We are developing the social individualist meta-context for the future. From the very serious to the extremely frivolous... lets see what is on the mind of the Samizdata people.

Samizdata, derived from Samizdat /n. - a system of clandestine publication of banned literature in the USSR [Russ.,= self-publishing house]

Anti-EUrope posters

Last night, while wandering through Soho to a dinner party, I encountered these posters, in Berwick Street. Luckily I have taken – Perry de Havilland style – to carrying my Canon A70 digital camera with me at all times, so I was able to snap them. (Some other snaps of the Oxford Street Christmas lights were not nearly so successful, unless you are heavily into abstract impressionism.)

euposter_sml.jpg

I do not know who put them up. Searching for visuals on the net is a lot harder than searching for strings of words or for organisations. For example I could find no trace of this poster here.

Still, a pleasing straw in the wind, I think.

There is a huge irony happening here, I think. Like it or not, there is a widespread – not universal but widespread – opposition in Britain to the Iraq war, and now to the presence of victorious British troops staying out there to try to win the peace. The opponents of this effort have done a great deal to spread the idea that Mr Blair is a man not to be trusted, and a man who doesn’t listen to public opinion.

True or not, this charge, it now seems to me, is getting around, and is spilling over into the EUrope debate. The sense that, in matters EUropean also as well as Middle Eastern, Blair is pushing a personal and misguided agenda in defiance of the opinions or interests of his fellow countrymen, is becoming more and more dug in. Iraq = Blair can not be trusted and won’t listen = Britain being in EUrope is dodgy too. The key to this series of public opinion dominoes, so to speak, is that there is a great non-political slab of people who, unlike the leftist opponents of the Iraq war and Iraq peace, are willing to apply the same thinking both to Iraq and to EUrope (and to everything else Mr Blair is doing or not doing), in sufficient numbers to make a difference.

12 comments to Anti-EUrope posters

  • James

    I wonder if these are the same fine people who are spraying “We love US” on the walls in the Portobello Road?

  • Brian,

    The posters are part of Vote 2004’s campaign.

    Vote 2004 website

    Best wishes,

    Neil.

  • Verity

    Neil – Thank you. I want to send the link to a friend, but there’s no link. Could you please post one? Thank you.

  • Slowjoe

    Hi Verity,

    I’m not entirely sure what you are looking for, but I’ll try to assist…

    http://www.vote-2004.org.uk/img/c_tony.gif
    is the link to the image.

    http://www.vote-2004.org.uk/
    is the link to the organisation home page.

    (as a tip, if you right-click on a url you get the option to copy the destination (“copy shortcut” in Explorer, “copy link location” in Mozilla))

    Hope this helps

  • Will

    You guys haven’t already rigged up your own posters?!!!

    I’ve had them drawn up on Powerpoint and have been laminating and pinning them to telegraph poles for months. No one who lives near me is unaware of the EU constitution situation.

    And yeah, I’ve got a lot of time on my hands.

  • Verity

    Slowjoe, thank you, but I was trying to find a link to the window that opens up with the list of MPs who are pro-referendum and those opposed to send to a friend. It’s a most interesting window because those who want a referendum cut right across all parties, with a surprising number of Lib Dems. But, save three Conservatives – one of those dear old antediluvian Ken Clarke – all the antis were Labour. Do you know how I could link to that window? There was no address at the top of it. Thank you.

  • Slowjoe

    Apologies for my error.

    The following links look like they might work (provided ENTIRELY without warantee etc etc)

    Pro
    and
    anti.

    As an aside, it’s really assinine that a campaigning website would deliberately make it impossible to provide a direct link without actually viewing the HTML source. It’s almost like they were attempting to bury the info. Can someone have a word?

  • Verity

    Slowjoe – thank you and I don’t mean to be difficult – but should I just copy the words Pro and Anti and send them to my friend and this would have the effect of a link?

  • No. “pro” and “anti” won’t work. I guess I was a tad too flash 🙁


    http://www.vote-2004.org.uk//home/mpopup.asp?type=pro
    and
    http://www.vote-2004.org.uk//home/mpopup.asp?type=anti
    are what you want, I think. The “right click” thing I mentioned earlier also works, and perhaps you could try it?

    BTW, before you say anything, thanks for actually asking for clarification on this. I hate people that act like sponges, instead of actually conducting a conversation.

  • deirdre thompson

    The other week on Sky news when that big euro thing was on, Adam Boulton mentioned that the city was plastered with them.

  • During the Brussels IGC four trucks decked out with similar stuff were stopped the the drivers arrested by Belgian police, see my post
    here. The Vote 2004 team do seem to be having fun

  • Hmm…I’m wondering why colors on the poster is similar to that of sex pistols’ recored cover?
    Who put this poster seem to be a kind of anarchist!?