Blogging from the Bog

   Who wouldn’t want to throw a shoe at George Bush?  The President and Commander in Chief of the country that embodies capitalism and free enterprise shows his leadership abilities and understanding of the situation during this time of financial difficulty by saying, "I’ve abandoned free market principles to save the free market system."  This is about the same as saying that, "We will be taking away your inalienable rights to protect our free society."  What a gobshite…

   These bailouts for badly run financial institutions, car manufacturers, and semi-state home mortgage bodies is the worst course of action to take and will only insure deeper economic miseries over a longer period of time.  The open market system should be allowed to operate and weed out the mismanaged and incompetant companies by take overs, distribution of assets, and bankruptcies just as any other industry.

   It may bring you a little holiday humour to have your very own chance to fling a shoe at George Dubya for whatever reasons that might occur to you so click on this link and have a go!  You’ll be glad you did!

 Throw a shoe at this fool!

   Sensitive top level negotiations, back-door channels, and clandestine meetings are all common phrases used in describing how governments and their representatives conduct themselves while pursuing the aims and ambitions concerned with the national interest.  It is not of course in the national interest for anyone who voted in these governments to have any knowledge of these secret arrangements, let alone question them.  By the time the deal is done, the spin prepared, and the project put into motion it is too late for the citizen to halt the momentum.

   The European Union’s Commission and its’ Parliament conduct themselves no differently; but, by exploring their actions we can uncover their aims.  What started out as a cultural and economic association of diverse countries with unique social histories may be heading down a dangerous path. 

   As a whole the European nations are net importers of, and heavily dependent upon, oil and natural gas from the Middle East and Russia.  In a bid to harness some of these reserves Nicolas Sarkozy, acting as temporary President of Europe, will host a summit on Sunday concerning the future of his pet project The Barcelona Process, also called the Mediterranean Union or simply Club Med.  The intention of this Union is to bring the Middle East and North Africa into the sphere of European influence.  This concept has been on the drawing board for years but Sarkozy hopes to champion this cause and has made it one of his priorities.

   The European Army has several thousand troops stationed in the former French protectorate of Chad, and are there under a UN mandate, to conduct peacekeeping operations for the protection of refugees.  Most of these refugees are from Sudan where they were under constant threat from their own government forces and Sudanese rebels who are funded by these same leaders.  In a proposal that can only be described as ludicrous, if not treasonous, Louis Michel, European Commissioner for Developement and Humanitarian Aid, has promised €400 million to the very government who created the refugee catastrophe in the first place.  Despite the fact that his counterpart in the Sudanese government, Ahman Harun, is a fugitive from justice and is wanted by the International Criminal Court for crimes against humanity this project is being pushed through.  Isn’t this counterproductive to the UN mission?

   Ambitious programs that would have been given a green light once the Lisbon Treaty was brought into force on its’ projected date of January 1, 2009 are not necessarily doomed just because the referendum was rejected by the Irish.  Plans for European Embassies to be managed by a new diplomatic corps, a new unaccountable Interior Ministry, and an elite military force headed up by France may still see the light of day.  Why all the duplicity, secrecy, and covert activity?

   The countries of the world, both great and small, are arming themselves with new alliances, agreements, and treaties in preparation for the Resource Race.  There is a concerted effort by these countries to align favourably with other nations for protection, prosperity, and provisions for the coming days.  If the European Union goes ahead with it’s military, expansionist, and protectionist policies this resource race will only escalate as the arms race did.  We need to find equitable solutions for the coming time when there will be less natural resources to go around before the nations get to a point of armed conflict.

 Louis Michel

   What started out as school project a few years ago has grown into an international effort of creativity, forward thinking, and co-operation among individuals and groups with a view to the future.  Not satisfied with the rhetoric of government, big business, or doomsday theorists these visionaries are proactively making a concerted effort to prepare their communities for the inevitable.  They are not passing judgement, they are not getting entangled in spurious debates or mudslinging, and they are not promising miracles.  They are creating Transition Towns.

   In 2005 Rob Hopkins was teaching a class in the world’s first two-year program of permaculture at a college in Kinsale, County Cork a seaside community on the southern coast of Ireland.  Permaculture, in theory and practice, is the idea of sustainable living and as part of his lecture series Hopkins showed the movie The End of Suburbia to his class.  At a time when the price of oil was still around the $35 per barrel stage the implications of peak oil were not lost on the students and a proposal was drafted designing the Transition Town concept.  The cleaner, greener, community based initiative was adopted by the Kinsale Town Council as proposed by student Louise Rooney and the project was underway.

   The Transition Town concept is becoming more and more relavent, as the price of oil is now $135 a barrel, and deals with how communities will adapt, adjust, and flourish despite being faced with declining natural resources, rising fuel and energy prices or shortages, and climate change.  There are currently 50 towns actively participating in this project and hundreds of others contemplating the idea of getting involved.  Is your town or city considering the prospect?  Check this list of communities around the globe.

   A quote from Rob Hopkins’ website reads, "We are communities, a society, a world in transition, and to do that we need a culture of transition, but also we need the tools for manifesting it."  Indeed we do Rob, indeed we do.

Rob

   On Friday the European Union instructed member countries to tighten border security.  The new policies will include fingerprinting and screening of all visitors, including North Americans, Africans and others coming to European countries and will cost several billion dollars.

   Nicolas Sarkozy will take over the leadership position of the EU on the first of July and is making "border management" and immigration policies some of his top priorities.  Other items on Sarkozy’s plan for Europe include boosting Europe’s military defences and energy security.  The Lisbon Treaty may be dead but the agenda behind it is not.

