There are a lot of challenges involved with reaching a globalized endstate, and the biggest of them is fear. Given our history, some of it is quite valid. Some, less so.
Fear that some outside force would dictate terms. Fear of job loss. Fear of change. Fear that we would lose our identity.
Fear that the UN could come in and force us to change our gun laws. Fear that the United States would overwhelm a smaller nation. Fear that the United States would lose it's identity in a flood of immigrants. Fear that Europe would lose it's identity in a flood of immigration. Fear of financial disaster. Of being stuck paying for some 'other' like Greece and the EU right now. Fear of having our lives affected by strangers we don't know, understand, or care to give such power to.
Funny, though - I sometimes wonder how those proud Virginians, New Yorkers, etc would feel if they saw where we were today. Our states are about the size of many nations, and those early colonies felt more loyal to their own state than to some new and fuzzy notion of our nation. Just think of the word change between 'these united states' and 'The United States'.
I think most of those fears are tied up to world history. That is - in the past, nations were bound together either through conquest or marriage. Sometimes both. Since we don't really do dynastic marriages any more, that pretty much leaves conquest. And nobody wants to be the conquered.
This is, again, part of why I find the Articles of Confederation, the US Constitution, and the European Union so fascinating. The United Nations to a certain degree, too. (Though since I'd put it on par with the Articles of Confederation in the inability to enforce decisions, it's not as interesting as the EU at this moment).
I think the only type of system that would gain support would be a system that created another layer of government, so nations would operate sort of like states do in the US today. (Sure, for simplicity's sake I wonder what it would be like if anyone invoked our laws to apply for statehood. Given the fears of US dominance as it is, I doubt anyone not already in our sphere would try it. Though the fuss it would create, the upset it would do to various interest groups, that'd be fun to watch!)
There would be all sorts of questions raised. One currency? Taxation? Executive powers? National sovereignty?
Most of those are questions that could be answered, addressed. Compromised on. The one thing that can't, the true obstacle, is the first one -
Fear.
Fear that some outside force would dictate terms. Fear of job loss. Fear of change. Fear that we would lose our identity.
Fear that the UN could come in and force us to change our gun laws. Fear that the United States would overwhelm a smaller nation. Fear that the United States would lose it's identity in a flood of immigrants. Fear that Europe would lose it's identity in a flood of immigration. Fear of financial disaster. Of being stuck paying for some 'other' like Greece and the EU right now. Fear of having our lives affected by strangers we don't know, understand, or care to give such power to.
Funny, though - I sometimes wonder how those proud Virginians, New Yorkers, etc would feel if they saw where we were today. Our states are about the size of many nations, and those early colonies felt more loyal to their own state than to some new and fuzzy notion of our nation. Just think of the word change between 'these united states' and 'The United States'.
I think most of those fears are tied up to world history. That is - in the past, nations were bound together either through conquest or marriage. Sometimes both. Since we don't really do dynastic marriages any more, that pretty much leaves conquest. And nobody wants to be the conquered.
This is, again, part of why I find the Articles of Confederation, the US Constitution, and the European Union so fascinating. The United Nations to a certain degree, too. (Though since I'd put it on par with the Articles of Confederation in the inability to enforce decisions, it's not as interesting as the EU at this moment).
I think the only type of system that would gain support would be a system that created another layer of government, so nations would operate sort of like states do in the US today. (Sure, for simplicity's sake I wonder what it would be like if anyone invoked our laws to apply for statehood. Given the fears of US dominance as it is, I doubt anyone not already in our sphere would try it. Though the fuss it would create, the upset it would do to various interest groups, that'd be fun to watch!)
There would be all sorts of questions raised. One currency? Taxation? Executive powers? National sovereignty?
Most of those are questions that could be answered, addressed. Compromised on. The one thing that can't, the true obstacle, is the first one -
Fear.
No comments:
Post a Comment