There have been some interesting observations by Journalists and Commentators whom I respect. T. R. Reid in "The United States Of Europe", who observes significant trends already in existence, such as the impressively strong trade bloc that has been formed and already can and does dictate to companies in the United States how they conduct their business. Thomas Friedman on the Discovery Channel talked with a French policy maker on how American cosmetics companies have been forced to make expensive changes to their formulas to avoid using chemicals which 'may' be harmful according to European standards. Friedman observed to the man how these fine restrictions may look silly to an American who visits a typical French cafe and can barely breathe in the cigarette dense atmosphere.

What we're seeing this weekend represents internal political stresses which are fascinating but I don't have the background to explain why the French would vote down a Constitution that presumably they had a large part in creating. But perhaps there has been a division between the (bureaucratic?) writers of the Constitution and the average people of France, the kind successfully avoided by the folks who brought the wonderfully simple American Constitution to their people.

Yet again, maybe this is the only way an already established region of countries can come to an agreement.