A collection of countries pooling their various assets and strengths - if controlled and managed sensibly - seems terribly intelligent.

America, for example can use the benefits of fine weather (certain crops) and support disasters (hurricanes). China is equally massive and can do the same.

Africa would be far better off as one economic unit.

But they all need centralised fiscal policy combined with economic unity.

That's what the Euro has been missing.

The UK should join the Euro and the currency should be managed by the most efficient European economists (probably Germans). We'd all benefit.

JK2006 wrote:
A collection of countries pooling their various assets and strengths - if controlled and managed sensibly - seems terribly intelligent.

Yes, perhaps.

But not if deep weaknesses already exist in the ecomomies of individual states.

Now, it seems obvious that the EU (EEC) did not do enough research into the books of Greece and Ireland, for instance.

It is now, most say, only a matter of time before the EU becomes smaller - with countries leaving. These countries will not be prepared to allow Germany/Merkel to call the shots...

Brussels is no longer the focal point - which again is dictated by fincial stength. The 'club idea' is good, in theory, only.

JK2006 wrote:
A collection of countries pooling their various assets and strengths - if controlled and managed sensibly - seems terribly intelligent.

America, for example can use the benefits of fine weather (certain crops) and support disasters (hurricanes). China is equally massive and can do the same.

Africa would be far better off as one economic unit.

But they all need centralised fiscal policy combined with economic unity.

That's what the Euro has been missing.

The UK should join the Euro and the currency should be managed by the most efficient European economists (probably Germans). We'd all benefit.

For somebody who appreciates the Italian renaissance, I'm surprised that you (JK) want to see Europe become a uniform, statist bloc.

The greatest leaps forward in civilisation, both culturally and economically, have come from competition between small states - think Ancient Greece and renaissance Italy. Even Germany produced most of its great culture when it was composed of hundreds of tiny states - not such a great story after 1870. China has suffered for centuries through being a moribund superstate.

And the argument that the EU has ended war in Europe is complete tosh. Dresden, nuclear weapons, and the Cold War had more to do with that.

No; culture, language, food - all essential individual characteristics remain; it's just the government that is unified, simplified, used to benefit all.

JK2006 wrote:
No; culture, language, food - all essential individual characteristics remain; it's just the government that is unified, simplified, used to benefit all.

But that's the problem. Most Europeans don't want to have central rule. Certainly the UK never signed up to that. Originally it was just an Economic Community. Then a European Union.

A single currency will only work when we have just one European Government, and individual countries' governments are just responsible for local issues.

JK2006 wrote:
No; culture, language, food - all essential individual characteristics remain; it's just the government that is unified, simplified, used to benefit all.

And that's exactly why the Euro hasn't worked.

And yet it won't stop the EU trying to 'harmonize' half a billion varied peoples into a homogenous mass with endless stupid directives forced upon us by faceless unelected beurocrats, themselves held at gunpoint by lucrative lobby group industries, and that interfere needlessly in people's lives.

In theory you're right JK,but as is the case in life others often have different ideas,and look where the eurozone ended up.
Orwell is gone,and if you look at the real trends in world politics we now have more countries,not less..and more currencies,not less than 20+ years ago.Also those countries on the way up are doing so alone,those on the way down are tied to inefficient organizations like the EU.Just look at where the growing economies are coming from,and look at where those they overtake belong.
Life is never simple,politics even more so.

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2155760...y-called-Europe.html

When even those from the center join in the call...

Beware of Greeks bearing fists?

www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-18352258