Ireland's citizens voted Thursday on whether to accept or reject the European Union's new reform treaty, a painstakingly negotiated pact that would be damaged or destroyed by an Irish "No."
The Lisbon Treaty seeks to reshape EU institutions and powers to cope with the bloc's near-doubling in size over the past four years from 15 to 27 nations with 495 million people. It contains many of the same reform plans as the EU's previous master plan: a constitution rejected by French and Dutch voters in 2005.
This time, among EU nations, only Ireland's 3 million registered voters present a serious threat to ratification. The other 26 members are requiring approval only through their national governments and so far, 18 EU members have done so.
The EU is just Soviet Union Lite as far as I'm concerned. It will snuff out the freedoms of Europeans, strangled in the red tape of a distant and unresponsive parliament. I can only hope that the Irish do their duty and kill the treaty--for a couple years anyway. It will be brought back again just as it is back now after the Dutch and French voters "killed" it.
The BBC this morning on NPR was simply awful. The BBC reporter asked why 3 million voters should decide the fate of 300 million. I ask, why are only 3 million voting on such an important issue? The question answers itself. The EU is anti-democratic and doesn't want people to have a say.
The BBC reporter went on to argue with the interviewee that the treaty was really too complex for voters and that it really shouldn't be up for a vote. That's nice. Let me just say that if you can't explain the basics to voters, the explainer is an idiot or doesn't want the voters to understand. Further, I'd bet that darned few of the "nobility" in either the national parliaments or the EU parliament understand the treaty. Tell me that the members of the 18 parliaments that approved the union understand what they've agreed to.
Anti-Americanism is the unifying ideology of Europe. European nations can be our friends. And Europeans can be our friends. But Europe will not be our friend.
Come on Irish, kill this. Much like the mob, once you are in Europe you can't get out.
UPDATE: Irish voters have spoken--the only voters speaking this round:
Electoral officials say Irish voters have rejected the European Union reform treaty with a national "No" vote of 53.4 percent.
Brussels will win in the end, I'm afraid. Perhaps Brussels will send out a notice of changes of terms and conditions like credit card companies do. Nobody reads those.
Still, the 3 Million held the pass against the imperial advance for a short spell. Perhaps the time bought will allow a bigger state the opportunity to change their mind about the whole damned project.
