The present attempts to create a European
community may be regarded as a practical
endeavour to constitute a new super-power,
in spite of the fragmentation resulting from
the craze for independence. If it succeeds,
some of the local independencies will have to
be sacrificed. If it fails, the same result may
be attained by military conquest, or by the
partition of Europe between rival superpowers.
The inescapable conclusion seems,
however, to be that larger territorial units are
a benefit to commerce and to public stability,
whether the broader territory be achieved by
voluntary association or by military action.

Interesting read.
If one now considers the US being an empire in decline, and Russia an empire in the rise (though I would not say so), and given the theory in the book that having an empire and its advantages on ones side, it'd be better to submit to the newly upcoming one, instead of going under with the old.

In a way, this story is one, being told currently. Here in Germany, the Angst is being spread about the great evil Mister Putin, who has even written a book, and supposedly said that he wants to build an empire (don't know, was told). Now we can say, without being untrue, that the EU did not become such super mighty empire itself. The time window is already over.

But people live within time-delays. The Eastern European countries just have had a tiny taste of what the West (including USA) had provided them with (Poland, the Baltic states, etc.) and are still under the spell of good old communism or plain poor states of life, which they - factually not incorrect - attribute to Russia, even though the Sowjet Union is long dead. They mentally go westwards, not eastwards. With some exceptions (Rumania, Georgia, Moldavia etc.) - they do look eastwards and see the opportunities of BRICS.

My brothers were in Estonia in the beginning of the 2000's, I guess- maybe a bit earlier - and since my family lived there for a couple of years in the 70s, they could report what was different. They told me "not much", even the old village, where we lived and the house was there and the barn, which collapsed in half, still was not fully repaired. In rural areas the change was much slower than in the cities, like the capital Tallin, wich is super modern. Now, these baltic states do not like Russia, at all (in general, but I am sure there, too, the public is split). I think that the Scandinavian countries decided wrong in joining EU/NATO and the people, who are in favor in doing so, might regret it, since now they too, are digging our common whole deeper.

I am not certain though that Russia will succeed. So far, they have been fighting a fierce battle and no end in sight - losing lives on their side, too. The powers really want to have Russia. All of it, as it looks. Once Russia is being defeated, the game is over. Russia declared not to use atomic bombs, is being told in the media. I wonder what the role of China will be.
What do you make of it?