Now do we see the unworkability of Europe...
Now do we see the unworkability of Europe...
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granville

Original Poster:

18,764 posts

289 months

Monday 3rd February 2003
quotequote all
Yes, it's been done to death but lo -

See how thoroughly unworkable a coordinated foreign policy 'twixt ourselves, big yodelling dude in lederhosen and the strutting cockerel yonder is...

So how much so will it be in other political arena? In matters fiscal, monetary or otherwise socially significant?

You see, when one observes French police turfing out poor Iraqis from garden sheds and other ramshackle outhouses, onto the street with no provision for anything in the slightest, save a threat that they must leave the country within 5 days (i.e. get on the next passage to Blighty) then this tells me two things:

1 - We fool ourselves if we believe the cross channel contingent share our love and indeed miniscule observance of human rights issues and regulations;

2 - That they fob off these people so easily unto us must render any proclaimations by them of a united Europe involving Britain, glib beyond belief.

Pull oot now!

(I mean COME ON - have you seen Schroeder's toupee? The fact that he's bossom buddies with Jacques speaks volumes about Captain Le Touqet!)


deltaf

1,384 posts

285 months

Monday 3rd February 2003
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Agree 100% Des.
Get us out of this euronightmare.
Straight banana anyone?.....thought not.

tekta

243 posts

292 months

Monday 3rd February 2003
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Seems to have been a distinct lack of war within the EU since it was formed though...

apache

39,731 posts

312 months

Monday 3rd February 2003
quotequote all
absolutely spot on old fruit, the Frogs may have some justification in not supporting the war on SH due to their financial intrests, money makes the world go round and all that. The Krauts on the other hand are trying to cock a snoot at us impertinent Island dwellers but now look a little foolish due to Spain etc signing on the dotted line. The French will always do their own thing and I respect that, maybe we could learn a thing or two from them, but it doesn't fit with the Unified Europe theory very well.

>> Edited by apache on Monday 3rd February 16:35

andymadmak

15,540 posts

298 months

Monday 3rd February 2003
quotequote all
(george Bush stylee mode on)

I have been adviserised that following the enbombnification of the people of Pacmanistan by coalitious forces, that we will look carefully at the folks who make up the other half of the triangle of evil.
The people of Frenchland are a good people, ruled by a tyranical green troll called Jack Schreck, and it is our duty commence the enfreeification process of their land. We have already implemented a No Fly zone in the North of the country, which will be patrolled by coallition bug sprays and mosquito nets.
Our great friend Tony Blair will shortly begin a last, utterly futile effort to avert war on our behalf and make himself look sincere in the process.
America has no greater friend than Mr Blair, who is a talented dancer, and I particularly liked him when he used to do that mime programme with Una Stubbs and Michael Aspel.
Some people ask me why we need to act. and to these people I say, "hows the other fella supposed to guess the word, song or film title if you don't?" Dummy!

The CIA has evidentiarised that there is a large missle launching site in the centre of their capital, Disneyland Paris. This evil Eiffel rocket will be destroyerised, and the leaders brought to Butlins.

Those people who are in league with President Schreck can expect no mercy either, in particular that little talking Donkey........ etc etc

(george Bush stylee mode off)

Andy 400se

sadoksevoli

1,232 posts

285 months

Monday 3rd February 2003
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No wool over our eyes when it comes to Europe - a wasteful, bureaucratic, socialist-dominated nightmare which is blatantly failing in fulfilling its principal purpose while the EU and EC seek to expand its influence and ability to interfere to all areas of government. The Common Agricultural Policy, the Common Fisheries Policy, the Common Security and Defence Policy, the fraud-riddled aid budget, the Commission's shambolic internal finances, the opulence of EU buildings, the imposition of increasingly restrictive diktats on member states and the utter ineffectiveness and irrelevance of the Parliament simply now outweigh by far the free trade benefits originally brought by the EEC. With the advent of GATT and greater global trade the EU is now acting like a restrictive cartel on prices, weighed down by the pathetic CAP and CFP while instead of freeng up labour markets to compete with Asia and other emerging regions and coping well with a global economic downturn, all Brussels does is think up yet more costly, expensive and useless regulaiton that puts employers out of business.

The Euro currency is a marvellous idea - if all participants could be trusted to play by the rules - but as we are seeing - its too much too early - even France and Germany are trying to wriggle out of the Euro's T&Cs - hypocrites!

As for peace in Europe - the EU's contribution to peace in Europe was the monstrous debacle in 1990-1995 that led to genocide and war on its very own doorstep in the Balkans - it might have been peace in our neck of the woods but it wasn't down there in Bosnia-Hercegovina and Croatia - where the EU nigh on had blood on its hands. The one organisation responsbile for guaranteeing peace in Post-War Europe was NATO - underwritten by the USA - an organisation which France could only bear to be half-in half-out during the Cold War and now being constantly undermined by American-haters in Paris and Berlin.

