posted on Jul, 2 2004 @ 01:58 AM
One of the funny things about history is how a group of states will get together and try to create a federation of equals.
The first stage is equality with disunity
When a crisis erupts, a central bureacracy is imposed to maintain order
The central bureaucracy begins depriving its members of power.
Examples:
1. The American Colonies. After they acheived independence, the 13 colonies signed articles of federation. American history books now teach that
the original scheme was idealistic and unworkable. Washington used the Whiskey Rebellion as a reason to re-write the articles. The committee came up
with the U.S. constitution, a document for which it had no authority to create. Later, especially during the civil war, the sovereignty of states was
gutted, and states were no longer allowed to leave the union if they wished.
2. The confederate states of America. Originally, the confederate constitution enshrined the right to secede, until several states in the west
considered seceding from the Confederacy and suing for peace (AR and TX?). Davis actually threatened to crush the insurrection . . .
3. The League of nations, which was idealistic and but powerless, and so was replaced with the United Nations, which now has the authority to field
an army (Following the USA model.)
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So, will the EU follow this same pattern?
Will the EU annex states by coercion and force?
Will they set up a "Strong Central Government" to enforce their dictates?
How about the WTO? Or OPEC?
The Hansa started the same way in the Germanies. . .