NO!
Regards, Ivan
Posted on 10/19/2002 12:56:07 AM PDT by MadIvan
Ireland goes to the polls on Saturday in the country's second referendum on the Nice Treaty, which paves the way for the European Union to accept new members from central and eastern Europe.
Not really. There could be individual treaties of accession. What this treaty does is expand the powers of the EU. - Ivan
Ireland voted no to the treaty in an earlier referendum last year, and the government has argued strongly for a yes vote this time.
This is what is most outrageous. Ireland voted no in a free and fair referendum. What part of "No" don't these blighters understand? - Ivan
The final opinion polls indicated 42% would vote yes and 29% no, with 19% saying they were still undecided.
A number of EU leaders made last-ditch appeals to Irish voters to vote in favour of the treaty.
European Commission President Romano Prodi warned in Paris that a second negative decision by Ireland "would not be a problem... [but] a tragedy".
Kicking Prodi in the goolies, a man who keeps on wanting to undermine the special relationship between Britain and America, and called fiscal restraint "stupid", is a worthy goal - Ivan
Danish Prime Minister Anders Rasmussen - whose country holds the EU's rotating presidency - said that "if the Nice Treaty were rejected we would be facing an unprecedented crisis" both politically and economically.
Canvassers making pitches for and against the treaty were out in force on Friday in Dublin's main commercial area.
"No" canvasser Paul O'Loughlin said it was worth a final push to try and persuade the undecided.
"We're giving it a last shot. We have to go out fighting, and who knows, maybe there's still a chance."
TV coverage ended at midnight, but newspaper advertising was still allowed as was canvassing until the vote starts on Saturday morning.
There are three questions on the ballot:
Vision of membership
Following its no vote in June 2001, Ireland is the only one of the EU's 15 states not to have ratified the document.
The presidents of the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary and Poland published a joint letter in the Irish Independent newspaper this week saying they would be very disappointed if the treaty was not ratified.
And there are people from these countries in Ireland urging the Irish to vote No as it is a bad treaty - Ivan
The vision of EU membership had been a driving force of reforms in their countries since the fall of the Iron Curtain, they said, and a No vote would postpone their entry.
Prime Minister Bertie Ahern made his own plea to voters on Thursday, saying: "I say to the Irish people that Saturday is a date with history, not only for us, but for Europe as a whole."
Hopefully it's a date with early retirement for you, Bertie, after pulling this kind of stunt - Ivan
"Although we would still be in Europe, I think if there is a No vote we'd have sown a bitter seed and somewhere along the way, as you sow you reap," he said.
Oh so for expressing their opinion, the Irish will be punishment, rather than the politicians being forced to think again? - Ivan
Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adams, one of the leaders of the No campaign - which also includes Greens, Socialists, pro-Life activists and anarchists - said: "For us to vote No is not just in Irish interests, it is in the interests of the smaller states to stop the big states having control."
The only time in my life I am on the same side as Gerry Adams on anything. But this treaty must be stopped because it sends entirely the wrong message if it passes this time: the EU can bully states into voting a certain way if they fail to get it "right". - Ivan
He added: "We need to come out and say we want a different treaty."
Some analysts believe victory for the Yes camp hinges on a turnout of at least 45% - 10% more than in the first referendum.
NO!
Regards, Ivan
The economist Paul Samuelsson laid out the proposal in Forbes three or four years ago.
You guys have to be better than Texans. ;^)
It was an interesting proposal, but just to assure you Ivan, every scenario had Quebec and Wales off the team. No, we love and embrace the Welsh.
The pro-EU faction will keep scheduling elections until it passes.
The polls have opened.
Wagering the soverignity and treasure of your homeland to a trust of the motives, agendas and alliance of Germans, Swiss, Scandinavians, Italians and French is dicey at best.
God bless Blair, the Brit public needs to understand that he has done the calculus, and he needs to emerge as the singular charismatic leader for the new EU ... to guard the interests of the UK. He needs to be the dominant personality, or the Brits get buggered.
Blair is taking a huge personal political risk by openly supporting the American program, but in the victory he'll emerge pre-eminent in that Union. He's risking it all for Britannia ... and if there results a lionization of Tony Blair in British and World political annals ... he deserves every plaudit, that's acceptable, because he intends to keep tabs on that den of thieves and pirates.
Man, trusting the Swiss. Uh Uh.
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