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(The EU may trade with us all they want. We should, however, never mix our markets. We can not loose control of our market or our dollar, those must securely remain our own.)
You Sir are a trifle behind the times.
Let us see, ok The mighty US Dollar.
There are more Dollar bills within the Russian Federation than are currently in circulation in the US.
The Dollar is to all intents and purposes already in hock to the Chines, the Japanese, Taiwanes etc etc.
Control of US markets, China provides more products sold within the US than any other country on the entire planet including the US.
I am however firmly against the idea of a so called 'free trade' pact between EU - US.
When the idea of the UK joining the EU was mooted, it was suggested that it was to join a 'free trade' group of nations.
The UK voted to join in a referendum, they thought they were voting for a club that would become a 'free trade area'.
Sadly they neglected to read the small print and in later years the awdful truth emerged that what they had voted for was in fact a Federation of European States, even after those politicians within the EU denied this, it still became apparent that what they in actuality wanted was a single EU state.
Well they now have one.
What they do not as yet have is a single EU currency in use by all EU states.
No Constitution.
A Parliament that sits for 6 months of the year in Strasbourg (France) and the other 6 months in Brussels ( Belgium) necesitating in every scrap of paper being transferred twice a year between these 2 country's.
They do not have a single EU language, every single document produced by those that are in the EU administration whether or not elected or appointed, has to be translated into every individual nation 's (within the EU) language.
And some Americans ACTUALLY want to join this madhouse.
WOW, your crazier than I thought.
now wait a min. The UK joined in 1973, when the EU was the EEC. It was a free trade area with some EEC wide agriculutral and other policies nothing more. The whole "federal EU" started in the mid 1980s under Thatchers (and other conservative goverments) watch and really went into gear in 1992 and onwards when the single market was put into place. The UK has agreed to almost all of the policy changes through the decades, and lets not forget how much the EEC has given the UK over the years.. the state of the UK economy in 1973 was not exactly... good.
As for the EU parliament.. yep, silly aint it? And yet they probally sit in session longer a year than the American congress under the republicans
and have much less power heh (yea that was a sarcastic joke). But most people dont understand the role of the commision or the parliament. Most think the commision can do whatever they want, which they cant. They cant do anything without the member states ministers agree on said action, and those ministers are part of goverments that citizens elected and can remove again. And the parliement is seen as a toothless organisation, with it is in some way, but it can block funding and has other regulatory things it can do. And the EU does have a "constititution", its the treaty. The latest version of the treaty, called "the constititution" by federalists, anti federalists and the media (but in reality it was no more than a new treaty) was voted down in a few countries and has since been "dead". But the rejection in all cases had more to do with domestic politics than with the new treaty it self.
As for the US dollar. Its "dominance" is due not to the present US economy or international policies, but the past US economic and political dominiation. In fact the Euro is getting more and more popular in international trade and that is because the US economic force around the world is not as great as it use to be, not to mention its downward political role.
EU states are also very defendant of thier national identity. Some more than others, but no nation wants a "federal EU" along the lines of the US. Sure there are a few politicans here and there, that want it, but it will never pass. It depends on how you define national identity. For example Danes seems to define it by its currency, or more acuratly if the Queens face is on the coins or not. Thats what basicly made us not join the Euro, and today a majority are regreting this as they found out that the Euro can have the face of the Queen on it. You see the left wingers could muddle the waters enough to conceal the truth about the Euro back then. Others see it as their flag, their food and so on.
However more cooperation within the EU on many issues is in the future, may it be police or other legal matters or other stuff. Its just logical following a common market and the so called war on terror. However foreign policy is wayyyyyy off if ever, as is military cooperation. And without those, the EU will never become a "nation" in the traditional sense.
As for the idea of a single market with the US... lets just say, we are democratic in Europe and a few nations very democratic, and such a "deal" would have to go to national referendum and it would take a freaking act of god for such a thing to pass. Not becuase of the whole economic issues, but because of how the US viewed among Europeans. They would simply not see it as a "step up", but as a "step down"..,..and thats dispite if it was true or not.
Personally I would welcome a cooperation.. at least we could get rid of the stupid rules between the 2 areas.