Howard Defends EU Stance
09 June, 2004
British opposition leader Michael Howard has tried to define his party's position on the EU, in what many will see as a desperate attempt to avoid another Tory split.
The Guardian's Goodbye
08 June, 2004
The Guardian's cartoonist Steve Bell pays tribute to Ronald Reagan with all the style and class we've come to associate with this newspaper.
permalink
America's Poor Relations
08 June, 2004
Stephen Pollard links to a report which shows that if the EU was a US state, it would be poorer than all but a few of the fifty others in the union.
This shocking development - which is based on figures for the supposedly richer EU 15 and does not include the much poorer nations who joined the EU last month - is a damning indictment of the Eurocrat vision of creating a market able to compete on equal terms with the USA.
The report, which you can download in pdf format here, was compiled by Swedish economists Dr Fredrik Bergström and Robert Gidehag. The authors demonstrate that on GDP per capita, even Britain, France, Germany and Italy would come fifth from bottom compared to US states. Only Luxembourg has a GDP per capita higher than the US average.
As for the recent recession, well, even with the US economy sorely wounded after the dot-com bust and 9-11, US economic growth rates were higher than the average European growth rates in recent decades.
As Pollard says, the report makes a nonsense of the 2000 Lisbon Initiative, which was supposed to make the EU the world's most competitive economy by 2010. In fact, things have probably worsened since then, with a failure of will to reform decrepit labour laws throughout the EU. Furthermore, those nations in central Europe who take innovative steps to encourage growth by lowering corporate tax rates are slapped down by stagnant western powers who fear that Estonia, Poland and Slovenia are too competitive.
Rather than encourage reforms in Europe's economy, Eurocrats have preferred to unveil initiatives like the constitution. Others have concentrated their energies on uniting Europe around mistrust of the United States.
It's true that many EU nations value their social systems: Furthermore, it is difficult to measure quality of life and the average middle-class Frenchman with his 35 hour week may feel better off than his hard-pressed US counterpart.
But this report shows that European nations are not doing enough to keep up with the US, never mind overhaul the Americans. As US GDP streaks ahead and the chasing pack of central European and Asian states begins to gain, Europe could find itself left behind sooner than it imagines.
permalink
Dissent Crushed In Paris
07 June, 2004
Supporters of Iraq's insurgent terror groups marched in Paris on Saturday (and yes, before you write in to moan that opposing Bush is not the same as supporting terror, these guys were carrying posters supporting the 'resistance.')
Bloggers from No Pasaran and David's Medienkritik went along with pro-American posters - and tried to display them as one of the protest leaders was sharing his thoughts with sympathetic journalists.
The result? First a protest steward, then French cops hauled them off. It's ok to praise terrorists on the D-Day anniversary in Paris: But don't try praising the Americans.
permalink
The Feel-Bad Theory
07 June, 2004
The Guardian speaks for the world's dictators, terrorists and appeasers on Ronald Reagan's legacy: "What made America feel good about itself makes others deeply alarmed."
Aw, Diddums.
Obviously the Guardian and its target readership prefer an America crippled by economic decline and self-doubt; limited in its actions by an aggressive and armed-to-the-teeth totalitarian rival; humbled by the greater wisdom of European intellectuals.
It would be better to say that what made America feel good about itself inspired others around the world to seek the same freedoms and the confidence they bring. Thankfully, Collin May over at Innocents Abroad has a corrective to the Guardian's perverse observations: Go check it out.
permalink
"Tear Down This Wall!"
06 June, 2004
Ronald Reagan, 1911-2004. RIP.
The Brandenburg Gate speech.
permalink
An Alliance For The Future
06 June, 2004
The Sunday Telegraph has the best analysis on how the D-Day commemorations allow Europeans and Americans to reflect on the future as well as the past - and what the west stands to lose if the Atlantic alliance is challenged:
"Let us not forget what the English-speaking peoples have achieved together: the end of slavery; the dissemination of law and liberty to new continents; the rescuing of Europe from tyranny; the defeat of Stalinism. As Kipling wrote of the Saxon: "He never means anything seriously till he talks about justice and right." Sometimes, of course, we will make mistakes. Sometimes we will fall out one with another. The United States, like any other nation, makes errors. But Churchill was only half-joking when he said: "You can always count on Americans to do the right thing - after they've tried everything else."
But, in a world where the only alternative is the moral posturing of arthritic international organisations such as the EU or the UN, the transatlantic partnership is the only force that can still offer freedom to distant lands. Then, as now, the Atlantic alliance in arms is an awesome thing. Let us think long and hard before we abandon it."
permalink
Readers Comments
06 June, 2004
Our article on the Paris - Beijing relationship drew a healthy postbag of comments from EURSOC readers.
