The union was born from all the ashes of the wars in Europe that have happened forever and ever.

Mutual assured economic destruction.

Allow tiny states within a huge continent to rule themselves with no natural border other than some imaginary line. Have completely different cultures, languages, races, history, currency, leaders and a splash of animosity for past history and a dash of nationalism and you have a tinderbox.

But try to bond them economically, have a common currency, remove borders and allow restricted movement of people in hope the experiment leads to the loss of all these deep seated identities over several generations.

Finally have one union with leaders for all the people and it might me manageable.

Only time will tell.

And you actually believe that?

If you drink plenty of History Lite with a few Current Affairs Lite chasers and squint a bit then anything is believable.

yeah, we have those

like the euro surviving in its present form;)

If I follow the logic here ...

Not only is the UK right to avoid the Euro ...

But Britain also should split off the North, especially Sunderland/Sheffield/Newcastle etc , and give them their own currency which can then be devalued ??

Lose identity?
That's something adorable?

*pukes*

As if. I am a Düsseldorfer. Can't say Cologne ever bothered to culture up and share that identity. Oddly enough, being in one country did not change much of that.

That threat of loss of identity is pure fear mongering.

But it works.

Apparently.

Ironically it seems to come from us Brits quite a lot as well. I would like to pose any British person the question, that under the United Kingdom, with our common currency, the Pound, have the Scottish, Welsh and English lost their identity?

Given that Scottish nationalist parties rule in Scotland and Welsh nationalist parties are very popular in Wales, I'd say not. Whilst adopting a British nationality, we haven't abandoned our English, Welsh or Scottish ones. Why can't it be the same for Europe?

(NOTE: I intentionally left out Northern Ireland since 'Northern Irish' identity is somewhat of a sensitive issue.)