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Draft Charter for Europe Points the Way to a Bigger World Role. A draft constitution for an enlarged European Union was unveiled on Monday, pointing the way toward creating a greater European presence on the world stage. By Paul Meller. [Headlines From The NY Times (10/29/2002)]

As the European Union plans its growth, the United States will need to re-evaluate our own position in the world as a whole.  As noted in the NY Times:

With about 445 million citizens, the European Union will have a much larger population than the United States, something the drafters of the constitution want reflected in its role in international affairs.

Given the policy contained in Bush's recently released "National Security Strategy of the United States," states that America, as the world's strongers nation, "will never again allow its military supremacy to be challenged as it was during the cold war" (NY Times, Oct 26, 2002), we're either going to have to have an excellent relationship with Europe and learn to "share", or we may be in for a very serious fight.

"Almost every part of the Bush doctrine can be defended except that assertion," said Kurt Campbell, a Pentagon official in the Clinton administration who is now senior vice president of the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies. "It not only says that we're Hertz," he said, "but that we're going to discourage strong market competition from Avis."

To much of the world, he argues, "the doctrine says: we know best." He continued, "At some point, even if you are democratic and wildly successful, we are going to discourage your growth."

I have to admit, I would not want to see the US be taken over by another country. While I may not like everything we do, and agree with even less of it, I do still realize that this is one of, if not the, best places to live in the world, an I enjoy the benefits of that.  But I also don't think it is necessarily our place to keep everyone else "small". 

If the European Union does grow to be significantly larger than we are, they, by rights, should be able to have the kind of an army that can defend themselves, should it be necessary.  Yes, that might mean that they could be a potential threat to us, but I believe that its a threat that could be neutralized by maintaining positive relations with them, not by trying to restrict their 'homeland security' options.

Right now, the European Union is working on putting together the documents that will help form and shape what that will become.  There is some talk of structuring it similar to how the US is, with the different nations being the counterpart for our states. It seems to me that during this time, while they're trying to figure out who and what they will become, rathering than issuing doctrines indicating that we will challenge anyone who dares to be as strong as we are, we should work with them to help ensure that whatever form they eventually take will be something we can work with, and not have to fight against.