FeedEU is doing pretty good
Tuesday, October 23 2007
I am pleasantly surprised by some of the recent actions by the EU. I have never really like the last step of the EU, with forming a political union – I was more comfortable with an economic union with the 4 freedoms of people, goods, service and capital across the union. I believe that people that trade together will not go to war against each other.
Despite EU being a political union, I could see the benefit of the EU being a independent and a counterpart to the US agenda. Any system needs check and balances otherwise the risk for abuse is too great.
EU has stuck to their guns, so to speak, and made Microsoft pay a huge fine AND open up their code. This is something that US government has not been able to do, in fact they supported Microsoft’s efforts against the EU.
Another good thing is this the EU plan to create the equivalent of the US’s Green Card, which has the unimaginative name Blue Card.
Being on this side of the fence, I do indeed hope that the EU will create a better the system with not so high hurdles as the US system.
This plan will probably bring out the protectionists and the ‘can’t take jobs away from the EU worker’ bullocks. Increased competition will highlight any slacking and complacency which I am sure exist in Europe.
If you look at it from the company perspective, why can’t the company be allowed to decided who is the best person for the job? If they get the right person, then it is fairly safe to assume that the company will do better. This will probably lead to better innovation, efficiency, higher profits = higher tax revenue for the government.
This blue card employee will also contribute to the system by paying the income taxes, sales tax etc. There has to be a safeguard so that no abuse of the welfare system is taking place. EU has to be as hard as the USA at this point. Currently, we are paying into the Medicare and Social security but are not allowed to get anything back. Similar stipulations needs to apply within the EU too.
Fact is the EU is experience a brain-drainage to the US. I have not got a problem to this to other countries because I think it is up the individual themselves to decided what their future is.
If anyone with a skill that want to come and work in Europe, can find an employment, and adjust to the society they are living in – then I welcome them with open arms.
Immigrates with the goal of living off the generous European welfare system – I have 0 (zero) tolerance for and should be sent back to where they came from.
October 24th, 2007 at 16:46
Lizzie,i read your comments with interest on the European Union, but feel the deeper issues are not discussed.
For interest i copy a letter, composed by a blogger(Prodicus )which sums up a lot of peoples feelings on the whole transfer of power.
And the giving away of Sovereignty to unelected beaurocrats in Brussels.
It may be of interest to you.
I amongst other people, are raging!!!
To The Foreign Secretary, David Milliband.
I write to explain why I shall be among thousands of angry and despairing British citizens attending the Referendum Rally in London on Saturday 27th October and why I and others now urge our fellow citizens to overturn hundreds of years of highly developed Parliamentary tradition and demand a national plebiscite on the Reform Treaty.
In refusing us our referendum, you repeatedly say that Britain is a Parliamentary democracy; that the British people have chosen to send representatives to Parliament and to allow themselves to be governed by their decisions; that it is not our national tradition to resort to referenda. (You wish us to overlook the fact that it is your political party which has repeatedly used referenda when you have found it convenient, and you cannot possibly imagine the contempt in which you and your associates are held whenever you dishonestly pray in aid ‘tradition’. Your government has done more than any other in recent centuries to destroy our traditions, jeopardising coherent governance and the integrity of the nation itself.)
But you are right – we have not customarily used referenda. However, something so fundamental has changed because of your government’s actions that we have no choice but to use the referendum to preserve our democracy and our right to self-determination.
What has changed, Foreign Secretary, is our Parliament. Your government has rendered it incapable of representing the people and acting in the nation’s best interest. Your government, Foreign Secretary, is in the process of forcing Parliament itself to betray us. We no longer trust our Government, formed from the members of our Parliament, nor our ancient Parliamentary process, and for the very simplest of reasons.
You and the Prime Minister intend to castrate our Parliament by giving away to the European Union the power which was loaned to you by the British people in order that you could protect and defend us. You intend to pass this power, permanently and beyond recovery, to a foreign power while knowing exactly what you are doing and while lying about it to us even as you do it. You are doing this this not only without our consent but against what you know to be our wishes.
