Thoughts about the European Union.

[jerseydevil]

Originally posted by Elvellon
While it started as an Economical community the EU is slowly growing into something much more pervasive. For the first time in History a group of independent states decided to chare a growing number of their sovereign powers among themselves.

Actually this isn't true. The United States beat Europe to it. After the Revolution - each state was it's own country, with it's own coinage, own armies, etc. They were only very precariously linked through the Articles of Confederation. This was basically a treaty between the states or as Article III states ...

The said states hereby severally enter into a firm league of friendship with each other

The Articles gave no back bone to the Federal Government and the Revolutionary alliance, which was held together by the Articles, was breaking apart.

Right before the Constitutional Convention - New Jersey and Connecticut were preparing armies to attack New York over tarriffs on goods. NY blocked the harbor and required ALL shipping to first dock in NY ports - so they could collect the trariffs.

One of the key arguments against The Constitution were the same arguments going on in Europe right now against the EU - the lose of sovereignty, self determination, culture, etc.

Here are some really good books I have that will give you an idea about what the US did in 1787and how the states had to overcome many of their differences to form the United States.

Anti-Federalist Papers
Federalist Papers
Miracle at Philadelphia: The Story of the Constitutional Convention, May to September 1787
Decision in Philadelphia: The Constitutional Convention of 1787

By the way - New York almost didn't sign - if it wasn't for Hamilton - because so much power went from the states to the federal government. They were particularly upset that they were no longer going to be able to collect on the tarriffs.
This is from the book - "The Spirit of 1787" concerning the New York convention....

When the sixty-five delegates began their work on June 17, the Anti-Federalists majority was so overwhelming that there was every reason to believe that the Empire State would reject the Constitution.

...came another development, even more alarming to the foes of the Constitution. Up the Hudson River came reports if the Poughkeepsie convention refused to ratify, the city of New York would break away from the state, hold it's own convention and join the Union.

The Bill of Rights (first 10 Amendments to the Constitution) were a requirement before several states would agree to sign.