Europe: Faith and Plan

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Oswald Mosley was the first post-War figure to propose the political union of Europe. As far back as 1947 he had advocated 'Europe a Nation' and by the publication of this book in 1958 the first tentative steps had been made towards a European Economic Community (EEC). Mosley's concept involved a common policy for defence, foreign affairs and economic policy that left all other issues to regional governments to decide in accord with local custom and tradition. It was also firmly based on making Europe, and Europe Overseas, a completely self-sufficient power bloc containing all its own raw materials, energy sources, food production, manufacturing capacity and consumer market. In 'Europe: Faith and Plan' Mosley explains that this would allow a United Europe to withdraw from global markets where the exploitation of cheap Third World labour was undercutting home-based production. This pernicious process was already destroying major European industries promising mass unemployment in the future. To achieve autarky, or complete self-sufficiency, Mosley envisaged the inclusion of Europe Overseas in his grand plan for a United Europe. This meant Canada, Australia, New Zealand, southern Africa - even Argentina which he considered an extension of European civilisation in South America. Even by the time this book was published it was clear that the Europe being created by old-party politicians and bureaucrats of the EEC was not Mosley's Europe. They saw it as a step towards even greater exposure to global trade in which finance capitalism would be all-powerful. In 'Europe: Faith and Plan' Mosley shows how the economic and financial chaos he predicted could be avoided. The book remains an invaluable guide for the reconstruction of European economies in the 21st. century.