Could you perhaps take a moment and explain just what the EU is?
Because here's my concept, tell me where I'm wrong.
The EU is kind of like the United States only in Europe.
Though the EU wouldn't govern if I understand correctly. They'd be more a marketing/money/price type of thing. There would be rules that everyone would agree to it, like that.
I thought it sounded like a good thing. A big part of the reason the US is so sucessful is our size and unity without bother of fifty different barriers to commerce.
If I'm making any sense. Another thing, I hear that Turkey didn't agree to help us during the Iraq invastion because they wanted to be admitted to the EU.
Surely if membership is so coveted it must be a good thing?
Another reason why Socialist Europeans don't like the EU is that it reduces some forms of socialism like for example Greece has to sell off its national airliner Olympic and privatize it. This may freak out some Americans that assume the EU is the second incarnation of Communism (they are not too well informed). That is why for the most part the French voted no - they want to maintain their form of Socialism.
Another reason people hate the EU is that while it promotes privatization of industries - it also regulates - some would say over regulates industries so it seems as a contradiction - free market that is overly regulated right down to what cheeses are to be called or if cheeses meet the right standard for export, etc.
What Americans in their ignorance call Euro Socialism is in fact what they see as over regulation and over standardization and regimentation.
Good thing for the politicians, anyway. It also comes across as a good thing for the lesser developed members, because a lot of them get money out of the deal. That's a powerful draw, even if upon maturer reflection it turns out not to be such a good thing for the country.
Drug addiction provides a somewhat similar analogy.