Sunday, June 15, 2008
Get the message - No means No!
Wow, what a week! Friday was one of the most tense, dramatic and ultimately satisfying days I've ever experienced as a voter. I was so proud and relieved that the people of the country stood up for democracy and bloodied the noses of the beasts in Brussels. Whoever said Friday the 13th was an unlucky day was wrong! Friday the 13th proved to be a very fortunate day for Ireland and Europe. How close we, and the rest of the EU, came to handing over important powers to the sovereignty-grabbing EU elite! We don't really have an 'independence day' in this country like for example the United States, but to me June 13th will forever be known as Ireland's independence day from now on!What I've found most interesting though is the speed at which the EU have come out and demanded that ratification of the Lisbon Treaty continue! Now a cynical Dub like me was not of the belief that they would let things lie. I remember all too well how they treated the first Nice Treaty vote in 2001 with utter contempt. However I must admit I did not see them dismissing our democratic vote so quickly! I expected them to resort to their spin and lies but Jose Manuel Barroso (or Barroso the clown as I call him) has dismissed the result already!
In fact, Barroso's ignorant attitude and contempt for democracy was so astounding, that he actually treated the outcome with utter disdain - and announced the EU would press ahead with their plans - BEFORE the official result had even been announced in Dublin! Can you believe these guys? Said Barroso:
"The treaty is alive, and we should continue.
"The No vote in Ireland has not solved the problems which the Lisbon treaty is designed to solve... The European Commission believes that the remaining ratifications should continue to take their course."
That attitude flies in the face of comments by French Prime Minister Francois Fillon, who said this a day before the result:
"If the Irish people decide to reject the treaty of Lisbon, naturally, there will be no treaty of Lisbon."
Hmm, could it be that the EU are changing the rules to suit their own agenda? I think we all know the answer to that. There is without a doubt a great deal of confusion as to where we all go from here.
According to Czech Republic President Vaclav Klaus:
"The Lisbon treaty project ended today with the decision of the Irish voters and its ratification cannot be continued."
However contrast that sentiment with this one from Spanish Foreign Minister Miguel Angel Moratinos:
"Without doubt it is not good news, but Europe will not stop. I am convinced that, as has occurred at other times in the past in the EU, we will find a solution among ourselves."
Now if ever a sentence summed up the undemocratic nature of the European Union, truly that is it. "We will find a solution among ourselves". That could have been a sentence delivered by any fascist ruler throughout human history, yet it comes from a man who would claim to be a democrat and who would tell you the European Union are a democratic institution. I would like those from this country who voted Yes, and who scoffed at those of us like myself who pointed out the undemocratic nature of the EU, to please justify this kind of attitude. Because, to me at least, such an attitude is reprehensible.
The bozo Barroso!
As I've said before on United Irelander you can't be a part-time democrat. You can't claim on the one hand to support democracy and then on the other hand be willing to ignore the outcome of democratic votes because you don't like them!
Of course the idea being floated about now is a repeat of the referendum. This is an outrageous suggestion. We cannot see a repeat of the Nice Treaty situation. Had the result been a win for the Yes camp there would be NO POSSIBILITY WHATSOEVER of another referendum so any attempt to have another one imposed upon us must be resisted tenfold. If this kite is to be floated in the next few weeks then we must shoot it down quickly. This goes right to the heart of our democratic values!
That's why I was quite pleased to see Labour Party leader Eamon Gilmore assert that the result needed to be respected and there should be no repeat referendum. He commented:
"What we do now is this - the people have made a decision. It's a clear decision. It's a decision we respect and it's the end of the Lisbon Treaty. The speculation that there will be a second bite at it - there won't be."
While I strongly abhor his party's decision to support the Treaty, I welcome his statement on the matter. Let's hope he sticks to this view though. What is less welcome is the comment from our Taoiseach Brian Cowen when asked on RTE about the possibility of a second referendum:
"I'm not prepared to surmise on that. I'm not ruling anything in or out or up or down."
It's hard for me to put into words the rage that swells within my soul at the idea of the EU and the Irish government ignoring the Irish referendum result and making us vote on it again but I will say this - ANY POLITICIAN WHO FEELS IT IS ACCEPTABLE TO MAKE THE IRISH PUBLIC VOTE ON THE TREATY ONE MORE TIME IS NO LONGER A DEMOCRAT. END OF STORY.
My message to the Irish people who voted No would be this - stay vigilant. Stand up for your rights. You do not deserve to be treated with contempt. My message to the Irish people who voted Yes would be this - realise what we have been saying about these people. Please take Eamon Gilmore's view on the matter and respect the will of the people.
There can be no further vote on the matter. Last year I voted for a change of government. The government was returned. Hey, that's democracy. You get what you voted for - unless you are faced with those who treat your vote with scorn.
Here in Ireland we can't influence those countries who have yet to ratify the Treaty, but we can influence our politicians and we need to make it VERY CLEAR to them that the will of the people must be adhered to. Brian Cowen can't just say that like it's a hollow phrase. When he meets up with the European council he carries with him a mandate from the Irish people who are fed up with the direction of the EU. Whether he wanted this mandate or not is besides the point. He represents the people, not his own interests, and must not be bullied by Sarkozy, Merkel, Barroso or anybody else!
Get the message Brussels. Take the hint. No means no!
# posted by United Irelander @ 12:00 AM 
© 2008 United Irelander.
