—On July 4, 1962, President John F. Kennedy called publicly for a “Declaration of Interdependence.”
“I will say here and now, on this Day of Independence, that the United States will be ready for a Declaration of Interdependence, that we will be prepared to discuss with a united Europe the ways and means of forming a concrete Atlantic partnership, a mutually beneficial partnership between the new union now emerging in Europe and the OLD AMERICAN UNION,” he said.
“For the Atlantic partnership of which I speak would not look inward only, preoccupied with its own welfare and advancement. It must look outward to cooperate with all nations in meeting their common concern. It would serve as a nucleus for the eventual union of all free men —those who are now free and those who are vowing that some day they will be free.”
What did JFK mean by: “the old American Union?” and “Declaration of Interdependence?”
speaking of behind-the-scenes players, you might be interested in a curious little book by the name of “The Velvet Monkey Wrench” 1973, Muir, John (1918-1977). Try to find the original print, not the reprint. It’s been one of my life’s ghosts, not sure why exactly. When I first read it in 1974, it seemed more like sci-fi. Nowadays it does make me wonder just how many people were thinking along the same lines as Muir back in the 60’s.