Depends on how far you want to go back. The last time Europe was unified, not only monetarly, but culturally, was Rome. Rome failed for many reasons, many of which are being played out in the US as...
Article 1, Section 8 gives Congress the power to call forth the militia and to provide for arming, organizing and disciplining the militia. It does not specifically refer to Congress "keeping" the...
By the same means that the First Citizens had for a couple of hundred years - the system established by Augustus was:
1. Taking the powers of a Tribune of the Plebs which gave the right of veto, the...