French voters reject EU charter (constitution)

BBC ^ | May 30, 2005

[Joe Boucher]

Chirac and the other lackeys within the E.U. have spent how many millions to help sway the election in favor of the yes vote? Only to lose at 55%.
Good job considering not too much comparatively was spent to vote non.

[Destro]

I know what you are thinking but your terminology is incorrect. The EU is not an authoritarian system as you say. An authoritarian system would be like the one under Generalissimo Franco of Spain or Pinochet of Chile.

[Deetes]

The irony is that France would have been more market oriented under this EU constitution (even with the uber regulations) than she is now. I am sure that irony is lost on many here.

This is the part of the story that really is funny or not.

[Destro]

Correction. The USA 'leads' the world. I don't mind leading - leading is not ruling. Words have meaning.

[bahblahbah]

You're quite correct that we don't run the world, but I think he was just taunting Chirac and their quest to create a multi-polar world.

The Euro was created to counter the dollar. They heavily subsidize their businesses to compete against the American ones. He coddles dictators who are enemies of the US. The French tax American movies to subsidize their movie industry. They have some organization to create new French words to protect them from their language from assimilating English words. Hell, they even go crazy when Google was going to start digitizing libraries because of the cultural impact that might have.

The French are quite the pathetic, jealous xenophobes.

[Calvin Locke]

I believe Mark Steyn mentioned Sarkozy visting Paul Desmarais in Quebec a couple of months back.

Desmarais is involved with Total, his son's married to Chretien's daughter, he has employed Paul Martin
through Power Corp., etc.

[longtermmemmory]

If you ever have the chance to see the "euronews" channel, it would seem orwellian is the ultimate goal.

[NonValueAdded]

On this Memorial Day Weekend, it's important to remember all our brave fathers and grandfathers who gave their all so the French could vote "non" instead of "nein."

[AmishDude]

Generalissimo Franco

Whatever happened to that guy.

[stripes1776]

A common market and a pan-European democratic mechanism to negotiate the rules is a good thing... Maybe the French want to stay French. Whoda thought it.

That post was well said.

[Destro]

They heavily subsidize their businesses to compete against the American ones.

Yes and no. We also heavily subsidize the same type of industries. The EU subsidizes some industries and forces others to compete in the market place without govt. subsidizies like national airlines. Yet the EU subsidizes airbus - but we also subsidize Boeing (military contracts as one example).

But American examples are few - while the EU has many such contradictions. The EU is a many headed hydra thing of a mutation. So I can see why people simplify it to "Euro-Socialist".

[bahblahbah]

He died.

[Destro]

Dead! Old SNL joke I am told.

[inquest]

But it is still no a country and now would seem to be moving even furhter away from it.

I don't see any indication that it's moving away from it. All I can see is that it's not moving toward it at the rate that had been expected. It's like when a politician says "budget cut" when in reality he's just referring to an increase that's less than someone expected.

[bahblahbah]

The EU seems like an authoritarian government of group thinking elites.

[wolf78]

"Sure it is OK with me :)

Welcome to Free Republic."

Thanks... and sorry - that came off a bit rude, that wasn't my intention. One get's just a bit overly defensive as a German these days with that wacko government of ours (which, hopefully, will soon be an aberration of history).

It's just that I don't see the french "No" as a reason for triumphalism, as the EU won't go away. Plus: I don't see how "weakening" Europe would be in the interest of the United States, as Europe and the US IMHO are natural allies (And, despite all the bullshit from Mr. Schroeder and Mr. Chirac, a strong, democratic Europe is a far more reliable partner than say Pakistan or Saudi Arabia).

IMHO a strong atlanticist axis should be the goal of a conservative government (like it was the case with Adenauer, Thatcher or Bush sr.).

[TheBigB]

If Schroeder gets the boot it'll be interesting to see how the MSM will downplay his defeat.

Bush's fault. ;-)

[longtermmemmory]

with memorial day tommorrow, the euro currency traders must be thanking whatever god they believe.

[EternalVigilance]

Our biggest threat is the judiciary.

A very wise post.

[ExtremeUnction]

The US still rules the world? What kind of traitor are you to this republic that prays for American empire over America republic? America is (or should be) a leading light of example to the world not its overlord.

America is EMPIRE!! We do rule the world. Why do we have all those carriers, all those Marines floating, ready to attack at a moment's notice, all those nukes??!! To rule the world!!!! And we do. And the frogs rule squat. You need a class on current events.