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European Union

Open your eyes, fools

European Union

How bad is it?

European Union foreign ministers condemned on Saturday a Dutch film that accuses the Koran of inciting violence, but said its author had a right to make it under the bloc's free speech principles.

(Reuters)

So people still have the right to disagree with Islamic extremists, but our governments no longer do disagree.

Great.

European Christian Constitution

European Union

Europe started as the EEC, so having an ECC as next step wouldn't be too bad: Angela Merkel wants a Christian constitution for Europe:

Mrs Merkel will take charge of efforts to revive the constitution when Germany assumes the EU's rotating presidency next January. Any attempt to mention Christianity - or simply God - in the text will be met by stiff resistance from secular France, from Britain, which treads carefully in this area, and from northern Protestant countries such as Sweden and Denmark. During the tortuous negotiations on the constitution in 2004 there were concerns that any religious reference could upset Europe's Muslims and Jews.

But Mrs Merkel, the daughter of a Protestant pastor, is determined to reopen the debate when she tries to revive the constitution, a controversial move in itself because many EU leaders want a slimmed down document after last year's no votes.

Neil says she wants a new constitution, but this doesn't sound like it at all. Words like "revive" make me uncomfortable. Either way, any new or revived constitution would need to address the many problems I had with the previous constitutional attempt. Furthermore, as much as I prefer Christian traditions over Muslim ones, the constitution should make very clear that freedom of religion only works when said religions acknowledge being merely one viewpoint and not the absolute truth. Otherwise, leave God out of the constitution.

And a small note to potentially offended Jews and Muslims: if our Christian, pagan and enlightened traditions are a problem, stay in Israel or Arabia. Or move there. Europe is European, okay?

International force for Gaza?

Anglosphere

The international force in Lebanon that will keep Israel safe by not disarming Hezbollah might be expanded to Gaza:

If the planned multinational force in Lebanon succeeds, it might be possible to create a similar force for the Gaza Strip, Italian Foreign Minister Massimo D'Alema said in an interview with Haaretz.

Even more than usual, I'm skeptical. This international force will not actually be able to use force, despite the obvious lessons from the Srebrenica massacre. Therefore Hezbollah (and Hamas) will have to lay down arms voluntarily. Time to smirk, people. See, if a voluntary disarmament were even a remote possibility, we wouldn't need an international force in the first place. And indeed we could suffice with the international farce that is currently underway. UNIFIL sounds a lot like "unfulfilled" and it's beocming clear why.

By the way, Hezbollah isn't even considered a terrorist organisation by former Communist Party senior D'Alema:

Hezbollah is not considered a terrorist group by the European Union, nor in my personal view.

Hezbollah actually is classified as such by the United States, Canada, Israel, United Kingdom, Netherlands and Australia. The EU does recognise "clear evidence" of "terrorist activities by Hezbollah" and for good reason. Hezbollah Secretary-General has actually stated: "in occupied Palestine there is no difference between a soldier and a civilian, for they are all invaders, occupiers and usurpers of the land". As long as that mentality prevails, not even disarmament will help obtain peace. Likewise, without the explicit acceptance of the state Israel, there will always be war, and UNIFIL might as well be named UNIFAIL.

Letter meme

Personal

This is a meme I saw at Inge's LJ some time ago. How it works:

Comment on this entry and I will give you a letter. Write ten words beginning with that letter in your journal, including an explanation what the word means to you and why, and than pass out letters to those who want to play along.

Inge threw an E at me. Quite a tough letter, so it took me a while. Here we go:

I made it! Thanks Ig, but next time please throw me a freaking Q or Z because I'd probably be finished sooner.. this took me how many weeks? Too many.

As the meme said, drop a comment if you want to play along and I'll assign you a very nice letter. Most likely the ß, ø or š for anyone who's going to be mean about the fact that I used to be a Trekkie. ;-)

Income from aviation? EasyTax!

European Union

The European Union does not have the power to levy taxes, but don't blame that on lack of trying. Here's a new EU proposal on air taxes:

Parliament is discussing the proposals, contained in a report, as Europeans queue up at airports to fly off on holiday.

The report recommends that the airline industry's exemption from paying Value Added Tax (VAT) on fuel should be scrapped, and says an additional fuel tax should be brought in. It would apply around the world.

I'm worried.

