From the Economist: Northern member states unite on euro-zone reform Excerpt: It's been a while since 1950 when the European Coal & Steel Community first tried to find common economic ground. And few can complain of the immense progress it has made since to what it is today. (Except for the Brits, but that is their problem.) That last line in red above is the real-reason that there is a European Union. Thank you Communist Russia. Because the common-thought at the time (1950s) was, "It's better that we are all in this together than only partly". Behind this notion is another. Like it or not, Europe has a common destiny to which national heritage must submit. Key to that common-destiny economically is a common-currency, a common Central Bank to oversee the currency, and a common will that European Destiny is more important than just one nation's. Once that gets functioning correctly, the rest is child's play. And the economic rewards are delicious - just as they have been for the US. That last part above, in Europe, is however easier said than done. It has taken Europe, since 1950, more than seven decades to get where it is today and the destination has not yet been reached ... *How do you say that in Italian ... ? ;^)
