Re: CHAT: national identity

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)