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Re: CHAT: national identity

From:Irina Rempt <ira@...>
Date:Sunday, May 16, 1999, 9:01
On Fri, 14 May 1999, Tom Wier wrote:

> This is somewhat of an aside, but I've noticed that several of y'all seem > to refer to yourselves as members of the European Union, rather than > constituent members of your own countries.
Not me. That I sometimes call myself "European" only indicates which side of the Atlantic I come from and that I share a few features with other people on the same side of the Atlantic.
> Does this reflect a general > attitude at present in Europe that people there are more and more first > Europeans, and then only later French or Dutch or Germans, much as most > Americans, as opposed to 100 or 150 years ago, now consider themselves > first Americans, and then only later members of a particular state?
I don't think it's a general attitude; there's a small group of (mostly young, rich and well-educated) people who believe vehemently in "Europe", and there even used to be an "European political party" - I was accosted by one of its canvassers once who tried to convince me that it would be a good thing if all of Europe was to be made perfectly homogeneous in culture and language. In vain, of course. Irina Varsinen an laynynay, saraz no arlet rastinay. irina@rempt.xs4all.nl (myself) http://www.xs4all.nl/~bsarempt/irina/index.html (English) http://www.xs4all.nl/~bsarempt/irina/backpage.html (Nederlands)