[i]Previous Think Tanks: The Hydrogen Life: [url]http://www.facepunch.com/threads/1142545[/url][/i]
When the last embers of a dying continent were extinguished, men and women of great ambition sought to rebuild a continent bought low by the ravages of a senseless war, by the naked and terrifying dream of a single man, and above all, by the atavistic belief that old men could send their children to die for the sake of their pride. Millions of Europeans were slaughtered by the fellow Europeans, and in the end the greatest continent on the planet became pieces on a board between two great, fissile powers, staring at each other with silos and subs and planes.
And yet in the ashes, there were men and women who had but one goal - to rebuild. And among these individuals, there was none greater and more charismatic then Winston Churchill. History could not ask for a greater orator; his speeches have gone down in time as eminently brilliant, and his leadership and charisma was certainly effective in defending his nation and its people. Churchill's reputation as a leader is without doubt
But it was his approach to the world after the war that has attracted the greatest criticism, for it is here that it was revealed that Churchill was still mired in the 19th century. His ultimate goal during the Second World War was not the demise of Hitler, but of the preservation of the Empire. He failed to understand the admittedly unimaginable change that the Second World War had wrought upon the world. And perhaps most tragically for the continent, he had failed to see the sheer will and drive that people such as Jean Monnet would deliver, to realise a dream of a united continent. Churchill had expounded the idea of a united Europe, but in his mind, it was always on the condition that Britain would sit on the sidelines, and bask in its empire.
As a result, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland would henceforth remain on the peripheries of Europe, always looking in, and would be simultaneously be attracted and repelled by a continent embarking on a historically unprecedented project. Britain did not benefit from the Wirtschaftswunder in Germany, la miracle of France, or the Italian miracolo, and it arrived in the EC too late to benefit from it. Instead it believed in being a partner of the United States, which in turn, was concentrating on its great game with the Soviet Union, such that Britain would be a distinctly junior partner in the relationship.
So the Think Tank for today is this: What if Britain had joined in the European Project from its very conception? Would our influence have changed the EU in any way? Would the EU look different to us now? Would have we made the EU more palatable for the British, or would we have become more European in our outlook and attitudes? Finally, would the Cold War have looked any different?
[i]EDIT: Ah crap, typos in the title. I am derp[/i]
Britain has never had a brilliant classical composer to rival Mozart and Bach on the Continent. Nor do we have any eminent Renaissance artists to match Da Vinci. The contributions of Britain to the world of art are in poetry, theatre and the written word - all of which are less universally accessible than a painting or a piece of music is. The mentality is "learn our language or get an inferior translation (if that)".
The British have always been a rather insular and slightly xenophobic species. It comes from being a small, rain-sodden, overcrowded island, next to the looming spectre of a more powerful continent. The parallels between Britain and Japan run closer than most people think. Centuries of stoicly defending the beaches and later the skies against invasion from more powerful Continental foes instils a certain suspicion, even in the most liberal-minded people. Put bluntly, the idea of buddying up with the French is anathema to most, which is why we laugh when reminded that we sank the entire French Navy with all hands during WWII, while we were allied.
The reason we looked towards the US is that there is the lingering sentiment that we are the the same people, the same civilisation. The term "anglosphere" is apt - encompassing all the former English-speaking colonies: Australia, New Zealand, Canada, USA.
So my answer is that if Britain had joined the EC early, we'd probably have broken off again ASAP.
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