>>>This article was interesting. I think you might like it.
>>>
>>>Waving Goodbye to Hegemony
>>>http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/27/magazine/27world-t.html?_r=2&ref=magazine&oref=slogin&oref=slogin
>>>
>>It sure as some nice literary aspects:
>>Jorgo Chatzimarkakis, a German member of the European Parliament, calls it “European patriotism.”
>>is a nice mixture of teaching with humour. The article is missing out on some of the detriments coming from the gobbling up of former eastern states, meaning that the gap in entreprenural spirit widening if the US will keep their attitude alive. This could transform the base of the EU giant into clay feet by slowing growth and a tred to redistribute current wealth instead of producing new wealth to feed the new members with.
>>Viewing the eastern remnants of the USSR to be still up for grabs and not clearly destined for china is the other major area I think the author is wrong.
>>
>
>China? Why would they want satellites in Eastern Europe? And why would those countries want to go back under anyone's yoke?

Natural resources, mostly oil and gas. Gazprom earns quite a penny selling gas from that region into europe since they currently own the pipeline and are fighting behind the scenes to keep the possibility to sell the gas pumped "over there" into europe (*including* also some of the former western areas of the USSR as well<g>)at a hefty increase. China is nearer and Russia has no say on pipelines running into the other direction, so the chinese don't compete on the european price level but at the price level at the pump currently paid by russia.

As to the countries going under an umbrella again, it probably depends on their skill to play off the greater blocks against each other. In settled half-democracies revolts against the government are not encountered as often as in those emerging/industrializing states. That part US is currently aiming for, while enmeshing the economy with the neighbour also strengthens the ties (especially if there is a fu&&ing redistribution going on or a common currency exists).

regards

thomas