[Prev] [Next]   [Index]   [Thread Index]

00318: Re: [cicdd] EU Referendum and EU Constitution

From: Bruce Eggum <bruce.eggum(at)gmail.com>
Date: Wed, 1 Jun 2005 12:08:35 -0500
Subject: Re: [cicdd] EU Referendum and EU Constitution

Regarding Georges "opinion", that the French turned down the EU Constitution to defy Chirac I disagree. Georges opinion is not a researched or intellectual opinion, it is a crystal ball opinion and his crystal ball must be foggy. It raises the question, perhaps his purported intellectual decision making machinery has a flaw in it.

The French people certainly did read the "EU Constitution", and found it horrible.

I have a few "quotes" but there are many in the news of French  peoples opinion of the EU Constitution. To cheapen their views, saying they voted to defy French President Jacques Chirac is an awful blast to democrats everywhere. If this were so, and the people could not see the autocracy of the EU Constitution, it would say that people do not have the ability to govern themselves. Clearly the French saw the EU Constitution as destroying their Country, their ability to govern their Nation.

"If you look at every sentence, every turn of phrase, practically every article has a mention of (financial) markets," Anne-Marie Latremoliere, a 57-year-old graphic designer, said after casting a "no" ballot at a polling station near the Bastille. "We want Europe to be a beautiful place, and this is certainly not it."

About 70 percent of France's registered 41.8 million voters cast ballots, a high turnout on a Sunday that was also Mother's Day here. Throughout the day in Paris, electronic billboards all across town said: "Don't let the others decide for you. Go vote."

The debate had been colored by fear of the mythical "Polish plumber," the worker from recent European Union members from the East who is increasingly free to move West and willing to work for lower pay than Frenchmen.

Proponents of the "no" fueled voters with fear of a more powerful European Union where France no longer has influence, and of an increasingly "Anglo-Saxon" and "ultraliberal" Europe where free-market capitalism runs wild.

"I voted 'No' in all conscience, having read the text, due to the lack of will to solve Europe's number one problem today, which is unemployment," said Armel Bompart, 52, a civil servant also voting in Strasbourg, home to the European parliament.

Here is one of the "confused" voters, voting yes because they want a united Europe. It must be emphasized that the vote is for the CONSTIUTION not whether the EU is formed or not.

"I voted 'Yes' because I think Europe is important," Julie Lacour, 21, a student voting in Strasbourg in eastern France, told Reuters. "It's been 60 years that we've been trying to construct Europe. Now we must keep going forward and not go backwards."

    ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

But the "leaders" are confused too. They do not yet see it is the CONSTITUTION which needs to be re-written.

French President Jacques Chirac said, "France has expressed itself democratically," Chirac said. "It is your sovereign decision, and I take note.

He said France would remain within the union, which it played a key role in founding, but warned voters that their repudiation would have repercussions.

"Make no mistake, France's decision inevitably creates a difficult context for the defense of our interests in Europe."

Because French voters consider that the treaty has already given too many concessions to Britain, ministers see no likelihood of the Government being able to put a renegotiated treaty to the country.

A French rejection of the European Union's constitutional treaty would result in the "fall of Europe," Romano Prodi, former president of the European Commission, warned on Sunday.

    ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Eggy note to Chric and these "leaders".. The people voted against the CONSTITUTION not against the EU. It is the CONSTITUTION dummy!

    -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

There is a powerful current of opinion in France which opposes the European Constitution on the ground that it enshrines a neo-liberal, 'Anglo-Saxon' socio-economic model for the European Union. This Policy Brief will argue that there are some innovations in the European Constitution which take account of current French concerns about the future direction of the European Union. Nevertheless, it is clear that that the Constitution does not meet French expectations - and those of the European Left more generally - in areas such as economic governance and fiscal and social harmonization. Inevitably, the Constitution is a compromise which largely reflects the status quo. Those who seek in it either a radically more or less economically liberal European Union than is currently the case will certainly be disappointed. http://www.fedtrust.co.uk/admin/uploads/PolicyBrief11.pdf

On 6/1/05, M. Kolar wrote:
Giorgio Menon wrote:
> i've just read Georges' "Pax  Americana". The more interesting chapter
> is the Jihad file.
> http://members.fortunecity.com/georges/pax_americana_caa_jihad.html
> ...

I've also read everything, and was also rather unpleasantly surprised (given
the fact that I liked many other his writings) with the views expressed there.

> Here is my comment e.g. on:
>
>> I did not vote for him, so I did not elect him
>> nor I merit him, you may say, and you will be
>> wrong: even if you did not vote for him, you
>> elected him by accepting the Constitution and
>> the current election system and you merit him
>> because you never did anything against this election system.
>
>    That guy had no choice to accept or not to accept the Constitution.  He is forced to obey it because he was born in US (or immigrated there).
Right now every country forces all people living on her territory to obey her
Constitution and laws without giving them the possibility to participate in
writing or reviewing the Constitution. It came to may mind, that all adults
(upon achieving 18 years or so) should be given the possibility to
discuss/review/renew their constitutions ... Only then should they be required
to obey it.
>
mk




--


"In sharing, in loving all and everything, one people naturally found a due portion of the thing they sought,
      while in fearing, the other found need of conquest."
Chief Luther Standing Bear - Oglala Sioux

Bruce Eggum, Gresham Wisconsin, USA
http://doinggovernment.com/
Check out my Blog too
http://doinggovernment.blogspot.com/

[Prev] [Next]   [Index]   [Thread Index]