Today’s European Union is 27 states in search of a story

I’m a huge fan of the EU.  Not only because my wife is now European (with Romania as one of the two newest states), but because of the idea of national synergy.  Unity, it seems, is better than individuality.  Especially in this age of global market economies, global travel and, erm…global warming.  The member states are facing a future in which they will be able to cash in on the tourism and old world ethics which once seeded the success of the American dream (before it was McCoopted by some scary-ass commercialism).

With China, and much of the rest of Asia, rising, there will be some heated trends in which the West attempts to maintain some form of global integrity.  The EU, with an eye on the benefits of pulling together to create something greater, is a counter to America’s current philosophy of unilateral globalism.  If we’re lucky, America’s next regime change (yeah, I’m breaking politic), will go back to embracing this same vision.

Meanwhile, the EU can begin to trade in on the great variety of strengths included among the member states.  This variety includes Britain’s global reach, Germany’s productivity, northern Europe’s commitment to environmental integrity and a new source of inexpensive labor among newer communities commited to proving their value of their membership and creating a better future for their children.  Nationalism be damned, if this grand social experiment can remain stable and pick up some momentum, the next 25 years could signficantly change the face of politics for the remainder of this century.