Rund Abdelfatah
ANYONE who has read even the early chapters of Empire Building for Dummies will be acutely aware that the first thing to achieve is the creation of a geographically extensive group of states and peoples united and ruled either by a monarch or an oligarchy.
Common regulation across each of the unequal and unrelated states is essential so that everyone knows what they are and what they not allowed to do.
The Romans knew this; the Ottomans knew this; the Russians knew this; and so did every other empire builder since the year dot.
History suggests that empire building is not a perfect science and longevity is not guaranteed but, whatever example one chooses, controlling one’s empire is impossible unless the vital step of collective regulation has been accepted (or imposed).
Once you’ve got all your dominions obeying the rules you can start fiddling with the tricky bits like national identity, temperament and characteristics and you can attempt to subjugate any that you don’t especially like.
Not easy, I know, but essential if harmonisation across the empire is the objective.
Get this right and you can do anything: change languages, change traditions, you can even change the currency.
Given this truism, it is a pity that the dummies who are attempting to build the European Empire didn’t get past the early chapters – maybe their lips got tired.
The fact that Europe’s masters imposed a new currency before a system of common regulation had been accepted underpins the current and enduring weakness of the Euro.
Each of the nation states in the Community carried on doing what it had always done without regard for the consequences and now our oligarchy (we don’t have an emperor, yet) is desperately trying to sort out the mess.
With hindsight, Europe’s oligarchs are trying to create an empire by stealth
With the wonderful clarity of hindsight, Europe’s oligarchs are trying to create an empire by stealth.
Foreign policy, defence, civil law, are all moving towards central control with the aim of creating a new federation of interdependent states.
It follows that sorting out the current dog’s dinner that is Europe, will require each member of the Community to surrender its law-making powers to an unelected oligarchy.
Never mind the disparate natures of the member states, the unique characteristics that define each of them. The fact that all of these democracies will be subjected to social and fiscal regulation imposed by an external and unelected oligarchy makes complete federation unpalatable.
Domination of the oligarchy by the only member that has any financial credibility makes it doubly so.
