission from Brussels before we do anything? Why do we want to be told we can't deport a terrorist who has committed horrific crimes against the country? Why do we want to pay millions and millions of pounds just to be a part of it? The UK was one of the biggest contributors to the EU. That's why they don't like us leaving. They're losing massive funds. They always needed the UK more than we needed them.
It may not be easy at first but definitely best in the long run. Last time I checked Norway was doing just fine and is actually one of the best places to live in Europe.
It's corrupt and run by fucking bureaucratic dictating bastards, and thank heavens we (UK) have now put two fingers up to the a*******.
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It's a good thing, and the Brits were lied to and not allowed the chance to change their minds. (The referendum should have required more than a simple majority to make such a major change, as well.)
The one thing about freedom of movement that I would have liked changed is to somehow take into account of the cost of living in the country where people are likely to retire to. Work as a plumber in London for 20 years, and you can live like a king when you go back home to Eastern Europe, but if you want to stay in London when you retire, it's a whole different ball game.
Not that I've got a solution, but I think it is a problem.
A corrupt, totalitarian institution that works against its members people. They have interests only in working with banks and big companies.
They're trying to force austerity and privatization everywhere. Most of the EU leaders have no care about the well-being of people, or the countries culture and history, some even going as far as saying no european country has a culture.
And don't even talk about the EU parliament, that joke supposed to prove the EU is democratic, when in fact most of what it does is decided outside of it.
Overall, the EU says it's protecting us from China and the US, but let them buy our companies and our cultural heritage, while signing treaties like CETA. It's an institution forcing globalization, multiculturalism, mass immigration and social dumping.
The EU is the death of its members.
The ultimate goal of the EU is compete globally with the US and China economic powerhouses, as well as major emerging markets.
Yes short term it's imperfect in many ways, but long-term it has massive potential. I understand why rivals want it to fail, the same reasons why major nation's within Europe want it to succeed.
Dude, fellow, did you forget that you're (presumably?) from Russia?
That would be like Elton John criticising gayness...
The customs and monetary union generally reduces the cost of doing business. This is good for consumer, good for travelers. However I fear the EU expanded to quickly and now has repressive states like Turkey, Hungary, and Poland. Leck Walesa must be sick at the current illiberal sentiment in Poland.
I dont have much to say about it which is good. It keeps out of my private life and makes things I think should be obvious a reality. I can go anywhere I want in the EU, buy properties there and work. That makes sense to me and the idea that I should not be able to do this is the reason why I think the EU is doing a good job. Its just so much easier this way not to mention we have not had a good war in a while.
I've basically been pretty unimpressed. It's a genuine attempt at retaining a sense of autonomy, balanced with collective security. The big thing you have to understand about the European Union is that it was started as a way for Germany to attain security from the neighboring powers, in exchange for other countries to access the power of the German economic engine. The EU is too despondent to effectively operate, and we see that from them all the time.
The only good thing I can think of is the "support money"(?) for nature restoration and such.
Else, it's pretty much worthless? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
On the face of it it's a good thing, but it's riddled with corruption and bonkers laws.
The EU is a waste!
Thankfully the US doesn't have to pay for it like most globalist quagmires that only benefit the elites and the criminals.
God bless the UK!
Yeah. Europeans have been warring with each other since forever. It seems to me like trying to get a group of cats to eat grass and moo. Good luck with it.
What I learn is that it is useful to solve conflict in law system, maybe like Friedrich Carl von Savigny's thought, It need time to get feedback from reality.
I have a newspaper clipping of George Soros talking about how the EU will fall like the USSR... just for the entertainment value
It’s probably the most important institution for peace the world has ever seen. No major war between its members since it was founded. That’s after literally thousands of years of stupid bloody conflict.
It's a good idea badly implemented. Because it was built by corrupt people, so obviously the result is corrupt.
EU was a good idea, but now EU became the enemy of native Europeans.
Well , Hitler tried to "unify" Europe with force.
The EU did it by deceptive politics.
But it looks like the whole thing is falling appart, so that makes me happy
What's even the point of it? What does it do that Nato doesn't already?
As a person who was born and raised in Europe, I think it's extremely useful and important.
these are the same people that completely ruined africa and the middle east and then sent their people into our countries. How can you completely destroy someones home, and then send them into our countries?
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