[rakpol]

Super biased, layman thoughts incoming.

Re. countries vs corporations: countries in isolation make laws for themselves (consumer protection, long-term economic protection, etc.), whereas corporations must abide by the laws of their host countries (hence tax evasion via incorporation in accommodating countries). If two countries start to compete, there isn't really anything that stops them from annihilating one another in disturbing fashions (e.g. erecting walls, slinging propaganda, blockading, etc.) other than treaties. Get enough treaties together and you get the EU.

[sounds]

I'd suggest that it is not treaties that lead to good trans-national relations. TTIP, CETA, and the WTO treaty are examples of modern controversial treaties and treaties historically have been viewed as a very negative outcome for one of the nations.

What leads to good trans-national relations? Open borders. Because when the people of the two nations can visit, live, work, stay, build a house, settle down with a spouse and enjoy life in either country, the countries have a very hard time becoming hostile to one another.

That then leads to a completely separate question about the loss of cultural diversity, but I will not go there.

I only suggest that strong nations with open borders become friends.

[comex]

> If two countries start to compete, there isn't really anything that stops them from annihilating one another in disturbing fashions (e.g. erecting walls, slinging propaganda, blockading, etc.) other than treaties.

Or literally annihilating each other, with bombs, for that matter. Thankfully not likely to happen anytime soon in Europe, but in general, conflicts between countries have no limit to how far they can escalate, unlike between corporations...

[nrp]

This is critically important. The EEC and eventually EU came directly out of two incredibly destructive wars on the European continent. If corporations came to that, the leaders of whoever survived hopefully would evaluate the externalities of escalating competition and decide to take the safer route of closer economic bonds.

[wyager]

Countries can compete peacefully by e.g. offering more attractive tax environments to potential immigrants or investors.