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Earl Aagaard’s opinions about everything that interests him. Og also enjoys gardening, travel, reading, woodbutchery, and lots of other stuff.

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WILL THE “EU CONSTITUTION” GET SHOT DOWN IN HOLLAND?

It almost sounds like a wave of sanity is rolling over The Netherlands! Skepticism about the total submersion of this small and distinctive country into a superstate dominated by bigger countries is widespread, and as of this writing, it appears likely that the vote on the EU Contstitution will go against that document, and in favor of something a bit more autonomous.

Outside a café in the main square in Maastricht, a troupe of actors enjoying a midmorning rest recount their grievances against the Union. Oda Selbos, with flowing red hair, said: “The euro is a big issue. Everything has doubled in price. When you went to Spain, it was nice to have a different currency. I want to have my guilder back.”

Frederick Brom declared that he was opposed to the EU harmonising everything. “In the EU, everything becomes the same, and that’s a real pity. When I go to France, I want to eat French cheese made by a farmer in his cellar, but with hygiene standards, everything becomes the same.”

One wonders if, over on the other side of the Channel, the Brits are looking past the rhetoric of their political leadership at the reality that will wash over them if they “join” the euro and the Constitution that is being urged upong them…..are they truly ready to give up parliamentary democracy to be ruled by Germany and France with Belgian bureaucrats in between?

“It’s just too bureaucratic, too big. The EU and the people are too far apart,” a grey-haired woman said as she scuttled along the cobbled pedestrian streets, lined with traditional Dutch gabled houses. “It gets bigger, bigger, bigger….The Dutch also have particular financial grievances about the EU, because they contribute more per capita than any other country. The Government is angry that, while it has imposed strict controls on public borrowing to adhere to the bloc’s Stability and Growth Pact, which underpins the euro, France and Germany broke the rules, apparently with impunity..”

Should anybody be surprised at this? When was it likely that Germany would take actions to benefit the smaller countires of Europe if those actions were likely to cause even short-term harm to its economy? READ the whole thing.

Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on 03/11 at 08:39 AM

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