The USA does not suffer the wide gap in economy or living standards because it has functioned as one country with one foreign policy and one national strategy with non national decisions made at state level.
Yes it does.
There is a very large variance in the economies and living standards of different parts of the United States.
Contrary to what people think, the USA does have lots of poverty, destitution, poor health care provision etc.
It may function as one country but it doesnt always operate efficiently as one.
It is the most heavily indebted nation on earth, that is very far from being a perfect example of economic success.
Parts of the United States have little to no economy, just like parts of Europe.
My point was that if you have different economies, operating at different speeds, 1 unified currency with 1 interest rate wont benefit all areas of the economic zone at the same time.
I like having one currency in europe for travelling, but I can see the negative side effects of everyone operating under the same currency using the same interest rates.
Reality tends to smack one in the mouth in Europe at unexpected times.
Ask a Greek taxi driver in Kefalonia how much a coffee used to cost under the drachma and he will tell you 40p.
Ask how much under the euro and he will tell you a couple of euro.
Since the Euro was introduced prices have risen sharply.
The whole point of the European Union initially was to make a far more efficient, effective unified economic trading zone.
The European Unions interest rates have been set for Europes largest trading economies.
Europes monkeys suffer when the organ grinder plays his tune at the wrong speed.
Some people mistakenly believe that "bigger is always better", that if everyone tethers their legs together with rope, everyone will walk together in a better unified fashion.
Experience has taught me to respect and champion difference.
I love Europe, I love the UK.
But I dont love a bunch of politicians centred in Belgium, imposing lots of unnecessary rules on people, causing lots of long term problems, living in gilded cages, failing to listen to the EU's broad economic electorate.
It is about time these goons leave their plush offices and travel to Spain, Portugal, Greece, Ireland etc and ask people on the ground what is going wrong in the European Union and how it needs to change to improve.
The European Unions parliment has turned into a large bureaucratic turd, that is failing to accommodate the needs of its citizens - only the very foolish would seek to think otherwise.