Fra:Simon Laub (simonl@daimi.aau.dk) Emne:European Arcadia (Repost) Nyhedsgruppe:soc.culture.europe Dato:1992-08-08 22:03:26 PST ----- EUROPEAN ARCADIA ---- - Is a dominant motif in european integration , - if a short abstraction from economics is allowed. After the start of the internal market by 1992 , there has been a slow drift away from strictly economic themes ( and the EC have 'changed' name from EEC to EC). Centralism in the EC : --------------------- But with this shift the problems do get harder to tackle . You can talk economics in a rather relaxed atmosphere , as all used the same economics textbook at university anyway. But talking about what kind of institutions , working in what kind of way - proves to stir up emotions very quickly. To counter this the bureaucrats invents words like 'subsidiarity' , which means that decisions should be taken at the lowest possible level. Politicians are thrilled , as they can now tell their electorate , that centralism is dead -- and bureaucrats are thrilled , as they will decide ( at the EC-court ) , what the lowest possible level is. According to Delors the result will be something like 80 per cent of all laws in the EC - at all levels - being made in Bruxelles. This wouldnt be so bad , if there were any precedent in history , that centralism is superior to a more decentralized way of Govt. . Besides it makes no sense to take aboard in the future , e.g. the Baltic states into a centralistic EC . Also the limited freedom gained in places like e.g. Catalonia ( after 40 years of Franco ) should not be taken away again. And wasnt the german Laender created after WW2 , under the advice of allied forces , exactly in such a way , that they would fit in nicely in a decentralized Europe ? Altogether I feel , that centralism is very dead and that any attempts for a reintroduction is beyond excuses ( this be via tha Maastricht-deal or otherwise ). But if you take away centralism forever in a future EU , undoubtedly many a true euro-believer will feel utterly cheated , their ambition somehow stolen away. Another kind of Unity , ---------------------- EC-hooks , 'deepening' EC - cooperation. ---------------------------------------- But unity has many sides. And noone is saying , that there should not be a sense of togetherness in Europe . In a global sense - Europeans are very much alike ( with only the US/Canada and Australia/N.Z. missing to make it a real family thing ) -- and of course you should build on that. Delors wants hooks in the 12 EC countries , so that they dont drift a part by accidence or by powershifts going out of control . Again and again we hear , that if we wait 10 - 15 years with the European Union ( Maastricht ) , then Germany will be to strong to be an equal partner in the EC ( that DDR is the poorest part of the EC , with no signs of a second wirtschaftwunder and that most germans do realize - that what is needed in Europe is partnership , not hegemony --- is often forgotten ) . Of course one could imagine all sorts of nightmare situations in 10 years time -- But as long as the Laender do keep their power ( and this is not eroded away in Maastricht ) and the international trend in television , science and industry continue ( and why shouldnt it ). --- its just not very likely , that Germany in 10 years time should wish to reintroduce hegemony , doing nasty things to the french , the dutch and the danes ( who combined holds about equal power - by the way ). Also - Delors have told us , that there will be no EC after 1995 , if not the Delors II package is agreed upon. I also find this to be scaremongering -- Why would anyone want to destroy the internal market , if EC-spending doesnt go up from present 1.2 per cent of each countrys GNP to 1.37 per cent ? Already we have countries saying, that further cohesion funds , wont do them any good ( as cohesion funds can only be used in roadbuilding and alike , - and not in health and education , which is more needed in some places ). ETC. Taking this to be the current state - I would say , that some broadening would restore perspective and keep the EC on a less ambitious level , but a far more realistic level ( and I am pissed off about the fact , that Maastricht is a 'right here- right now union' for technocrats, who doesnt realize , that there is a Europe outside the EC , and that a European Union shall survive say 200 years ... Maastricht on the other hand is more like a process with undetermined goals. And as we are all grown-ups .I think we can now be told what the goals actually are . ). Economics in The EC. ------------------- Also we have been told , that the EU - would be exactly the right thing to kickstart economies after the seemingly endless recession ( Maastricht also having parts saying nothing about economics - its quite a statement by the way ). How often have we not heard politicians decree , that recovery is under way -- and will hit us next year :-) . There is only so many cameras, cars and refrigerators to sell on the market every year --- that to believe in a 30 - 40 mill increase in the workforce ( EC-wide ) is wishfull thinking , if not politicians telling lies ? What is needed is something as dramatic as WW2 , that ended the depression ( not the New Deal ) . Being against wars I wouldnt recommend WWIII ( and besides no Govt. can afford real wars anymore , consider the 130 mill DM jaeger 90 :-) ). Mr. Livesey asked me (in a prev. post about the EC) : > Do you think southern europe is going to Mars ? -- And actually YES I do ! I think there should be a massive EC spaceeffort - with massive spinoffs , simply to create momentum in a stalemate western economy ( Mr. Gerald O'Neill of Princeton have published many books on the subject , which offers light on the subject ). But otherwise EC - stick to the programes , the internal market , forget about Maastricht and boost the whole thing with say a spaceprograme ? Then we will be back on track ! Simon Laub ps. Sorry mr. Livesey for previous harsh language - your latest posts have been clever. with many good points , somehow reflected on in this post.