But actually, it is to a large degree simply more posturing and confirms what we've argued for years: At the top, British consensus is in fact a European one.

A UK Telegraph article tells us, "EU summit: budget talks collapse as David Cameron says 'non' to Brussels." Actually, the reason for the collapse is that German officials supposedly came over to Cameron's side in an argument with French officials over more cuts in spending. This has allowed Cameron to sound tough when it comes to a "union" that a majority of British apparently do not want.

Polls have consistently showed about 50 percent of British want to leave the EU and 40 percent (or fewer) want to stay. When it comes to having a referendum on the EU, the figure jumps to 70 percent. Cameron ran on a platform that left open the proverbial door for a referendum on the EU. He continues to hint at it but a firm commitment for a referendum is nowhere in sight.

Too bad for the British. The EU is rapidly turning into a full-fledged state with military forces and ambitions for the kind of intrusive surveillance that is increasingly common in the US.