EU, Friend or Foe?

An article (warning PDF file) by the IEA entitled Friend or Foe? What Americans should know about the European Union
is an interesting read. The main point is that Americans have been too friendly with the EU and it's agenda is nefarious. I don't know if the EU is as malevolent as the article makes it out to be, but I do have some areas of concern, such as:

1) It's goal is trade and market liberalization, but is often quite dirigiste and protectionist (e.g. the Common Agricultural Policy)

2) It might grow into a superstate (if it isn't already?).

3) It might be soft on legitimate terrorist concerns.

Then again, it has done some good, especially in the area of INTERNAL liberalization of trade and movement. Hopefully, the introduction of the new market-oriented Eastern European countries will tame some of the more etatist tendencies of the West. We'll see...