Unity Through Diversity (ONE from the diversity of Humanity)

[Ming the Merciful]

As somebody who has watched the European Union growing from its infancy, I have noticed a lot of changes. Not on the Political or Governmental level, but as viewed from the individual within the European Union. I have travelled extensively across Western Europe, and including those countries that are not Member States, (Norway and Switzerland). Although they are not members, (per se), they have the European Union mindset. The only areas where there are minor problems, is at the border between Switzerland and Italy, and Italy and France. As Italy is having major problems with illegal immigrants, all their borders are protected by Border Guards, and it is the same on the French-Italian border. Although if you are travelling out of Italy into Switzerland or France, there are no border controls. As far as the Italian Government is concerned, if there are illegal immigrants crossing the border to other Member States, that is the last Italy will see of them.

On the individual level, the majority of Europeans now call themselves "Europeans" first, and then the Nation State. Not only there the Sociological level, the other thing that is happening across Europe. Two years ago China announced the "China Initiative", and are in the process of building the "New Silk Road". Or, China and the European Union are building new railway lines between China and the European Union, across Asia and the Middle East. Meanwhile, within the European itself, as the majority of railway networks in the individual countries are State Owned, there is a combined effort to construct new High-Speed railway lines across the European Union, and a lot of the railway network infrastructure is being upgraded. I have seen it, and it looks impressive. The reason for the new railway network, is to cut the shipping time from China and Far Eastern countries to Europe. At the current time, to ship something from China by Container Ship can take up to sixty days. Once the New Silk Road is completed, to ship the same item will take ten days by train.

I use the European Union as a "Model" of what could happen to Humanity if it became Unified.

There are others model in which on diversity context it is as complicated if not more complicated than EU which covers area which pretty much close if not bigger to EU.
1. India (More than 447 Languages and ethnical identities)
2. Indonesia (More than 710 Languages and ethnical identities)

In context of India, I deliberately excluded Pakistan and Bangladesh.

Every citizen in such countries has identified as "Nation Name" first and Religion or Language or Ethnicities second.
I'm an Indian first and Marathi/Telugu, Christian/Hindus/Moslems/Buddhist/Sikh second.

Among one of the key differences in EU model vs India/Indonesia model is on the monetary structure.
Which is the current key major issues within EU.

When Greece goes bankrupt, Brussel's action is to issue a loan to Greece to repay their debt.
A loan for a solution to loan problems?
This only makes the problem worse and not a solution to the root cause of Greece economy un-competitiveness which caused the crisis in the first place.

In pre-EU world, the problem can be easily solved by Greece devaluating their currency (Drachma).
Which now Greece cannot do as all control for Euro is decided in Brussel.
And Brussel's action to Greece's problem is to issue a loan to Greece and avoiding any devaluation to Euro.

In contrast: when let's say Bali's government goes default, Indonesia's central government will take over the obligation.
It will be quite funny within Indonesian context for Indonesian government to issue a loan in IDR to Bali government.

The IDR will of course will become devaluated as usually the solution for such issues is the government will print new money in IDR to cover the obligation. But no Javanese or Lomboknese will ever complaint that their currency become devaluated because of the Balinese. And none of them will came up with an idea that proper actions is to issue a loan to the Balinese. As a result no Balinese will have a desire to exit the Indonesian-Union. Your debt is our debt, your problem is our problem.

Similar model is working in India.

Monetary issues is among the key factors which drives Brexit. (and Grexit)

The best thing that happened in the European Union was the Euro. It makes travel from country to country so easy. The exceptions are Norway, Denmark and Switzerland. Although Switzerland is the "Exception of the Exception". It is not part of the European because it remains neutral in everything. However, because Switzerland is in the middle of Europe and people are passing through it in all directions, (Zurich HB (Central Station) is the busiest international station in Europe). Switzerland accepts the Euro as standard as well as the Swiss Frank in all cash transactions. Switzerland is not a part of the European Union, (per se and in some many words), although it may as well be because it is except in name. Great Britain never accepted the Euro, and everything must be paid in Pounds.

Great Britain must be one of the few countries around the world that still uses Miles for distance. It is now getting to the point where I use the Kilometre as much as Miles, because I have travelled to Europe so many times, and it is the same in Canada. The United States is the other exception. The Mile is an illogical distance measurement, and the Kilometre makes more sense. It appears as if the former Empires are holding onto the last remnants and not modernization with the rest of world? That too will become part of the "Rebirthing" of Humanity.

That is part of the British Psyche and it cannot let go of the past. You would not believe how much propaganda is shown on British TV regarding the Second World War. They are still showing programs on how they defeated Germany, (such programs I never watch out of protest). Then there is the Monarchy propaganda A perfect example, last week on three British TV channels, simultaneously there were programs purporting propaganda about the Monarchy. The Monarchy is dead. Apart from all my travelling in Europe, I used to live in Canada, and so I lost all interest in the Monarchy. I have no time for them. What a lot of people do not realize, (living outside Great Britain). A block away from Buckingham Palace and the same at Windsor, people are living in cardboard boxes. There is the old saying, you can tell how much a country cares about its citizens, when you see the number of homeless people.