Europe. That part of the world, I call home, named after a queen of Crete, according to Homer, who lists her as an Oceanid, or a Phoenician queen, according to other ancient greek myths. A part of the world waging with wars for centuries. Basically the area, where the “western” catholic church reigned, as opposed to the areas in the East, where mainly the orthodox church had influence. A united culture? Big question mark on this.
Wikipedia rates it thus: Europe, in particular ancient Greece, is the birthplace of Western culture. It played a predominant role in global affairs from the 15th century onwards, especially after the beginning of colonialism. Between the 16th and 20th centuries, European nations controlled at various times the Americas, most of Africa, Oceania, and the overwhelming majority of Asia. The Industrial Revolution, which began in Great Britain around the end of the 18th century, gave rise to radical economic, cultural, and social change in Western Europe, and eventually the wider world. Demographic growth meant that, by 1900, Europe’s share of the world’s population was 25%
And what is it now? Does the European Union define Europe? The original idea of forming a politcal union to guarantee peace between nations and widen every Europeans home borders to thatof the continent was great. I am all for this idea of the European Union. But has it not deteriorated to nothing more than a bunch of anonymous suits, serving the capital? With no democratic legitimation worth mentioning? I am not sure, that I like, what I see.