Quote:
Originally Posted by mobertol
Being one of those who you mention I wouldn't know if or how I've benefitted exactly. I have tried my best to integrate and love many things about France, Italy and Spain -but as I have always said, I prefered them as separate entities with their own identities -not sucked into something bigger which effectively nullifies their individualism and national identity.
Links -OK- not necessarily living in each others pockets.
|
Benefits:
1) Peace in Europe for the best part of 70 years.
2) Free movement of people which allows anyone in the EU to live/work in any other EU country.
3) Both of the above and free trade which, generally, have led to rise in living standards and a more prosperous Europe in the past 70 years and have meant that people are able to move to the Dordogne etc.
As for nullifying individualism and national identity. The UK is a good example of why this wouldn't happen. We are a United Kingdom but England, Wales, Scotland & N.Ireland (and regions there in) all have unique identities but have the same currency, no barriers to trade, free movement, parliamentary democracy, monarch, army etc, etc etc. Same with the USA.
Plus Westminster feels as distant as Brussels to me. For all the good a Westminster government has done for the North West and Lancashire we might as well be governed by Brussels.
The world has changed over the past 100 years. Due to immigration and emigration personal identity isn't about where you live but who you are.