The problem with the British attitude to the EU is that the British view the EU in totally different way to those on the Continent. The British still view the EU as a group of sovereign nations that have transferred important sovereign rights to Brussels in order to create a single market for economic purposes. Many British people think the process has gone too far.
On the Continent, however, nearly everyone, except the Hungarians, is in favor of central control by the EU over economic policy, accompanied by direct democratic control over the process. The recent EU elections led to the democratic choice of Jean-Claude Juncker by a 26- 2 majority, an election that was respected by everyone except the British.
The Euro is a mess, but it is still overwhelmingly supported on the Continent, and, even if there is another crisis, its membership might be reduced, but it will survive. European integration is not going away. New countries – Lithuania, Poland, Czech Republic want to join the Euro, and those in waiting, such as Romania and Croatia want to as well. This leaves the UK out on a limb, without allies, except for the proto-fascist, Victor Orban. At the moment Britain has an effective veto on the banking matters so important to it. But as new countries join the Euro British ability to get its way on financial matters will shrink. All the British will be able to do is to ask for opt-outs that will make them very much the odd-ball, misaligned member.
No European nation wants Britain to leave. It would be very much as if the Scots had left the union – a diminution on both sides. But the current situation is unsustainable. The only hope is a deal where the British don’t actually leave the EU, but become “associates”. This leaves them with little influence, but more than sitting on the periphery of Europe, at the mercy of decisions they have had no hand in.
The relevance for Epicureans? In a sense the European Union has been an Epicurean project: multiple independent countries, previously warring on and off for centuries, came together to sink their old differences and terminate the grizzly business of settling grievances by force. Moreover, the EU has been moving towards a true political union, with a parliament and the beginnings of a joint defense force.
One can argue that they have been trying to do it too quickly, but the idea of friendship, collaboration and the pooling of resources is what Epicurus would have advocated after the Second World War, and would support now.
At one point the EU inner workings were dominated by British civil servants, who were valued because of the tradition of non- partisan commitment to efficient government. I don’t know what the staffing profile of the EU is now, but had Churchill followed his brief flirtation with the idea of a form of European union after the Second World War Britain might have dominated and shaped the institution, and let the growth be more organic. Instead, thanks to “little Englanders” and ideologues the expansion process has been too fast and furious. The result is that there are huge economic disparities within the EU (Greece, Eastern Europe), which has resulted in massive internal migration. It is the migration that has alienated the man in the street most. It could have been avoided.
Its even worse, David Cameron says he wants to leave the EU if his renegotiations for the free movement of labour are rejected- which they will be, and rightfully so. Americans would be outraged if interstate migration was regulated, so we should be outraged at Tory attempts to regulate the free movement of the European people, especially as it will inevitably lead to a British exit. In turn, the Scots will vote for independence so they could rejoin the EU- ending the country as we know it.
You are absolutely right, Owen. This could be a total disaster. This last summer I went to a dinner and found myself sitting next to a fellow who told me he was a founder member of UKIP, of all things. I said “So you want to leave the EU. What then is Plan B?” ” What do you mean, Plan B?” “You’ll be stuck on an offshore island of Europe. Who are you going to trade with?”. He replied, “The English speaking Commonwealth members”.
I then went on to tell him he was about 50 years too late. The US, Canada, Australia, NewZealand were no longer interested in the UK , except for the occasional holiday. America’s ” special relationship” is with Israel, not Britain. ” In twenty years of living in the US capital only one person, a soldier, has ever mentioned any “special relationship” with theUK. Forget it!
He gave me the impression that he had never heard anything like this in his life. What a complete, irresponsible idiot!