At 09:18 PM 12/17/00 +0100, Jeroen wrote:
>At 12:31 17-12-00 -0500, John Giorgis wrote:
>
>>Jeroen wrote:
>> >I suppose this has something to do with your antiquated
>> >system of electoral colleges,
>>
>>Oh really? How modern of you.
>>
>>Of course, I have in my hands right now the latest issue of "The
>>Economist." It seems that the Europeans have just had a major sumit
>>where they agreed on the new makeup of th EU's Council of Ministers. Here
>>are some of the ministerial allocations:
>
><snip>
>
>You're comparing two entirely different things here. First, all US states
>are part of *one* country, while the member states of the EU are all
>sovereign nations.
They might be much more similar than you think Jeroen. Say the name of
our country very slowly....... *UNITED*******************STATES.*
Really, had our country chosen to name itself Columbia, then this name
might have been applied to any number of international experiments in the
future from the UN to the EU. As it is though, the name United States, I
think reflects the aspirations of our government. Each State in the US
has its own Constitution, and its own government, with an executive, a
legislature, and a judiciary. Additionally, each State has its own
military, known as "National Guards."
The US government is actually very similar to the EU government. In both
the US and the EU, certain matters are reserved for the federal level (such
as monetary policy, or agricultural policy, and soon to be foreign policy),
while other matters are reserved for the individual States/member nations.
>Second, EU decisions are not based on elections
>throughout the EU, but on voting in the European Parliament.
The Presidency is not based on elections either, but in voting in our
Electoral College. I also know that the European Commission (your
executive branch) is not directly elected, but voted upon in a
representative body, not unlike our electoral college.
>>So yes, Jeroen, America *may* have antiquated system. But at least it is
>>the antiquated system that the rest of the world is copying for their own
>>experiments in federalism.
>
>First, the EU is not "the rest of the world".
True, but the EU remains one of the best examples of an experiment in
federalism at work today.
JDG
_______________________________________________
John D. Giorgis - [EMAIL PROTECTED] - ICQ #3527685
