[Svip]

As Rob Pike would say; mais oui.

I believe in the EU; or rather, I want to believe in the EU, because I want to believe that the European countries can work together and close at that. Politically, economically and so on.

But neither am I naïve to believe that the current implementation of the EU is the best solution, nor do I believe that it will ever form into some sort of 'United States of Europe'. Nation states will never disappear in my view (that's the cynic in me), regardless of how ridiculous the idea may be to keep them.

[Svip]

Amusing. Whoever voted my comment down fails to realise that the EU is based on an ideal of humanism. The article in question specifically mentions that Gary has become a Eurosceptic, which falls perfectly in line with his opinion on humanism and progress.

One might think that the ideal of humanism and progress is merely to elevate all countries to Western democracies (if we limit humanism and progress to politics), but in fact, even Western democracies needs step up; such as the European Union.

Edit: When I wrote this blob my parent comment had 0 points.

[digitalengineer]

Well, it was based on an ideal of humanism. Now? It's been taken over by people with other beliefs. Have a listen what Vladimir Bukovsky (who spent many years in Russian labour camps and psychiatric prisons for defending human rights) feels about this 'new' EU: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bM2Ql3wOGcU

He draws some frightning comparisons.

[netcan]

I would not be so sure about nation states staying as they are now. They seem pretty resilient but historically, they're not anything like a constant.

[alan_cx]

How come the united "states" of America still exists today? Or do you think that one day that will break up? (I do as it happens)

[netcan]

Looking at the nation-state idea via the perspective of the US is probably going to be misleading. The American countries are former colonies where the colonists (as opposed to the colonized) formed countries and the nations were formed from those countries.

European nations mostly predate their states (at least in the minds of the people). You can be Irish-American in the US. That is a different kind of a thing to German-Italian. The US version is a nod to heritage. The European version is an admission of a schism. It means German (nation) citizen of Italy. In modern times immigrants do assimilate but this is probably following the US' example. By tradition, citizenship does not imply nationality. You can live in Japan, that doesn't make you (or your grandchildren) Japanese. The Basques are not "Spanish." Kurds are not "Turkish" or "Iraqi" or "Arab." Israel is probably the country that takes the nation state idea most literally.

I actually think the US is the most stable model, because of its flexibility. But, nothing has lasted forever so far.

[anigbrowl]

I too want to believe in the EU much more than I actually do.