The past is not another country, it is another world.
Remember all that strutting triumphalism of the EU enthusiasts? Remember their blustering certitude and stainless steel non-stick bravura? The European Union was unstoppable, invincible and the wave of the future. It was an historically-inevitable behemoth gearing up to straddle the globe and lock all of mankind into its eternal Bonapartist embrace.
Soon there would not be so much as a single molecule on the face of the earth that would not be regulated by Brussels. Resistance was futile and dissent was pointless. It was written in stone. The European union will conquer the known universe!
That was then.
This is now:
There is no doubt that 2004 ought to have been a great year, the year East Europeans became full members of a revived, streamlined and more democratised European Union. Instead, Europe is in its worst shape for years.
There is only so much battering, criticism and friendlessness any institution can take before it breaks. Europe is no different.
Victory is within sight. Just one, big, final push and we can send the whole rotten edifice crashing down.
[My thanks to Peter Briffa for the link.]
Remember all that strutting triumphalism of the neo-con enthusiasts? Remember their blustering certitude and stainless steel non-stick bravura? American imperialism was unstoppable, invincible and the wave of the future. It was an historically-inevitable behemoth gearing up to straddle the globe and lock all of mankind into its eternal democratic embrace.
Soon there would not be so much as a single molecule on the face of the earth that would not be dominated by Washington. Resistance was futile and dissent was pointless. It was written in stone. America will conquer the known universe!
oh, Bravo, you take the socialist/ANSWER strawman…then beat it as if it were the claims of the pro-war people all along. The only people that thought *that* was the truth were the same loonies
that paint placards are going around screaming insults. Which I can probably presume, you’re a member of.
oh yeah, in case it needed clarifying, that was directed at the Troll, not David…
I wish I were as optimistic. You neglect the europhile (and more generally, corporatist) mindset: “It isn’t working–we must do it more, bigger!”
As long as the constitution is rejected, and the new comers from the East join, there is hope. If the constitution is accepted, even in changed form, the whole of Europe is sunk, hopelessly. The constitution is an enabling act, designed to progressively take power from nation states and thereby their citizens, through rulings by the court of justice. It is purposely designed to be irreversible, with the only option open that of leaving, something which most of the EU citizens are scared of.
It doesn’t matter how friendless the EU is, it has never had widespread enthusiastic support. Supporters have always been those who have gained something unavailable otherwise, largerly because the voters didn’t want it (eg CAP). The Brussels elite continue to make it more difficult to reform, or for anyone to extricate themselves. Whoever gets the first chance to vote on the constitution must reject it and we have to all do our utmost to help this to happen. The alternative is too bleak to contemplate.
EU won’t dissolve, at least not peacefully. There are too many BIG egos at stake. However, as more and more countries join the beast, it could weaken it, you know… As for Czechs, our government is a bunch of wimps, but Poles, Magyars, they will be loud. Let’s wait and see.
Don’t declare the end of major combat operations – it might be premature.
And don’t be so afraid of the EU constitution – compliance will be no different from the compliance to the monetary guidelines (i.e. none).
And don’t bet on the EU dissapearing. It will live on forever as the empty carcass it already is. Like the UN. Until the next major war.
“don’t be so afraid of the EU constitution – compliance will be no different from the compliance to the monetary guidelines (i.e. none).”
That’s France and Germany you are talking about.
Just see what happens when someone else tries it.
“Just see what happens when someone else tries it.”
They get a severe reprimand.
They might even be expelled from the club, with shame.
Or, horror!, the Belgians will send the gendarmes!!
What I’m curious about is the level of corruption in the EU. From what I’m reading only about 10% of the funds managed by the EU can be audited. This seems a pretty low number even for a European institution. All things considered isn’t it reasonable to assume that, if the EU Constitution were enacted with all those undemocratic powers, that the level of corruption would increase even more?
Well perhaps not the percentage. 90% is pretty high. Perhaps they would have to increase the amount of money being handled by the EU in order to increase the corruption. After all. 90% is close to market saturation.
wierd situation frankly.
“Just one, big, final push and we can send the whole rotten edifice crashing down.”
David:
From your mouth, to God’s ear.
Yeah. Too bad most of the world will be using the Euro as a reserve currency instead of the dollar by then…
& Id say something mean to Kim, but apparently he gets all weepy when his manhood gets questioned. Which, apparently, happens a great deal for some reason. 🙂
Wu