Poll: The EU should become 1 nation? Discuss.

[Exocet]

I tell myself it's bound to happen,just like all the germanic states fused to make a single large country(same for Italy).That was a LONG time ago though,so maybe my view of things is flawed.

Of course,if it happens,it'll take time and some individuality will be lost.
I,for one,am ready to make that sacrifice.

 

[Phenakist]

Western Europe, that could work, very similar economy's. If you brought any of the eastern countries into it, credit crunch doubles.

Edit: UK, France, Spain, Scandinavian Countries, Italy, Germany. The big ones.

 

[Joshimodo]

Should Canada, North America and South America join together? No.

EU, equally the same.

 

[RetiarySword]

Spoiler

[Too much stuff]

I agree 100%. It would make our nation stronger, the benefits of each country would be shared. Even just the establishment of an EU power grid would benefit everyone.

I still want the UK to adopt the Euro.

good on you. i always favored the euro.
it also means i wont have to change my money when i go on holiday and i wont even need my passport if we were one nation

That's exactly my reason! All this currency changing is annoying, besides if the UK joins the euro currency then the Euro will get a massive boost. Also if the EU was one nation we could just travel, live and work wherever we want in the member states.

Also our as a superstate the EU military budget would be halved from shared resources so that's a bonus there.

EXACTLY EXACTLY
good god where have people like you been when my friends called me insane for suggesting this.
all this stuff should really be posted somewhere where people can read it. All these ideas are good. i'd be able to pack up and move to madrid with no strings attatched. when all the poles move to britain, im willing to bet all the britains will move to the spanish coast and the spanish will probally move to poland. everyone always likes the climate and food and stuff in holiday countrys better. with this we could just move there. A European federation is definatly the way to go

I see us as the good guys anyway, so that would be great. Sir you deserve a high five..

*High five*

 

[RetiarySword]

Should Canada, North America and South America join together? No.

EU, equally the same.

Why not?

 

[ZerOmega]

we dont sacrifice our neibours.

Sacrifice is a bit strong word. We still gladly eat each others' cereal bowl, given the chance.

Heh, maybe I'm being a bit cynical here, but the fact is that the big countries don't care much of the smaller ones. They are willing to force certain laws that clearly benefit their own people while it'd cause commotion in many other smaller members. While it is only natural to look the intrests of the majority, it puts these less significant nations into poor position, which they will never away from.
Also, many times I've noticed that the big countries sometimes ignore the rules if following them would cause them similar commotion. European union is a biased system.

I wish I'd share your optimism Federalist, but as we stand now, a single European nation is all but a dream.

 

[Captain Pancake]

IF we could stop arguing, then europe would finally be a big player. right now, nobody could give two shits about britain, france poland or any of the european nations individually, least of all the americans. but together, we could make them notice us, and see us as a real ally/threat.

I actually thought of this before. same principle could be applied to the whole world, it's the only way we're going to move on to greater things. the alternative is a slow death by guerrila warfare.

 

[Sulu]

The French tried to boycott the UK entry into the EU. The only reason the UK joined it was to get free trade! Here in Britain we all fiercely defend our national identities, we love the pound and hate the Europeans!
the EU is going bad already though, thousands of those pathetic tiny ex soviet bloc countries are joining with their weak economies and barely industrialised nations. If the EU became one nation then us developed West Europe countries have to fix those ex-soviet ones.

 

[historybuff]

No way--what about all the history! I mean, that would start to fade off if you guys became one huge nation!

As an American--my nation has a short history--but some of your nations are older than Christ! Why would you want to give that up?

 

[Captain Pancake]

snip

I'm a little unclear why it's ironic or funny for a German to drink vodka.

I suppose that makes it ironic and funny when I ordered a Sam Adams last time I was in America - hah! I bought an American beer when the Americans got their independence from my home country.


No, I've tried and I still don't get it.

Heh, my dad was drinking Samuel Adams when we visited boston... Damn fine burgers up there...

The French tried to boycott the UK entry into the EU. The only reason the UK joined it was to get free trade! Here in Britain we all fiercely defend our national identities, we love the pound and hate the Europeans!
the EU is going bad already though, thousands of those pathetic tiny ex soviet bloc countries are joining with their weak economies and barely industrialised nations. If the EU became one nation then us developed West Europe countries have to fix those ex-soviet ones.

If you ask me I think you're channeling your avatar.

 

[Joshimodo]

Should Canada, North America and South America join together? No.

EU, equally the same.

Why not?

Vastly different cultures, vastly different economies, vastly different locations, vastly different languages and societies. Besides that, there is no NEED to become a supernation. What benefit would it serve?

 

[Federalist92]

we dont sacrifice our neibours.

Sacrifice is a bit strong word. We still gladly eat each others' cereal bowl, given the chance.

Heh, maybe I'm being a bit cynical here, but the fact is that the big countries don't care much of the smaller ones. They are willing to force certain laws that clearly benefit their own people while it'd cause commotion in many other smaller members. While it is only natural to look the intrests of the majority, it puts these less significant nations into poor position, which they will never away from.
Also, many times I've noticed that the big countries sometimes ignore the rules if following them would cause them similar commotion. European union is a biased system.

