The State of This Union is (Remarkably) Strong
Please read a new essay by my colleague, Ralph Peters in Strategika.
For years, I was a guest commentator on a business-news show whose host was surprisingly literate. We covered global affairs and shared useful exchanges. But this well-schooled, worldly man had a massive blind spot he shared with a significant number of conservatives: He detested the European Union (EU) obsessively and leapt on every shred of negative data from Brussels as proof that the EU was, finally, this time, at last, truly and belatedly doomed.
The Status of the EU: A Frustrated Empire Built on the Wrong Assumption
Please read a new essay by my colleague, Jakub Grygiel in Strategika.
As the Preamble to the 1957 Treaty of Rome stated, the purpose of the then European Economic Community was to “lay the foundations of an ever-closer union” among Europeans. This phrase became interpreted as a call for a progressively tighter political merger of the member states, with the European Union as the latest embodiment of this purpose. The problem with this progressive vision, however, is twofold: first, it is never fully achieved as the final objective remains always on the horizon and, second, it is grounded in the belief that a common market can create a unified polity.
The Moribund EU
Please read a new essay by my colleagues, Andrew Roberts in Strategika.
What is the point of the European Union? Only a few years ago such a question, especially coming from a British Brexiteer such as me, might have been written off as simply provocative rudeness from an ideological foe. Today, however, in the light of the EU’s incapacity to meet the strategic challenges posed by China’s aggressive foreign policy, the health challenges posed by COVID-19, the economic challenges caused by the global lockdown, and the budgetary challenges posed by Britain (its second-largest net contributor) leaving, it is legitimate to ask what the EU is really for at this stage of the 21st century.
Discussion (2)
Join the conversation. Logged in subscribers avoid the Captcha verification and get priority commenting approvals. No vulgarity, links, or code allowed.
Dear Professor Hanson, I cannot stress enough how much I enjoy and benefit from your writings and podcasts and appearances on Fox. However, as much as I value your opinion (and any referrals of suggested reading) I will never read another article or watch Lt. Col. Peters again. Although I once enjoyed his insights on geopolitics, my thinking ever since he expressed support for “Crooked Hillary” is that his ability to process information must be flawed. To not be able to easily comprehend that despite all of Trump’s faults (not my first pick but now I am extremely thankful he was nominated and elected, due primarily to his keeping his big three promises of; building the “big, beautiful wall”, no more optional wars and his treating the very biased and dishonest press with the contempt it deserves) for Lt. Col. Peters to endorse “CH” tells me he can’t tell an existential threat to American democracy from a donut. His inability to reassess his initial opinion of Trump after almost four years also speaks volumes. Very Best Regards, Robert S,
Not sure exactly what theme is here? Th EU is built on a treaty-not a governing instrument. It is massively and demonstrably unfair to those not bankrolling the enterprise.