Zappo's Badges Of Dishonour
04 June, 2004
How embarrassing. Spain's new prime minister José Zapatero was so pleased with his troops' quick retreat from Iraq that he issued three generals and his defence secretary with the Cross of Military Merit.
Readers will remember that Zappo pulled the troops out before the UN could pass a resolution that might keep them in Iraq: Previously he had threatened to withdraw the troops if no resolution was agreed: As soon as one began to look likely, he scarpered.
Fine - that's what his people wanted. Spain's soldiers were less happy: No-one can relish being stuck in Iraq, but abandoning allies and fellow soldiers because of your PM's cowardice must be galling. And not least because Spain's fighting men are much admired for their courage.
But did Zappo really have to celebrate by issuing his defence secretary - not even 100 days into his job - with a military medal?
Spain's opposition - and some in Zappo's own party - certainly thought their PM had lost his marbles. In the end, the outcry forced the defence secretary, José Bono, to hand his medal back.
At a time when much of Europe is paying tribute to military heroism, Zappo has not only made himself a laughing stock, he has devalued one of his nation's top honours with his dopey anti-war posturing.
(Via Chrenkoff)
permalink
Tomorrow's World
04 June, 2004
Natalie Solent has a great post on "Why I oppose the EU, the UN and I'm not too thrilled by the WTO either."
How about this for a vision of the future:
"Orwell's O'Brien said, "If you want a picture of the future, imagine a boot stamping on a human face - forever." Nothing so dramatic for this future: just imagine a bureacrat stamping "permission denied" on an application for a satellite dish - forever.
"And it could come about so easily, so gently. All it would take is for the EU to continue its present course, and for other blocs to become more like the EU in its role as the UN's favoured son. I can imagine a future US administration deciding to differentiate itself from its predecessors by coming repentant back into the fold. Then the UN would put gradually put its warm, loving arms around the whole world, with international treaties and courts and protocols and constitutions. These bodies do so love constitutions, don't they? And the whole point of a constitution is to take some matters out of discussion.
(...)
"Read pretty well any account of how the British government responds to a threat to its sovereignty from the EU. First they say it is all a scare story. Then they say, well it has been proposed, but it will be resisted to the last gasp. Then they say that the new proposals, while maintaining the name, purpose and structure of the old proposals are in fact completely different than or at least heavily influenced by our tough negotiating stance. Then they swap whatever sacred principle it was for a deal on beetroot.
"All you have to imagine is stuff like that keeps happening on a world scale."
permalink
Blair's Dublin Deadline
03 June, 2004
Tony Blair will be turning on the charm for Irish premier Bertie Ahern today in a last ditch attempt to secure his "red lines" before the Dublin constitution summit.
Blair is desperate to convince Ahern to include Britain's vetoes in the final text to be presented at the summit: If an agreement is not secured during the Irish presidency, Britain's PM will be forced to negotiate all over again with Holland.
The Dutch have made it abundantly clear that they oppose Britain's red lines on taxation, foreign policy, defence, social policy and criminal law. Blair's government would have a much more difficult task convincing Holland to accept amendments to the constitution.
If Blair cannot secure his red lines, he cannot accept the treaty, which would throw the entire EU - and the PM's European vision - into turmoil.
permalink
Can't Get You Out Of My Head
02 June, 2004
What is it about Germans and Margaret Thatcher? Last October, we reported that forty articles on Baroness Thatcher had appeared in German newspapers in the space of a couple of weeks.
To the horror of Eurocrats and Germany's cosy consensus, a best-selling book argued that Germany needed a healthy dose of Thatcherism to reverse its economic decline.
Wishful thinking, we thought: Germans might be fascinated with The Iron Lady, but as for importing her policies? Highly unlikely.
But now they're at it again. Germany's president-designate, economist Horst Kohler, has urged the country's opposition leader Angela Merkel to commit her party to a programme of Thatcher-inspired reform.
"She should not think to copy Maggie Thatcher" he warned, "but she should certainly try to measure up to her in terms of the depth and breadth of reforms she chooses to implement."
Germany is not yet in the rotten state Britain was in before Thatcher came to power but it could certainly head that way. Perhaps Kohler's call could wake Germans up to the necessity for reform before they need a Thatcher figure.
permalink
Paris Plays To China
02 June, 2004
The EU has rejected French calls for an end to the ban of arms sales to China.
France was joined by Germany in calling for an immediate end to the 15 year old embargo, put in place following 1989's Tiananmen Square massacre.
Despite the decision, seasoned France-watchers will agree that Paris is unlikely to allow the issue to drop - and may already be looking at ways to get around the ban.
Going Commando
04 June, 2004
Last year, we wondered which euphemism journalists would use when it became clear to them that when they say "militant", the public knows they are talking about terrorists.
|
