In my previous article �Brave new world for reticent fools,� I mentioned that the book �Union Now� by Clarence K. Streit, was published in 1939, as a proposal to unite the world�s leading democratic nations into a federal union. A concise edition of �Union Now� was published in 1940. And in 1961, the book Freedom�s Frontier -- Atlantic Union Now by Clarence K. Streit was published, in the light of the world changes since 1939 - Chapter 10 is entitled, �Union Now, the U.N. and World Government.�

The book �Union Now� is where the Bretton Woods Conference, the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the World Bank, the European Union and a whole host of other initiatives seem to have sprung from. This begs the question, how many leading lights in politics, commerce, economics, finance, military, media, and science can be linked to the Streit Council and the plans for world government proposed by Clarence Streit?

According to information found on the web, the Streit Council only has up to eight employees, but quite a few board members and other associates. The current president of the Streit Council is Dr. Richard C. Henry.

The official website of the Streit Council states, �The world�s established democracies still have -- as when Union Now was published -- the greatest power and influence in the world when working together. As citizens of these democracies we continue to bear great responsibilities: to strengthen our joint institutions and thus stabilize the international system -- to promote common human concerns more effectively and consistently, at both regional and global levels.�

And that, �Since C. K. Streit wrote Union Now, the established democracies have indeed developed substantial institutions for managing their common affairs and meeting their responsibilities in the world at large. The post-war U.S. strategy of integrating an initial group of democratic countries led, as we know, to the institutionalization of the Atlantic Alliance through NATO and its Parliamentary Assembly, and to support for other emerging inter-democracy institutions, such as the OECD, EU, International Energy Agency, G8, and others. These institutions, in keeping with the Union Now concept, worked as a magnet, attracting other countries to democratize and join.�

In the 2007 autumn issue of the Streit Council journal �Freedom and Union,� Jim Costa, a member of the US Congress and also a member of the Transatlantic Policy Network (TPN) advisory group, affirmed the target date of 2015 for the creation of a Transatlantic Common Market. The TPN is a non-governmental organisation with headquarters in Washington and Brussels and is advised by the bi-partisan congressional TPN policy group, chaired by Senator Robert Bennett.

Jim Costa said that �the Transatlantic Economic Council (TEC) is tasked with creating the Transatlantic Common Market regulatory infrastructure. The infrastructure would not require congressional approval, like a new free-trade agreement would.�

Writing in the same issue of Freedom and Union, Senator Robert Bennett also confirmed that what has become known as the �Merkel initiative� would allow the Transatlantic Economic Council to integrate and harmonize administrative rules and regulations between the U.S. and the EU �in a very quiet way,� without introducing a new free trade agreement to Congress.

Senator Bennett seems to be suggesting that any of the regulatory changes resulting from the process of integration with the EU will not be posted in the Federal Register or submitted to Congress as new free-trade agreements or as modifications to existing trade agreements.

In addition to Senator Bennett, the advisers to the Transatlantic Policy Network include the following: Senator Thad Cochran (R-MS), former Republican Senator Chuck Hagel of Nebraska, Senator Barbara Mikulski (D-MD), Senator Pat Roberts (R-KS) and former Senator Gordon Smith (R-OR).

Among the 49 U.S. congressmen on the TPN�s Congressional Group are John Boehner (R-OH), John Dingell (D-MI), Kenny Marchant (R-TX) and F. James Sensenbrenner (R-WI).

The TEC appears to be following the plans laid out by C.K. Streit in 1939 and 1961 for the creation of a Transatlantic Union as an international governing body. Here is what

the US Government�s ITA website has to say about the TEC: �Transatlantic Economic Council Works Behind the Scenes to Unleash the Potential of the Transatlantic Economy. Improving the world�s largest and most dynamic economic relationship through removal of non-tariff and regulatory impediments is the goal for the council.

The TEC is a political body to oversee and accelerate government-to-government integration between the European Union and the United States of America. Here is the text of the TEC agreement signed by George W. Bush, Angela Merkel, and Jose Manuel Barroso at a Whitehouse summit in April 2007.

On September 9, 2008, The Streit Council (with its supposedly small workforce) and the National Press Club co-sponsored a press conference on The Urgency of a Union of Europe With America.

The following day, September 10, 2008, the Streit Council and the Council on Foreign Relations co-organised a round-table discussion on The Case for a Union of the West.

In the fall 2007 issue of the Streit Council journal �Freedom and Union,� World Bank economist Domenec Ruiz Devesa acknowledged that �transatlantic economic integration, though important in itself, is not the end.� He continued, �economic integration must and will lead to political integration, since an integrated market requires common institutions producing common rules to govern it.�

Further reading:

Completing the Transatlantic Market