I wish I'd share your optimism Federalist, but as we stand now, a single European nation is all but a dream.

Your saying they always favour the countrys with the bigger populous because they have the majority of citerzens. but surly if the EU was a nation everyone would be citizens of one country and power would be more evenly destributed.

 

[ZerOmega]

As an American--my nation as a short history--but some of your nations are older than Christ! Why would you want to give that up?

It's not giving up, per-se, but to adapt into new system. You'd have to respect a flag that is not yours, obey rules that are set somewhere else, possibly fight wars that have nothing to do with you...

Wait a sec... We already are a one nation. I mean, all we need is a president, chairman or some other figure head and that's it! Realisticly speaking, we can't really go any further.

Your saying they always favour the countrys with the bigger populous because they have the majority of citerzens. but surly if the EU was a nation everyone would be citizens of one country and power would be more evenly destributed.

How exactly would you distrubute this power evenly? One vote per country or per citizen?

 

[D_987]

There's nothing to discuss because it's just such an unbelievably flawed idea...

 

[RetiarySword]

Should Canada, North America and South America join together? No.

EU, equally the same.

Why not?

Vastly different cultures, vastly different economies, vastly different locations, vastly different languages and societies. Besides that, there is no NEED to become a supernation. What benefit would it serve?

Well ok not a supernation, but maybe a little more cooperation? If you have a shared border then immigration would be easier to crackdown on. Richer parts could help out poorer parts, people from poorer parts would move to richer parts to do the jobs no body wants to do. Improved security from import export. Shared resources. Just stuff like that.

 

[Flishiz]

It should consolidate at least for this half of the century into a nation state conglomerate like ancient Greece or Maya, for now. Perhaps the information age could raise the next or further generation into a borderless world based on general acceptance, but for now there are too many lost in the old ways of the industrial/service society.

 

[wooty]

Yes, but they don't have Serbia and Bosnia and such to worry about.

Because Serbia and Bosnia have been part of the E.U. since... when?

I thought he meant Europe.

Well, the title clearly states "EU".

The problem with a united Europe is that same old chestnut, disagreement. Europe cant agree on the colour of green. Old rivalries still dominate, most of what Britain wants, France will oppose, Germany-Poland, and as for Turkey wanting in the EU, Screw that!!!

There are other problems too, although most of Europe has adopted the Euro, 1/4 still haven't, theres also the problems of what will the heads of state represent? Most nations are unwilling to dispand the Royal families after hundreds if not thousands of years of traditions.

The current system is good for now, at least its a step forward from feuding states, we can now talk, even if no one listens. The military and economic unions could be a good idea, as long as responsibility, work load and wealth is distributed evenly across the board. Military union might work better, as the success of NATO over the years to co-operate and take on responisibilities is a clear sign that we can work in union.

Most of the fueds you mention are hilariously outdated. Seriously, Germany and Poland? Since when? 1939? And I din't see any problem with Turkey joining, especially after we let countries like Romania and Bulgaria in.

Also, 15 out of 27 member countries use the Euro, to me that doesn't seem to equate 1/4.

In the end though, I mainly agree with you. A single European Union state probably wouldn't work that well, but we should continue going down the road we are now (single currency, no frontiers, etc) and hopefully one day we will be able to do stuff like a single economy or E.U. army.

Alright, so a quarter was a bit out of range, was on the continent for euro 2008 and the vast majority of clashes shall we say, were between Polish and German fans, even a large chunk, I know its not representive of all of them, but a large chunk of the poles we met said they hated the Germans, which came as a shock for me.

Then again, the last spat Britain had with France was 1815, but we still hold a certain dislike towards each other. Then again we were at war with the US until around this point too, but we get on ok, maybe its the distance

 

[Joshimodo]

Well ok not a supernation, but maybe a little more cooperation? If you have a shared border then immigration would be easier to crackdown on. Richer parts could help out poorer parts, people from poorer parts would move to richer parts to do the jobs no body wants to do. Improved security from import export. Shared resources. Just stuff like that.

We already have most of that. Sharing resources will never be popular, however.

 

[Agema]

Why shouldn't the EU integrate despite their differences?

The EU already has several countries which are working proof that independent cultures can survive and even flourish as part of a greater political whole, and that various nations with some animosity can get along together. Most obviously, the UK (England, Scotland, Wales and Norther Ireland), but there are other examples such as Spain and Belgium.

The idea that the individual cultures will disappear overnight or that all the nations will end up at each others' throats if the EU merges more is entirely without evidence.

 

[ZerOmega]

Why shouldn't the EU integrate despite their differences?

The EU already has several countries which are working proof that independent cultures can survive and even flourish as part of a greater political whole, and that various nations with some animosity can get along together. Most obviously, the UK (England, Scotland, Wales and Norther Ireland), but there are other examples such as Spain and Belgium.

The idea that the individual cultures will disappear overnight or that all the nations will end up at each others' throats if the EU merges more is entirely without evidence.

What more would you want?