The EU was D.O.A

Reading this article on Britain contemplating leaving the E.U., which they will most assuredly do, has made me realize one thing. That the E.U. was dead on arrival.  The reason why? The E.U., even though many feared that it was turning into the E.U.S.S.R; it lacked one thing that its erstwhile predecessor did have, teeth. The fact is that if a nation can pick and choose which laws, ostensibly worded as treaties, it will or will not enforce without fear of reprisal then that means that the E.U.'s sovereignty over Britain was only ever so much as Britain would allow.  This contrasts greatly with the U.S.S.R where member republics had to follow the dictates of Russia lest they see tanks and troops marching their their streets and squares.

The most ultimate power a state has isn't force, but the perceived legitimacy to use force against it's member constituents.  Now some would debate this, and rightly so, but if a state tried to secede from the US the fact is that the US government would have the legitimacy to put it down with military force (Like I said this is debate amongst the sphere of blogs I read but the simple truth is that currently most Americans would side with the Federal government). The perceived legitimacy to use force to make members obey its edicts and laws is the greatest power the state can possess. Just ask any dictator. It isn't force that gives them their legitimacy, it is the perceived ability to use that force without retribution.

The fact that the E.U. constitutionally cannot force Britain to accept its laws already shows that the E.U. has no power to compel Britain to stay.  This means that the E.U. was D.O.A from the get go.