In order to belong to something, you have to have an idea of what that something is. One doesn't need to go as far as the nation-states did in definine & delineating identity, but until we all agree to live on a purley metaphysical plane, it will need to be done. Europe might be hesitant to do the "Self/Other" thing, but the rest of the world is not yet there. If you wont define "Europe," someone else will. Because Europe, whatever it is today, is going to come into conflict with places and ideas what are not Europe.
It is as though, in the wake of the 20th century, Europe seeks to avoid the traps of nationalism and tribalism by ignoring the whole subject of defining itself. Side-step boundary, cultural & political disputes by not placing import on them or by leaving it all open ended enough to be in a permanemt state of negotiation. Wonder if it will work? Sounds downright revolutionary to me...
Homework assignment for everyone: Read Benedict Anderson's "Imagined communities."
Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities. -Voltaire
Europe seeks to avoid the traps of nationalism and tribalism by ignoring the whole subject of defining itself.
You may be on to something there, but I don't think it works quite as you say. In fact Europeans (insofar as one can generalize, and minus a vocal minority) don't feel concerned by nationalism and tribalism (in the sense I take it you're using, of tribalism as a strong attachment and sense of belonging to one's group of origin). It's as though, having contributed to forming those concepts in history, and having particularly sacrificed at the altar of the nation, having well-nigh destroyed ourselves in two cataclysmic wars that grew out of nationalism/tribalism, we have emptied our heads of them. We are just as likely today to feel regional ties (or, as Sven suggests above, city ties), as ties to the nation-state. It may seem presumptuous, but I think we avoid the traps of nationalism, not by seeking or by conscious effort, but quite unconsciously because we have got past that point. (Yes, it does sound presumptuous, but I think there's truth in it.)
Whether that means that we may succeed in inventing something new, I don't know. We may not succeed. But there's, let's say, an open door...
(Sorry if this doesn't address the question in your diary, it's just a thought bouncing off your comment...)
Quite possible, probable even, (although I'd bet there's some subconscious work going on as well.) Well, all evolution is about reaction to environment and adaptation to need. I do see the creation of EU-type entities as a step in the evolutionary process.
I just propose that it's not so passive or inevitible as you might think. It's all a social construct, and someone is doing the constructing. And like I and others have said, there is a danger in accepting otherwise. Things like Manifest Destiny were also ideas accepted as just the natural progression of humankind. And nations accepted as having some kind of metaphysical bond holding its people together. Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities. -Voltaire
I don't know if what I'm saying applies more to West Europeans than to Central and Eastern Europeans. I'd be curious to hear what others think.
Side-step boundary, cultural & political disputes by not placing import on them or by leaving it all open ended enough to be in a permanemt state of negotiation. Wonder if it will work? Sounds downright revolutionary to me...
According to my friend Floyd Gecko, this is Canada's approach to the Quebec question, and he suggested that we do the same in Spain. I also though it was clever and revolutionary. guaranteed to evoke a violent reaction from police is to challenge their right to "define the situation." --- David Graeber citing Marc Cooper
Colour me interested, but (perhaps due to poor memory and not having the book to hand) a little confused too.
Here's a link that might explain all this better. Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities. -Voltaire
I hope to get time to make some comments a bit later on.