   Satellite tracking will be used to monitor "illegal immigrants" and many believe privacy and human rights abuses could result.  Will this have any effect on tourism?  Will our visitors appreciate the Cead Mille Failte after they are photographed, fingerprinted, and processed?

   The character and integrity of the Irish and European politicians will be on display next week as they meet in Brussels to explore the ramifications of Ireland’s rejection of the referendum.  The Treaty of Lisbon had to be approved by every member country to come into force on January, 1st, 2009.  At least that is what we were told initially, it now seems there may be yet another democratic deficit within the Uber Union.

   As previously agreed, by all nations concerned, the rule was set that if one country rejected the Treaty that it was dead.  Will the politicians of Europe stand by this decision or will the rule be changed?  Will the Irish election results be ignored?  It seems so as the remaining eight countries are being encouraged to continue the ratification process.  In the coming weeks and months Ireland’s "NO" vote will do more than just send a message to Brussels, it will shine a democratic light on the institution itself in a way that a "YES" vote could never have done.

   Our own fledgling leader, Brian Cowen, who asked us to rubber-stamp this referendum without bothering to read it himself, will be facing his European counterparts next week with a democratic dilemma.  Will he respect the people of his nation and declare to the Union that the Treaty of Lisbon is a non-runner?  Or will he conspire with them to circumvent due process?  Barroso, Merkel, and Sarkozy are in denial.   Sarkozy, who will ascend to the EU Presidency on July 1st, is going full steam ahead with his plans for a European navy!  Do you think they are going to let a simple thing like the Irish democratic process get in their way?

 Tell ‘em Brian!

   The European Union has promised to give the corrupt government of Sudan €400 million for "humanitarian aid".  It was only a year ago that Sudan’s Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Ahman Muhammed Harun, was indicted by the International Criminal Court for crimes against humanity for funding and arming the Janjaweed militia who in turn brutalised Sudanese citizens in Darfur.  Harun is currently a fugitive from justice as the Sudanese government refuses to act on the ICC warrants for arrest.  Yeah Europe, keep sending them money!

   Two days later a rebel group, the JEM, attacked government forces in Khartoum, the capital of Sudan, in a bid to overthrow the despots.  What the hell is the European Union doing, in our name, propping up this corrupt and criminal gang who have caused all the trouble in Darfur that the EUFOR Army is risking their lives to control?

   I can’t wait til June so I can vote yes for more of this feckin’ nonsense!

 Harun

   A tip o’ the hat goes out to the blog Eurealist for this post about the secret European Union plans to establish a diplomatic corps and create their own embassies at 160 locations throughout the world.  The UK Telegraph story goes on to say that these arrangements are being "held behind closed doors" for "fear of political fallout" that may erupt prior to the Irish referendum on the 12th of June.

   The Brussels Journal has reported that "a secret Interior Ministry" will be developed only after the Treaty is voted upon in Ireland.

   On March 16th the Sunday Post online ran a story about corruption in the ranks of the officials within the EU Parliament.  The article quotes Brian Cowen, Irish Minister of Finance and soon to be the leader of our government, as saying, "For those who believe in a democratic  Europe, Yes is the only way to vote.", and then further goes on to describe the secret investigation and the internal audit "cover up".

   Benita Ferrero-Waldner is the European Commissioner for External Affairs who made a speech to the College of Europe, Bruges, on the 7th of April in which she described the need to implement the Lisbon Treaty and that "But of course what you don’t know, what indeed none of us yet know, is exactly how this will work out in practice."

   Does the question "What else don’t we know?" pop into anyones mind?

   Is there an idea, concept or belief that is more valuable than a human life?  Are ideas, concepts, or beliefs, even considered reality?

   Throughout history we have heard of people risking and losing their lives for ideals and principles; but, these were people who were able to rationalise for themselves what the consequences and outcomes might be.  What is the proper consideration for us to take with regards to people who are not competent, who may be children, or even infants?

   There was a discussion on this very topic at Ash’s place over at Into the Rabbit Hole as to what the community responsibility should be when an eleven year old girl was allowed to die because her parents refused to get her the medical care she needed to live.  At what point does a person have a unique presence on this earth and the right to life?  In the womb? at birth? at eighteen or twenty-one?  If pre-natal abortions can be legalised how about post-natal ones?  The threat of post-natal abortions would go a long way in controlling the Anti-Social Behaviour problem with modern teenagers wouldn’t it?  *that was sarcasm ok?*

   There is a case here in Ireland that will be heard in the court system within the next few days.  Parents of unborn twins are trying to prevent medical intervention and blood transfusions, that doctors feel necessary to save the childrens lives, because of their beliefs.  In this country, I believe, that the State can intervene and declare the newborns to be Wards of the State because of the sanctity of life provisions within the Constitution and in doing so can approve of any necessary medical treatment regardless of the parents wishes.  Would it be morally feasible to have the courts allow the medical staff to treat the infants while they are still in the womb?

   Should we as a community take the responsibility to care for each and every life even if it goes against the wishes of the parents?

   What is all the fuss about?  What is there to know about the Lisbon Treaty referendum?  The answer to this Euro-riddle is as plain as Irish stew!  And for all the eejits out there having a great auld chinwagging session on the pros and cons of our future economy, neutrality, or our small voice in the greater European scheme of things answer me this one question will ya?

   Why, if voting yes for this treaty will make the EU 27 a more democratic union, are they not allowing all citizens to vote in a democratic electoral process throughout the member States?  If this passes in June do you think they will ever allow us to vote on anything again?  Why should they?  For Heaven’s Sake people wake the feck up will ya?

   Only a flock of bloody sheep would vote yes for this shite.  Off ya go!

   View this video, posted by Jazz Biscuit, before you vote!