Talking Turkey
Fistful of Euros links to the speech of Romano Prodi announcing the formal initiation of membership talks between the EU and Turkey. Following on from my Left Atlanticism posting, I can only see this as a good thing. Anything which tends to extend the unified political community, which extends a universalised concept of humanity and humaneness and which tears down the wholly artificial borders which divide humanity is a good thing.
A single, unified political entity breeching the divide between old Christendom and the Orient can only help, IMNSHO. Obviously, it won't be easy, the ramifications of Europe's borders streching round Asia Minor to border on Iraq, Iran, etc. are immense.
That it is being contemplated at all is a good thing, and all I can say is, soon may come the say when all humans are united in a single political community.
Obviously, the Turkish Maoists won't be best pleased...
posted by Bill at 08:17
1 Comments:
I think Turkey joining the EU would be a tremendous development. It would water down the 'Christian Club' mentality that is either defended by groups with dubious commitment to a socially just world, or attacked by people wanting to demonstrate the problem that the EU poses to a secular left.
It will also provide a key strategic tool in EU negotiations with the Muslim world, which is either, to read the world from Rupert Murdoch's perspective, the greatest danger to civilisation the world has ever faced, in which case we need a means to mitigate the threat, preferably by dialogue and cultural intercourse, lest we face endless war, or far less of a threat to our enlightenment descended societies, in which case we should welcome the people of Turkey into our community.
Of course, membership of this community is dependent on EU standards of human rights, democracy and social legislation being adopted, which can only be a good thing.
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