Right but the extent of the development varies between countries. It's one of the reasons for why the EU has had so many troubles. The economies in the different countries are very different. We have countries with a higher GDP per capita than the US and countries with a lower GDP per capita than Mexico.
Migration from Romania to Norway is not at all like moving from Ohio to Texas. Aside from big differences in the economies, there are also lots of differences in culture.
There is actually more economic diversity between US states than there is between EU member states. Europe is very urbanized and very densely connected. I would be cautious to underestimate cultural differences (and indeed legal) between American states and overestimate differences between EU member states.
I'm not talking about economic diversity, I'm talking about economic strength and development. Some countries in the EU are still very poor, we're simply not dealing with the same kind of thing as you have between two US states.
There is nothing to overestimate about European cultural differences. Less than 70 years ago most of the continent was at war. When I was born there was still a wall between East and West Germany. A bunch of European member states were communist. We still have many different languages and cultural activities and most people still define themselves first by nationality and maybe secondly as European. (And I say that because anti-EU sentiment is pretty high.)
I'm not saying that we have nothing in common, or that boundaries aren't being broken down. I'm just saying that moving to a different EU member state is very much immigration. I can move to the US too and probably totally fit in there and have a baller time, but I would very much be immigrating. And it is important that we consider it immigration because it helps us understand what specific problems might come with it and how we can deal with them.
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There is nothing to overestimate about European cultural differences. Less than 70 years ago most of the continent was at war. When I was born there was still a wall between East and West Germany. A bunch of European member states were communist. We still have many different languages and cultural activities and most people still define themselves first by nationality and maybe secondly as European. (And I say that because anti-EU sentiment is pretty high.)
I'm not saying that we have nothing in common, or that boundaries aren't being broken down. I'm just saying that moving to a different EU member state is very much immigration. I can move to the US too and probably totally fit in there and have a baller time, but I would very much be immigrating. And it is important that we consider it immigration because it helps us understand what specific problems might come with it and how we can deal with them.