Book Review:
The United States of Europe

By T. R. Reid
Reviewed by Bill London
from the January 2005 Newsletter

T. R. Reid’s new book The United States of Europe is the most hopeful book on international politics that I have read in a while. The book’s subtitle explains why: “The New Superpower and the End of American Supremacy.”

In essence, Reid shows how the twenty European countries that have banded together to form the European Union have created the richest and potentially most powerful geopolitical bloc in the world—and how that bloc will grow to thwart American imperial war-making worldwide.

The growth of the European Union has been ignored in the US, but the implications are profound. With a common currency, no borders, and a common perspective, the Europeans (especially the younger generations) see themselves as one nation, not twenty. And they see the role of a united Europe as a peacemaker. Especially after the US invasion of Iraq, Europe is united in its opposition to American war-making.

That’s the good news. Because as the US spends itself into bankruptcy chasing ghosts in the Middle East, Europe is growing in economic and political strength. European corporations are buying huge chunks of the US, thanks to our poor balance of trade and budgetary deficits. Soon Europe will be able to demand that the US stop its imperial expansionism. (I hope.)

We have already seen Europe flex its economic power. The best example is given in chapter four of Reid’s book. Two American corporations, GE and Honeywell, planned to merge, creating another mega-corporation. All the American governmental regulators gave their blessings (as you would imagine in these Republican times). But the directors of the European Union anti-trust division said no. As a result, the merged GE/Honeywell Corporation would not be able to sell into Europe, so the merger was off. Europe said ‘no’ to an American business deal. And America could do nothing about it.

That’s power. And it’s just the beginning.

This book is available at BookPeople and at the Moscow Public Library.

Bill London edits this newsletter and is astounded that the American government insists on reliving the tragedy of Vietnam.

© Copyright on articles, recipes and images are jointly held by the Moscow Food Co-op and the respective contributors, except were otherwise noted.

Return to Resource Page

For additions or corrections to this page, please contact the Webmaster.