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To: Hawkmoon who wrote (2711)	12/26/2000 2:14:06 PM
From: Robert Douglas	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 3536

Fortunately for the 13 colonies, their people enjoyed a common origin and heritage overall and spoke the same language. Not as much as you might think. Message 15078990 Try to remember - Virginia was founded by Protestants - Maryland was Catholic and tolerant - Pennsylvania was founded by the Quakers - Massachusetts was founded by the Pilgrims - New York was founded by the Dutch - Louisiana was founded by the French - the people who lived in the states didn't want to lose their identity. Each state approaches state government in a different way. Proper government of a country as large and as populous as the United States must be decentralized - otherwise, the big cities will control the rural areas in such a way as benefits the big cities at the expense of the rural areas. This is unacceptable to the rural areas, and that's why the Electoral College was adopted, and why it will never be abandoned.

To: Hawkmoon who wrote (2711)	12/26/2000 2:59:14 PM
From: Henry Volquardsen	Respond to of 3536

Agreed. Long term success of economic union requires political union. And I believe that the politicians behind the Euro believe that as well. But they realize that if that had been part of the original proposal for the Euro it would have killed the Euro. The Euro becomes the Trojan Horse that ushers in political union. It is worth remembering that the original ancestor of the EU, the European Coal Board, was intended to tie the economies of France and Germany closer to each other largely to reduce the prospect of another war between the two. The EU has always had greater political union as a vehicle for controlling a powerful Germany as a central, though rarely voiced, goal. It is worth noting that the timetable for currency union was much longer term prior to the collapse of the Soviet Union. Once the Soviets collapsed it opened up Eastern Europe for economic development by the West. Germany was uniquely positioned geographically, culturally and economically to be the major player. The European political elites that had lived through WWII, including the Germans, were extremely nervous about Germany becoming even more powerful. The timetables for economic union were accelerated rapidly as a means of tying Germany to the West. There were some fascinating comments by senior European politicians at the time, including one by Kohl explicitly warning of potential military conflict if economic union wasn't pursued.

To: Hawkmoon who wrote (2711)	12/26/2000 5:10:18 PM
From: Stephen O	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 3536

Surely WW 1 and WW 2 were the europeans civil wars, before the late entry of the US into the 2 conflicts. As regards language just about all the well educated younger people of Europe speak English as a second language. I think too that you will find it much harder to put armies in the field to fight stupid wars. The appalling loss of life in WW 1 just would not happen now, the troops would revolt against their officers. As regards Quebec, the separatists are in retreat now.