The United States of Europe and the new "Cold War"

I've been observing EU's progression into the future with careful curiosity and confused feelings. I was predicting its rise, but was wondering how soon can they truly unify. The recent developments in the world clearly suggest that they are well on their way and this article does a great job of analyzing the situation. I found it very interesting and inspiring to a certain degree. What is also interesting is that it puts recent elections here in a different perspective, although I believe some of us were already seeing it that way. I suggest reading it when you get a chance. Some thoughts are somewhat amusing like:

"...There is a large class of people in this country who are sympathetic to the
"European dream" of a managed market economy in which cooperation is mphasized over competition, leisure is privileged over work, and the social costs of capitalism are closely regulated -- and you know who you are, gentle readers. But to most Americans "freedom" still means untrammeled private-property rights, open markets, workaholism and the belief that somehow we'll all die rich..."

Some other paragraphs, like the one about the new EU constitution, almost brought tears to my eyes:

"... It (EU constitution) should also serve as an inspiration to progressives around the world. It bars capital punishment in all 25 nations(YES !!!) and defines such things as universal healthcare, child care, paid annual leave, parental leave, housing for the poor, and equal treatment for gays and lesbians as fundamental human rights. Most of these are still hotly contested questions in the United States; as Rifkin says, this document all by itself makes the European Union the world leader in the human rights debate. It is the first governing document that aspires to universality, "with rights and responsibilities that encompass the totality of human existence on Earth..."