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EU could form into never before seen political entity – academic
Published: 05 August, 2010, 06:23
Edited: 21 August, 2010, 06:08
The final form of the EU could possibly become a new type of state that hasn’t existed yet, shared Professor of Political Science Waldemar Skrobacki from the University of Toronto.
The European Union is still a U.S. Protectorate without full Sovereignty as Defense is under U.S. SACEUR control. But sooner or later that will change as E.U. member states not only share a Customs Union but also a Common Currency. So if the Euro survives, that will mean the creation of a Sovereign European Army, because a $15 Tr. Economy like the European Union, which spends $300 bn. on Defense (three times more than China´s) cannot depend on another Economy (U.S.) for Defense. America only wants the E.U. as a Protectorate and a Market which also can supply support troops under a U.S. General in foreign lands...but that will not last forever if the Euro goes ahead. And the Euro will go ahead because there is the political will, as has been demonstrated, in every E.U. member state to go ahead with the Euro. So, yes, it is right for Russians to negotiate with those who are drafting the Treaties and the E.U. legislation, E.U. and Eurozone Commissioners and officials. Most legislations applied not just in E.U. member states but also in E.E.A. (Norway) countries is drafted by E.U. officials.
What I don´t agree is that the "EU could form into never before seen political entity"...It will be a Federation.
The EU doesn't have an army YET. France and Germany have been experimenting with a European Defence Force and there are plans to have a Defence Minister. The EU sees NATO as an entity that could be converted into an EU force but there are complications with EU members that are neutral (e.g. Sweden, Ireland) and states that are members of NATO but not the EU - notably, Turkey. The role of the USA in Europe is rather a controversial issue as well. As for the increasing integration - this has been done without much consultation of the electorate and may prove to be one of the issues that pulls the EU apart.
Partly yes partly no. Certainly the forces for integration in the EU member states will grow as a result of the economic crisis. But Russia doesn't have to change its EU policy. One result of any economic/social crisis is always to relegate some previously 'Hot' topics to history. And so it will be here. When the crisis finally passes all European states will recognize that the USSR has passed into history and will not return. Russia a vast country presenting no threat but many opportunities to European business will likewise be observed by all European states(many for the first time). There are no grounds to be found on the continent of Europe to support hostility between EU members and Russia. They are joined by geography,history and 'enlightened' self interest. And in spite of the stratagems of non European states the mass of commonalities acting between the EU and Russia will provide sufficient force to bring them closer still.
Skrobacki failed to convince the audience that EU would be more effective if Russian diplomacy would more relay to direct EU officials. The catastrophic fire subjected Russia to the contingency - where Europe formatted as EU - totally failed to show neighboring responsibility and help. Useless neighbors. From UK to Germany. They would have better acted if being not linked to the ever-excusable EU administrative linkage.
Of course a Professor of a Canadian University is not favourable to a good development of relations between Russia and single countries of Europe (Germany, Italy etc.). Therefore, he suggests to relay directly to EU officials. PS. The Italian government has sent two aircrafts to Russia for helping in the struggle against fires. Perhaps it is not a great help, but more than the nothing from the EU.
EU, NATO; both are organizations which sap the sovereignity, money and lives of its members! Do away with these autocratic behemoths. Let European nations be independent and bring back their old currencies. The EU is becoming way too powerful. It is only supposed to be a European free-trade bloc. If the EU is allowed to grow into one entity, unchecked and unchallenged, then it is only a matter of time before it will be used to confront Russia. It could very well become another version of an arrogant and imperialist US. No more political and military blocs! They only bring problems.
This professor is evidently biased and most probably paid by pro-EU lobby-organizations. Many European nations are strongly sceptic towards the EU-project, and for good reasons. The majority of Swedes have voted no to the Euro currency and the norwegians does not even want to join the EU-project. Large portions of voters of several european nations protested against the Lisboa Treaty and wants to secede from the European Union. Democracy is Greek and means "people-rule", i.e. it implies the idea of rule "by the people, of the people and for the people". The "people" - demos - was never an abstract issue for the various Greek city-states, but instead a tangible, specific and rooted ethnic tribe with demands of autonomy and self-sufficiency, which were important virtues in classical Hellas. In the EU, we have so many different peoples (demos) that democracy (self-autonomy for each people) is impossible as a whole, while possible for each nation or region. Following from this, the centralized European Parliament can not represent the various european peoples in a genuinely democratic manner. As Aristoteles, one of the major contributors of European democratic ideas, and tutor of Alexander the Great, rightly pointed out that each city-state must be viewed like an organism that needs to be in balance, with its proper measures of size not being exceeded. He explained that the people need to know and keep a close contact and discussion with their representatives and politicians, which in turn demanded a small to medium-sized city-state. If the state-organism grows beyond certain limits, then democracy fails. EU is certainly not a democracy in the true sense, since the basic premises that democracy demands - according to Aristoteles - homogeneity and medium-sized regional power-structures, are not in place. The claims of "democracy" in relation to the European Union is a mere smoke-screen for a growing bureaucracy, oligarchy and free market neo-liberalism.
Eh, several EU countries have nukes n large armies, navies etc. EU doesn't have to be aggressive, because nobody dares to confront it militarily.