Discuss the extent to which economic integration within the EU has Essay - 2

Discuss the extent to which economic integration within the EU has been subordinated to the achievement of political objectives - Essay Example The success of Coal and Steel Treaty led to the Treaty of Rome where the European Economic Community (EEC) or ‘common market’ as it was commonly known, created a freeway through which people, goods and services could freely move across the international borders (Europa, n.d.). It was a landmark decision as now people within EEC countries could move without passport and custom duties will not be levied on goods and services, even farmers were paid the same across the Community, giving a joint control over the production of agricultural products. The only drawback was the surplus production. The problem arose with different currencies prevailing in different countries, and for an economic stability the requirement for a single currency was increasingly felt. In the year 1973 Denmark, Ireland and the United Kingdom also joined European Community (EC). In 1992, The Treaty on European Union is signed in Maastricht, which has been a major EU milestone as it set clear rules for the future regarding single currency, foreign and security policy as well as closer cooperation in justice and home affairs. Under the treaty, the name ‘European Union’ (EU) officially replaced that of ‘European Community’. In the year 1999, the Euro (the common currency) was officially introduced in 12 countries namely Belgium, Germany, Greece, Spain, France, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Austria, Portugal and Finland adopted Euro as their currency while Denmark, Sweden and the United Kingdom decided not to take it up as of, for then. As their foreign and security policy, the EU takes on peace-keeping operations by replacing NATO units in the Balkans, Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, and then in Bosnia and Herzegovina. It was a strategic victory of their combined military power. Slowly and gradually EU was becoming a formidable force to reckon with. On December 2007 the Treaty of Lisbon was signed to amend all previous

British Colonialism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

British Colonialism - Essay Example When a territory builds and maintains colonies in other territories, this is known as colonialism (Kohn, 2006). When the West or Europe pictured the Arabic and Asian states, they showed people living darkness and void (Kumar, 2007). They showed they did not want to grow and get updated. They showed that the people were simple and could be made to do anything. This is what was thought about South America and Africa when it was colonized (Kumar, 2007). This also brought these governments the support of their citizens (Kumar, 2007). When Europe wanted to conquer these "Oriental" countries, they passed a message to the people that they wanted to develop the territory to be colonized. They planned to strip the territory of its history and cultures and create a new one as they seem to be fit (Kumar, 2007). Orientalism was so depicted and explained as if it was a curse or a bad thing going on in the world. The true meaning of orient was hidden and in the shade of Orientalism, the West exploited and colonized the Asian and the Arabic countries (Kohn, 2006). Thus, Orientalism was one of the tools used by Europe to colonize the Arabic and Asian Countries (Kohn, 2006). ... Vathek (Salah, 2007) One of the examples of orientalism among the British colonial writers was Vathek (1782) by William Thomas Beckford. Beckford (1760-1844) was and English novelist (introduction to Beckfordiana). He was also a member of the parliament from 1784 to 1790. Vathek was originally written in French at a time when orientalism was entranced in the European population. The plot tells the story of the fictional ruler Vathek who falls from power and then engages himself in deplorable activities with his mother to gain supernatural powers. The setting of the tale is oriental, i.e., in the Arabic countries. The novel clearly shows how backward and downgraded the people of the East were considered. The story clearly shows the supernatural and superstitious beliefs and casts the image of the Eastern countries as those who live in the early ages when everything was considered to be supernatural and science and technology played no role. Kubla Khan (Library, 1999) Another example of orientalism among the British colonial writers is the poem Kubla Khan written by Samuel Taylor Coleridge. Coleridge (1772-1834) was an English poet and a romantic (Poetry Foundation). Kubla Khan is a poem describing about a king who claims to be Son of God and thus ascends to the throne on the grounds that God wants him to rule. He makes his subjects build him a house that is suitable for residence for the Son of God. This poem though short shows how the countries in the East are ruled through superstitions and that the British need to go and save the people from such superstitious beliefs of the people there. Thus they could potrait the image among their people that they are colonizing the territory to revive but instead destroy the culture and history of the