THE EUROPEAN UNION: A VOTE FOR THIRTY-ONE

A VOTE FOR THIRTY-ONE

The history of the European Union goes back to the dark days of 1939, when Winston Churchill began to plan what was to be the union of Britain and France. But in May of 1940 Adolf Hitler's Nazi army chased the British out of France, and six weeks later France surrendered. During those six weeks, the British had not even tried to help the French, though on 16 May Churchill--newly Prime Minister Churchill-- had flown to Paris, to encourage General de Gaulle to fight on. France surrendered, however, on 22 June 1940. And Europe was on the verge of being united by force, under Hitler.

After the war, the United States launched the European Recovery Program--usually called the Marshall Plan, after Secretary of State George C. Marshall--which was designed to rebuild a Europe badly damaged in every way by five years of war, and to rebuild it with fewer national barriers so as to encourage economic and cultural ties. And this was perhaps the real beginning of what has become the European Union. And the leader of the European Union--politically, financially, philosophically--is Germany.

In 1950, a freshman member of the British House of Commons made his maiden speech arguing for a “united Europe.” Winston Churchill was then the British Prime Minister. Churchill was so impressed by Edward Heath's speech that he made him a junior cabinet minister. And though Britain was Europe's most reluctant state, and was not one of the founding members of the European Economic Community in 1957, in 1971--with Heath as Prime Minister--it joined Europe, along with Denmark and Ireland.

Three nations joined Europe. They weren't conquered or annexed or adjoined. They applied for membership, and their membership was accepted. In the now nearly sixty years since the signing of the Treaty of Rome, what is now called the European Union has grown from a membership of six nations--Germany, France, the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxemburg, and Italy--to a membership of twenty-seven nations. And not a single one of these nations has been brought forcibly into this remarkable and unique union.

A unique union: yes. The United States, one must remember, were once thirteen British colonies. As that union grew in numbers of member states, some were bought, and some were won by war. And with the exception of Alaska and Hawaii, they were all taken from the indigenous population of Native Americans--many of whom still live of “reservations.” And many of the inhabitants of the United States were first brought there as slaves, and for more than a century after those slaves were “emancipated,” they were legally and forcibly “segregated” in much of that country, and a large percentage of those Americans still live in ghettos.

The union established in 1957 by the Treaty of Rome was a union of five economically sound nations and one poor nation. Of the next three members accepted in 1971, one (Denmark) was prosperous and stable, one (Britain) was economically troubled, and one (Ireland) was practically a third-world state economically. In 1981 Greece--another third-world European nation--joined, followed in 1986 by Spain and Portugal. None of these three new members was a “valuable” possession; they all needed economic assistance. In 1995 three economically sound nations joined: Sweden, Finland, and Austria. And in 2004, The European Union accepted eight nations from Eastern Europe--the Czech Republic, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Hungary, Poland, Slovenia, and Slovakia, and the Mediterranean nations of Malta and Cyprus. In 2007 it accepted Europe's two poorest nations, Bulgaria and Romania.

Acceptance into the European Union for many of these nations is something like a poor child's being adopted by a rich family. “Empire” is an ancient Roman word, and history's great nations have all been empires, grown out of wars and conquests--until the European Union came into being. This union is a social union--and an economic one. It is not an empire.

“Economic” doesn't have to be a bad word. Etymologically, it is benign: it refers, descriptively, to how we live at home. So economic is a social word. And the European Union is a social union, dedicated to a common standard of living and a common social success.

Croatia, Macedonia, and Turkey have applied for membership. Once they have been allowed to join, the European Union will almost be complete. Switzerland won't apply for membership, and could not be accepted if it did apply. But Russia? Of course Russia should be a member, as should Ukraine. It is clear that Ukrainians want to join. And maybe Europeans--the united Europeans--should invite Russia. Having Russia in the European Union could be the making of world peace. It could eventually make this world a safe place in which human history may live on.

With Russia a member of the European Union, the United States would have to quit trying to undermine Russia. The Russian economy would benefit by its membership in Europe, and Europe would have less complicated access to Russia's vast natural resources as well as a significant protective military capability. With Russia in the European Union, Europe could negotiate with the United States for a reduction of nuclear arsenals and eventually for the elimination of nuclear weaponry world-wide.

The European Union was founded as an economic cooperation which would evolve into a political and social union that would guarantee peace among its member states. Two hideous wars had taught Europeans the need for such a union. “Never again” was the mantra of the war-weary and belatedly wise continent which undid the idea of nationalism without destroying nations.

Russia and Russians seem ready to join such a union. Why not invite them?

 And then?