ABSTRACT
An old European tradition — and one far older than the imperialism practiced by member states in recent centuries — up to bloody, fascist wars only ten years back in history, wars backed up by social forces that are still very much in existence. The European Community is spreading outwards like a set of concentric circles emanating from Brussels, expanding and deepening the membership, having profound impact on the US, the Third World and the socialist countries — and on the rest of the world as well. When the EC emerges more and more as the third superpower, the EC more than its member countries separately will relate to the other two, and to the two superpower candidates, China and Japan. European elites have always enjoyed this game, carried out far above the heads of the people except when things get out of hand and the peoples are hit badly, economically and/or militarily.
