The Strongest Super power in History

[whooleytoo]

but now with one superpower, there would be nobody to stop them and the iraq war now is an example of no strong nations (militarily) to oppose the usa to go into a country which had nothing to do with 9-11 and attack them on the charges of terrorism and weapons of mass destruction...and now that the truth is out and there are even republicans questioning our moves in recent years, i feel ashamed and responsible in some way...and i didn't even vote for president bush

There are some interesting theories here, that many in the EU want to position it as a superpower to counter-balance the US. France and some of the Western, older EU nations are in favour, while the UK and the newer Eastern European nations are against (with the need for US investment being an important factor here).

While I think it might be good to have a counter-balance, I wouldn't want it to be the EU. Foreign policy differs too much within the Union, I wouldn't want a European army effectively enforcing the foreign policies of the UK, France and Germany, but "in my name"!

 

[Queso]

...enforcing the foreign policies of the UK, France and Germany...

Those words sum up exactly why it wouldn't work. How often do the foreign policies of those three countries come into alignment, let alone the other 22?

 

[MongoTheGeek]

Those words sum up exactly why it wouldn't work. How often do the foreign policies of those three countries come into alignment, let alone the other 22?

Thats how the US started. 13 countries got together to pool their military and financial resources. In theory the federal government does almost nothing. Military, post office, currency, foreign relations, patents, copyrights, and regulates interstate commerce. The last one is referred to as the elastic clause because its stretched to cover just about everything.

 

[Queso]

Thats how the US started. 13 countries got together to pool their military and financial resources. In theory the federal government does almost nothing. Military, post office, currency, foreign relations, patents, copyrights, and regulates interstate commerce. The last one is referred to as the elastic clause because its stretched to cover just about everything.

But surely those 13 countries started off with a lot more in common than the EU nations, being newly established territories that had just thrown off British rule, and they must have seen that without sticking together they would be picked off one by one by either the Brits or the French. The main players in the EU are well-established nation states, many with long Imperial histories and rivalries, and with NATO already tying most of them into a military alliance, you'd have to be pretty foolhardy to try and pick them off individually.

There are some people in the EU that want the Union to take the superpower road, but they are in a tiny minority and most of them don't live outside of the Brussels/Strasbourg bureaucracy. It's better to focus on the economy. Every EU member state has benefitted in that regards.

 

[MongoTheGeek]

But surely those 13 countries started off with a lot more in common than the EU nations, being newly established territories that had just thrown off British rule, and they must have seen that without sticking together they would be picked off one by one by either the Brits or the French. The main players in the EU are well-established nation states, many with long Imperial histories and rivalries, and with NATO already tying most of them into a military alliance, you'd have to be pretty foolhardy to try and pick them off individually.

There are some people in the EU that want the Union to take the superpower road, but they are in a tiny minority and most of them don't live outside of the Brussels/Strasbourg bureaucracy. It's better to focus on the economy. Every EU member state has benefitted in that regards.

The differences were incredible at the beginning. Not quite to the point that Europe is, at least in the US for the most part there was a common language, (German was the main language in many parts of the US up until WWI)

The pulling down of tariffs is good for the countries in the EU economically. It will also lead to homogeneity. How long will it be before everyone starts speaking English(or French, or German, maybe one of the others but they seem to be the front runners) at home, I don't know. Good thing or bad, once again, I don't know.

 

[®îçhå®?]

I would have to choose the British Empire but that is biased as i am British; but still, covering 1/4 of the globe is an amazing achievement. I think that Bush with his lapdog blair could potentially create a huge empire now but that will never happen so there is no point in discussing it.

 

[whooleytoo]

The differences were incredible at the beginning. Not quite to the point that Europe is, at least in the US for the most part there was a common language, (German was the main language in many parts of the US up until WWI)

It should be pointed out to those who look to the US and would welcome a European 'super-state', that it took one of the bloodiest civil wars in human history to keep that nation together!

I think it would be a near impossibility, with countries that have been at each others throats for centuries (England, France, Germany), countries that have been colonised by other members (Ireland), countries that are fiercely proud of their individual culture and would be concerned about the loss of identity (France, Italy and others) etc..etc..

Not to mention that the creation of 'super democracies' isn't exactly going to help lift voter apathy! "Even if everyone in your country votes the same way, with over 500million in the EU it won't even register a blip.."

The pulling down of tariffs is good for the countries in the EU economically. It will also lead to homogeneity. How long will it be before everyone starts speaking English(or French, or German, maybe one of the others but they seem to be the front runners) at home, I don't know. Good thing or bad, once again, I don't know.

Ack. I really, really hope not. Vive la difference!

 

[whooleytoo]

I would have to choose the British Empire but that is biased as i am British; but still, covering 1/4 of the globe is an amazing achievement. I think that Bush with his lapdog blair could potentially create a huge empire now but that will never happen so there is no point in discussing it.

Funnily enough, as I was browsing around on Wikipeda last night, I stumbled across the Scythians, a huge empire I hadn't even heard of before. It just goes to show, there may have been many empires which dominated utterly in their day, and many of us might not even be aware of.

 

[mgargan1]

wow, I go away for a week, and I come back to read a lot of topics on this thread.

I never meant for this to get that political. I think a lot of it is just that there are a lot of people out there who disagree with US policy, and therefore will disagree with the people who believe the US is the strongest in history.

While I may or may not agree with these people, that is irrelevant. Everyone is entitled to his or her opinion. There doesn't need to be any country bashing, or my military is bigger than your's...

Anyway... good thread so far...

 

[Accylad]

The British Empire (cant be the US as it makes a mess of every conflict it gets involved in, it usually sets up the guy it fights in the first place, Uncle Ho! Sadam!). Blair should be ashamed of himself being G Bush's lacky!
English and Proud! despite what our politicians tell us!!

 

[®îçhå®?]

Funnily enough, as I was browsing around on Wikipeda last night, I stumbled across the Scythians, a huge empire I hadn't even heard of before. It just goes to show, there may have been many empires which dominated utterly in their day, and many of us might not even be aware of.

Yeah but everyone knows about the British Empire. If you vote for the Scythians, no one would have a clue what you would be on about.

 

[zap2]

I think that the EU is the current world superpower. When it comes to economic power, culture and good carsm the EU can't be beat.

But they don't act as one group. some on the EU back iraq(stupidly) and some did not.. there not one group....

if they are considered one group then i would say the UN is the strongest super power.. if they act together.