Re: EU
The EEC started at 6 and much later extended to more.
It was a choice between strengthening the original members or embracing countries willing to join the Union.
From the moment the latter was chosen, there's no question countries won't agree on everything all the time.
The EU could end up being little more than a bunch of French, German and Belgian bureaucrats sitting around handing down stupid regulations about labeling chicken eggs and the like while the rest of Europe builds a vibrant economy.
Thanks for your kind words.
Raoul