Joseph Stiglitz argues that the European Union’s first 50 years have been a success and that Europe is the only power able to create a multipolar world that would create a fairer and more equitable world. Sugary excerpt:
Europe has succeeded in part because it recognises that the rights of individuals are inalienable and universal, and because it created institutions to protect those rights. America, by contrast, has witnessed a massive assault on those rights, including that of habeas corpus - the right to challenge one's detention before an independent judge. Fine distinctions are made, for example, between the rights of citizens and non-citizens.
Today, only Europe can speak with credibility on the subject of universal human rights. For the sake of all of us, Europe must continue to speak out - even more forcibly than it has in the past.
Likewise, while the European project sought to bring about the "harmony" of people living together in peace, we also must live in harmony with our environment - the scarcest of all of our resources. In this area, too, Europe has taken the lead, especially concerning global warming, showing that petty selfishness can be put aside to achieve a common good.
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