Removing existing tax exemptions does not worry me so much. In reality the proverbial exception to the rule means nothing but more rules and more complex rules, in other words bureaucracy. Of course, compared to sales tax, VAT itself is very bureaucratic, but the removal of exemptions would at least make more transparent to deal with VAT.

However.. historically governments have been inept to even make an estimation of the economical costs of their actions. Let alone a worthful comparision of costs to actual benefits (in this case environmental). The EU in particular is not known for transparency nor efficiency, so there would be no way to verify that the extra tax revenue would actually be invested in the environment. It is far more likely extra taxes would primarily assist the continuous relative growth of government budget compared to GDP.

Last but not least: raise your hand if you agree that the European Union should not have the capability, ambition, desire and sheer arrogance to talk about levying taxes that "would apply around the world".

Seriously, die already!

European Union

The situation is getting annoying. Maybe it's because of the recent Europe Day, but apparently the EU is on a renewed mission to push matters forward (read: down our throats). Barely having been able to fully enjoy new Frankenstein-style live support from Barosso, the EU undemocracy gets another boost because Angela Merkel wants the constitution back from the dead as well:

"We need to think about how we make the constitution a success. I want the constitution, the German government wants the constitution."

The EU is divided between countries which regard the existing text of the constitutional treaty as the best possible compromise and others, which would prefer to declare it dead.

We need to think about making democracy work in Europe. We do not want the constitution. And it can not be ratified without us, those were the rules. So seriously, give up on it already. It's so dead, it was never really alive in the first place.

Die already. Please?!

European Union

Barosso is in a mission to wake the European constitution from death.

"We have to take decisions for the future," he said. "I think it's best to have a new institutional settlement for the union before the end of this Commission and parliament."

Best for whom? For us, citizens, or for the Commission and parliament?

The prevailing view in Brussels is that no serious decisions on the constitution can be taken until after Dutch and French elections next spring.

Hey, Brussels! We said no. And not just parliament, but the entire chamber agreed to respect that. So our elections matter not: no is no.

Other initiatives seemed designed to do the bare minimum to assuage concerns in countries such as France that the EU is not doing enough to promote the concept of "social Europe".

Citizens could be offered a new entitlement card setting out their existing rights as members of the EU. There would also be an ill-defined "comprehensive stocktaking of today's European society and an agenda for universal access and solidarity".

Okay, I'm willing to give that initiative a try. If the EU manages to summarise citizen rights to make them fit on a creditcard-sized document, then maybe they can do the same for the constitution and remove enough crud to make it worth a second look.

Otherwise. Die already, constitution. Please?!

Eek! WTF?

European Union

My web site is all blue with yellow stars.. have I been hacked by the skilled workers of the European Union? No, it turns out it is May 9 again and that means: Happy Europe Day. Oh joy. Stupid automated style engine. On the other hand, the constitution has been dead for almost a year now, so there might be reason for happiness after all.

Divided by harmonisation

European Union

United in diversity? Romano Prodi doesn't think so: a core group of
Euro nations should harmonise even more rapidly, leaving out the UK and.. the Netherlands?

“We need a strong relationship not just with France and Germany but also with the so-called group of six, countries like Belgium and Luxembourg — but not the Netherlands,” Prodi said.

Asked if this group would include Britain, he replied: “I believe it is difficult to include it among countries which are pushing for more integration. Britain has decided not to hold a referendum on Europe so it has not approved the European position. Evidently it believes in a policy which is more independent of the EU.”

Prodi has already claimed a translation error and assures that the Dutch would definitely be part of the European dream. I don't quite understand why we would even want to be, considering Italy's commemerative constitution coin issued after we voted no. Or Prodi's warm feelings for Hamas. That's not the kind of European leadership I'd like to harmonise with.

Free Gerhard Haderer

European Union

Cartoonist Gerhard Haderer was sentenced to six months jail for a cartoon satire involving Jesus Christ. Guilty of blasphemy in Greece, the Austrian government was not able to prevent extradition under EU law.

Please sign the Free Gerhard Haderer petition if you care about freedom in the European Union.

Update: I located Das Leben des Jesus on the German Amazon. Will order it soon.

Update 14/4: Good, he's free!

© Copyright 1995-2008 Robert John Kaper. All rights reserved.

Tom has more friends but mine are prettier! (#1/1)