Europe, it is true, is a geographical and, within certain limits, an historical cultural conception. But the idea of Europe as an economic unit contradicts capitalist development in two ways. First of all there exist within Europe among the capitalist States — and will so long as these exist — the most violent struggles of competition and antagonisms, and secondly the European States can no longer get along economically without the non- European countries.. At the present stage of development of the world market and of world economy, the conception of Europe as an isolated economic unit is a sterile concoction of the brain..And if the idea of a European union in the economic sense has long been outstripped, this is no less the case in the political sense... Only were one suddenly to lose sight of all these happenings and manoeuvres, and to transfer oneself back to the blissful times of the European concert of powers, could one say, for instance, that for forty years we have had uninterrupted peace. This conception, which considers only events on the European continent, does not notice that the very reason why we have had no war in Europe for decades is the fact that international antagonisms have grown infinitely beyond the narrow confines of the European continent, and that European problems and interests are now fought out on the world seas and in the by-corners of Europe. Rosa Luxemburg
About This Quote

In the quote from Ernest Mandel, he says that Europe is a geographic and historical conception. When those who believe in Europe as a political unit say that the EU has been the cause of war for 40 years, they are wrong. It’s because of problems that have arisen outside of Europe that there has been no war in Europe for many years. When one stops to think that there was war in Europe for over 60 years, then it makes sense that the Europeans cannot get along without non-European countries.

There are so many different countries now, where people do not speak the same language and different cultures keep popping up all around Europe. The idea of "Europe" as an economic unit is a product of capitalist development. Countries like Britain and Germany are doing very well right now but they would not be able to do so if they were isolated from the rest of the world.

That country cannot thrive because it does not have access to raw materials or markets; without access to other countries it will not be able to prosper. If one wants to understand how this quote applies today, look at China and India. Their economies are based on importing raw materials and selling their products to other countries; they cannot prosper without markets abroad because their primary products are not selling well.

Source: Rosa Luxemburg Speaks

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