Your government has become a dictatorship. You are following the same pattern as dictators throughout history: you have accepted the acclaim of the people and then turned the power they have given you into the means to ignore and oppress them
Let me briefly specify the chief of the list of crimes against your country which you have committed, and about which you have brazenly lied to us:
You tell us that you have obtained an abiding ‘protocol’ (you call it a ‘red line’) to the Reform Treaty which, you say, prevents the future transfer of further ‘competences’ from Britain to the European Union. At the same time you have agreed to a formula by which — the British veto abolished with your approval — the Union may arrogate to itself additional ‘competences’ without any further treaties.
In other words, this Treaty, the founding document of a new legal entity is, in essence and effect, the final treaty. It enables the European Union to exert indefinitely extensible power over Britain regardless of the wishes of the British people.
There will never be another opportunity for Britain to loosen the chains placed upon us by the European Union.
Your contemptible ‘red line’ is worthless and you know it, and to offer it to us as though it were some kind of democratic assurance is a gesture of contempt. An insult. You insult us, Foreign Secretary, and we will have our revenge on you for this, too.
You have a peculiarly un-British vision of what one might call ‘the future history of Europe’ as a socialist analogue of the United States of America. You think its emergence historically inevitable, as a Marxist historian might. In the furtherance of your pan-European socialist vision, you have exceeded your authority. You have ignored the cry of the British people who disagree with you – as you are well aware – and who employ you – which you seem to forget – and you would now sign our nation away into an international organisation with quite awesome and unaccountable power over us. You are destroying the most precious element of Britain’s ancient and flexible constitution — our Parliament. You would reduce to a pathetic, muttering, impotent, regional assembly the people’s means of self-government and their ultimate recourse when they seek protection from oppression by native dictators or inimical foreign powers.
You would rob us of all hope of democracy and self determination. Our inherited rights, liberties and protections, gained with our forefathers’ blood over centuries, now fail us, because of your actions. You leave us no choice but to find and use whatever new, peaceful means we may, to express both our outrage at your crimes and our determination to prevent you from any further traitorous actions against us.
In previous centuries, Foreign Secretary, we would have hanged you. In these enlightened times, we will not do this, but you should be aware that this is only because we are determined to rescue our constitution, our institutions and our nation from yourself and your associates.
You do well to be very afraid of the outcome of any referendum on the Reform Treaty, and indeed of the general election when it comes. It is obvious, of course, from your refusal to conduct a referendum on the Reform Treaty that you are fully aware of the position as I describe it here, and therefore culpable of the crimes of which I accuse you and the Prime Minister.
If you had any honour in you, you would not have agreed to this Treaty without the approval of the British people by referendum, but no-one could accuse you and the Prime Minister of being honourable men. In view of your traitorous behaviour to date, though, might I ask you to at least have the grace to cease using the words tradition and British when you address us, lest you anger us to the point where we have to reconsider the proper way to deal with traitors?
I remain, sir, anything but your obedient servant
October 24th, 2007 at 19:45
I am uncomfortable with the current political EU, I am certainly 100% against a United States of Europe. That would be a huge and irrevocable mistake to form. Europe is infinite more multifaceted then what the USA is.
I do not recognize the current European “parliament” due to the single fact that it does not have the basic power of a parliament. The composition of the EU “parliament” does not reflect the composition on the European Commission (executive power). I have never voted in the EU “parliament” elections as I do not recognize it as legit. Either it is the national parliament that represent the people or a Federation has been created that supersede (may this never happened!!) the national level.
It is either or, it can’t be both.
Just because it has the name of parliament does not mean it fulfill the basic requirements. Hey what directorship does not gives its assembly a legit name? The elections in the old Soviet had a turnout of 99% but would we call that a democracy? No.
BTW, USA is a democracy but is not a parliamentarian state.
Also, shame on PM Gordon Brown not calling an election this autumn. He does not sit with the mandate of the people and he is a coward. Tony Blair actually said that he only listens to the voters on 1 (one) day … after that it is all his decisions. Disgusting but then again he could not go any further down in my estimate.