There are twenty-five present members of the European Union with another ten about to join.  This is a time reminiscent of the Confederation period in a pre-Constitutional America.  At that time, the main problem was a poorly designed central government with all the former English colonies equal in representation except for non-property owners, women and slaves. There were then, rich states and poor states. In the European Union, there are disunited states with problems revolving around poor states versus rich states.  In Europe some states (countries) are more important than others are.  Equality is a troublesome concept today as it was in earlier times. How it will work out will be interesting to see.

Suppose that there will soon be thirty-five states of the United States of Europe.  Our United States began with thirteen.  The economic benefits of a strong central government were discovered here, early on.  That was the impetus to iron out inequities between each former colony. The American example should be an inspiration to the Europeans not to stop the process for it works here despite our unique history. Each colonial state had borders that could not be crossed unless one was stopped, inspected and taxed. This sounds like airports and public buildings today; but that is a security rather than a competitive political question in our time.

Will the poorest states of the European Union have the same equal political value in the new government in that multi-language, religiously rancorous and now immigrant rich territory between the Atlantic and the defunct former Soviet Communist empire?  How will their unique problems be resolved through trying to adopt a constitution? I think that security in the form of NATO and other such organizations is a partial solution but will have to be revised because of American intervention and the Bush administration’s imperial programs.

The new, larger economic European Union will not have an easy time of it.  These countries, struggling to become a United States of Europe, might finally be the fulcrum of a real effort to form the United States of the World.  The sticking point will, of course, be where the central government in such a “federation” is located.

I think it is inevitable and necessary for such a world union.  My only reservation would be a hope that organizers choose a different location away from the Swiss canton that was the scene of lofty aspirations of the founders of the League of Nations. At that time America declined to join. The League did not prevent World War II from happening. If the nation states in the European Union are talking with each other, there is no other alternative than forging a real United States of Europe. There might be a promise of peace in our time – but, then…