So what State in Europe are you from?

I like to think of myslef as Scottish first, then European. I know some people who only see themselves as Scottish, or others who see themselves as just British, or French, or where ever they happen to live. However, Americans see us all as Europeans. That our Continent, or our Continental orginization, the EU, is some altogether binding factor which unites each of the 25 EU states together in a singular body of Politics, Culture and Heritage, as the US is. That, my friends, is bollocks.

America is a vast and different nation from coast to coast, but it is, i believe, a very fluid society. American families uproot to new states all the time, or grow up in one state and move to another. So where the States have a lot of power to themselves, one can move from state to state.

The federal government being the top tier, passes legislation affecting every state of the Union, and the President being he singular head of the collection of states, and the face of America to outside worlds. So it is not difficult to imagine how the general swave of Americans, being generally not as well in tune with world affairs, could come to see Europe, or the EU, as a nation state itself; with half as many member states as America, and a Parliament and Constitution (i hope) of its own.

The general american will have, say 3 generations or something ago, ancestors that came to America from somewhere in Europe. It is estimated that 25 million Americans claim Scottish ancestry, which is duely celebrated in Tartan Day, which is, i believe, soon, or has been. But i think there has been a fudging of ancestors, wheras im sure the individual will know which is the 'old country' a fudging together of the 'old countries' in the general cultur and phsyche has laid the foundations for the idea that Europe is the same as America.

Another factor to this, is that i think the majority of Europeans enjoy relativley the same way of life. Go to Estonia, say the centre of Tallinn on a saturday afternoon, and i bet you will see people shopping along the high street, kids off school looking around the shops with friends, and amazing architecture on every building. the same in Glasgow or Lyon or Barcalona or Bratislava or anywhere in the EU.

I feel myslef gettin off the point a wee bit here. Im trying to say that Americans view Europe as a nation, rather than a Continent of very different nations, and that they shouldnt. The EU is a loose confederation of 25 Independant countries, and the small, very small bit of legislation that the European Parliament controls is only to standardise it across the EU. But each Country is still its own, very different in languiage, culture and history from each other. Even so, that is still being eroded, you can drive from Paris to Brussels to Amsterdam to Luxembourg City and then to Berlin and Rome without a Passport, something which i think should be incorporated into all 25 States. And the Euro, i think is fantastic, that you can go anywhere in Europe soon, and just use the Euro in your pocket, and i wish the UK would hurry up and join it.

Hmm, i started this post with feverent nationalism and regionalism in my mind, trying to blame the yanks for seeing us as just 'Yurp'. But i have ended with the feeling that incorporating the 25 members into a single body of government, along American lines, with a European President, a powerull all-Europe legislative body, while still having regional parliaments and assembleys, would not be a bad idea. It would have to be done with all the checks and balances in place though. the EU president being subject to scrutiny form an EU senate with say between 2-5 senators from each nation, based on population, or just the same as america, with 2 senators regardless. And over time, the Prime Ministers and Presidents becoming governors of the States of the European union. But even then, it would still be very different from America Culturaly. More liberal, more inclusive, less of a Theocracy, and basically a better way of life for all Europeans, standardized across the whole EU. God damn it, i feel like singing Ode to Joy now,(the EU anthem). And im thinking wether or not i should consider myself European then scottish.

Hmm. anyway. that was a really bad post. It started out a Yank basher and turned into a whole Vive l'Europe thing. Ill put this one down to having a severe nicotine deficency, and go and correct that immediatley with a lovley, smooth, american Marlboro.