Posted on 05/29/2005 1:12:07 PM PDT by Betaille
Excellent. Our French useful idiots.
"The stench of the Ewwww (EU) will now slowly fade away..."
I certainly hope so......but the stench that will increase is that of trilateralists worldwide who just crapped their undies, LOL.
"Are you German?"
Yes - if that's ok with you ;-). The main page said that "FreeRepublic" was about "independent, grass-roots conservatism" and i can identify with that.
I grew up 200 yards from an American military installation though, so I'm naturally against Mr. Schroeder's anti-americanism and the communist propaganda of our Green party. Plus I used to work in a very "Americanized" environment for quite a long time.
The question of the future of the European union actually reminds of a discussion I had with a G.I. a few years ago, when the negotiations for the treaty of Nice were about to fail, who was convinced that the EU would fail and that there might even be a (cold) war in Europe. But that's not the way things work in Europe.
Actually I myself am a critic, but not an enemy, of the European union - because for a great part it lacks democratic legitimation. But then there are certain fields where European cooperation is absolutely necessary, and in those fields a reformed European union would be an apt tool of furthering common interests (which do exists).
And there is nothing wrong with promoting these common interests, the European nations have every right to do so. Illegal immigration for example: To find working solutions that benefit all the states, you have to get them to work together.
The EU as it is now is far from that ideal - and in this regard the constitutional treaty is somewhat ambiguous: In some fields it streamlines and slims down EU involvement with local affairs, in other fields it transfers sovereignty from the nation states to Brussels. I would prefer having the first without the second.
Respectfully we may not "rule" but we definitly lead whether we like it or not. (see GWBush's change from not nation building to having made two so far)
I do also believe it keeps the dollar's place as the world's reserve currency safe for a while.
I see attacking the dollar's place as a world currency as the next step for trying to prop up the EU's legitimacy.
Notice anything conspicuous about this picture? Look closely.
Some of us here on FR are perfectly aware of what the EU is and is not.
To make it very simple, what the EU is, it is a very autoritarian system, which bit for bit are bypassing our national democratic institutions.
If I want to fight against socialism in Sweden, I first of all has to make sure that it (in some form or other) is not imposed on us from outside.
And just as I wouldn't want socialism (or more socialism in the case of Sweden) forced upon us by an unelected elite in Brussels, I wouldn't want a free market economy forced upon us. Because such a thing wouldn't be free, and according to Friedrich Hayek, it wouldn't be a market economy either.
The USA rules the world on all levels, economy, technology and science, military, and culture.
The USA rules the world because we are good and we believe in GOD.
The USA is the most powerful nation in history of man, period.
chirac already came out and spoke that he heard and would respect the vote.
It was very likely a friendly question, by the way. Some of FR's best contributors are from overseas. MadIvan, Michael81Dus, Atlantic Friend and knighthawk are among the greats. Many of us love an outsider's perspective of the US and an insider's perspective of Europe.
Welcome to Free Republic.
The vote is binding.
The vote in Holland (the Netherlands) is not binding, but most of the parties have promised to abide by the result if the turnout is 30% or more.
For live video !!!and last I heard it was 56% no !!!
I don't mind leading - leading is not ruling. Words have meaning.
A common market and a pan-European democratic mechanism to negotiate the rules is a good thing. A loose confederation which allows for common trade rules and reasonably free movement of people and goods is one element of preventing devastation in Europe again.
But a ludicrous, Orwellian screed written up by freak Leftists in Brussels desperate to impose Socialism cum Multiculturalism is an anti-European nightmare. It wasn't a "Constitution", but the terms of surrender to a lumbering slave state at the hands of embittered Communists, angry at the loss of the Soviet Union and the possibility that they might not get to confiscate the entire land mass of Europe for their own control.
As far as the French go, every one of them that I spoke with in the last month said the same thing: "Turkey". There were certainly other reasons, but that was the one that came out most often.
Maybe the French want to stay French. Whoda thought it.
hehehehehehehehehe
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