One of the few useful purposes Europe has for us is a dumping ground for failed politicians from Westminster - Neil Kinnock, Leon Britten, Chris Patten etc. - may they all rot in Brussels, fed fat on expense account dinners and generous allowances.

mybrainhurts

90,809 posts

283 months

Monday 3rd February 2003
quotequote all
Well said you lot. If you want to keep up to date and read some disturbing EU stuff, get on Idris Francis's mailing list.

WalterU

470 posts

305 months

Monday 3rd February 2003
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mybrainhurts said: Well said you lot. If you want to keep up to date and read some disturbing EU stuff, get on Idris Francis's mailing list.


please elucidate this!!!


Rgds, WalterU

gnomesmith

2,458 posts

304 months

Monday 3rd February 2003
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Surely the split of opinion betwixt Euro states is reflected by the split in opinion within GB.

I see that as a healthy sign, if each nation followed each other blindly we would be well on the way to disaster.

Dissent is a natural and desirable product of democracy and presents an arguement for its retention rather than dissolution.

I similarly find the way we PHers see the same issue in very different ways encouraging.

sadoksevoli

1,232 posts

285 months

Monday 3rd February 2003
quotequote all
Pistonheads costs me absolutely nothing to agree to disagree...in Europe we pay billions to disagree and be shafted by ourcontinental comrades.

johnelliott

293 posts

288 months

Monday 3rd February 2003
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Froggy personages have always been the natural enemies of the English

John

hut49

3,544 posts

290 months

Monday 3rd February 2003
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Hey WalterU - re Idris Francis, try this!

www.silentmajority.co.uk/eurorealist/lfa20.html

mybrainhurts

90,809 posts

283 months

Monday 3rd February 2003
quotequote all
Idris Francis is also en route to the European Court of Human Rights to establish his right to silence, after being asked to disclose the identity of the driver of his car, snapped by a Gatso.

granville

Original Poster:

18,764 posts

289 months

Tuesday 4th February 2003
quotequote all

sadoksevoli said: Pistonheads costs me absolutely nothing to agree to disagree...in Europe we pay billions to disagree and be shafted by our continental comrades.


Spot on.

Tony Hall

23,133 posts

310 months

Tuesday 4th February 2003
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I thought we might at least get better weather when we joined but even that idea has failed.
I VOTED AGAINST BY THE WAY.

mybrainhurts

90,809 posts

283 months

Wednesday 5th February 2003
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That must be the ultimate "I Told You So", Tony.

Consider yourself reprimanded for not telling me at the time.

granville

Original Poster:

18,764 posts

289 months

Wednesday 19th February 2003
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Just another musing.

Anyone notice the friendly attitude of Chirac towards the peripheral Euro wannabe states in the last day or three, viz a vis their contra-Franco/German stance on Iraq?

Plenty of erudite political journos have been commenting on this obvious French bombast and from that, what a bit of a misnomer the European Union actually is...

Seems to me, Britain isn't really the bad boy of Europe, it's those pesky Gauls (present PH Franco fraternity excepted)!

Oh yes - and that as is finally so glaringly apparent, we can't/couldn't/shouldn't want to possibly align ourselves any more with this axis of European machiavelliandom.

'Do as I say, not as I do,' est-ce que le cree'de Jacque - socialists eh, Gawd bless 'em.

Podie

46,649 posts

303 months

Wednesday 19th February 2003
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sadoksevoli said: Pistonheads costs me absolutely nothing to agree to disagree...in Europe we pay billions to disagree and be shafted by ourcontinental comrades.


I thought this was quite amusing.. until I realised how right you are...

Thom

2,745 posts

301 months

Wednesday 19th February 2003
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derestrictor said:Seems to me, Britain isn't really the bad boy of Europe


You're kind of an excellent comedian, aren't you DeR?
Reminds me of a crook called Chirac...

andymadmak

15,540 posts

298 months

Wednesday 19th February 2003
quotequote all
What struck me was how confident the French were in making the threats to Poland et al.
Stuff like "play by the rules of the club" and all that is fine and good, but to hear Chirac talk, you'd be forgiven for assuming that, far from being in the minority view on Iraq, the only rules and views that should apply across the EU are the French ones and you break them /disagree at your peril.
How can ONE member of the "club" make threats like this?

Answer, because it isn't a real club of equals at all. It's a massive Franco German stitch up and we (The UK)are close to the point where we have no business remaining a part of it.

Andy 400se