Well, I couldn't agree more. Nations are becoming an anachronismJohn S wrote:To end it, the nation states themselves have to go.
But do you really think that will happen within the next 20 years?
Why should Belgium exist?
I don't think so. Our countries have existed for centuries. The european identities are old and strong. I am in favor of a federal EU because it would be the best way to live in a united Europe, but also to keep our identities and cultures. Like it has worked a Germany since 1871.John S wrote: You people seem to be missing a very important point. None of the countries that are now part of the EU will remain or exist in 20 years. As the EU becomes a nation in its own right, the nation-states will be dissolved. In their place the EU will be divided into euro-regions. At this point in time they are being set up and are meant to replace the former nations.
What is a euro-region, btw?
Why not. The European integration is a new model. France will never be like North Dakota... French will be French, like the Dutch will still be Dutch. We all are already european citizens, but we also keep our nationality!John S wrote: The EU can never be a unified entity if the present states are allowed to exist.
The EU won't be like the USA...
The 450 millions of European must be able to use their own language in the EU. Erasing 23 languages on 24 would be very, very stupid.John S wrote:a national language will be decided.
And impossible...
We already speak a bad english to understand us, but I will always speak french at home, read, write in french.
I don't oppose culture and progress...John S wrote: No culture is stagnant. Cultures evolve. Loss of old culture is just a scare tactic used to try to stop progress by luddites.
Could you define what you call "culture"? Why do you oppose the past and the present? We can learn things from the past.John S wrote: I'm just curious to know how much culture has changed just in the last 100 years with the migrations of people and the absorbtion of concepts and methods from other cultures that was made easy by advancements in communications. And yet most people don't realise that the old cultures are gone and nobody in their right mind would want to change back to the ways things were done in the past.
Why should the Europeans prefer to live in a foreign language?John S wrote: The loss of national languages will happen in maybe one to two generatiions as the people born now will prefer to use English then the national languages and the national languages will fade away fast. Change is much quicker now then in previous generations.
Moreover, the US "culture" is less attractive than it was in the past.