Sunday, June 15, 2008

EU Solution to Losing Elections - Stop Having Them.


So far, the people of France and the Netherlands rejected the first try at imposing a treaty on Europe by the EU. The EUcrats, went back to the drawing board and only one country was to vote on the Lisbon treaty, the bloody Irish. They did, didn't like it, and rejected it. The EUcrats have again been flummoxed by the democracy on which the European Union is supposed to be founded. Imagine that.

The Telegraph sums it up:

"...It is very hard for the political elite in Europe to accept that their dream of ever-greater integration does not carry conviction with their own electorates. They refused to admit this when France and Holland voted "No" and instead pretended that public resistance could be overcome by committing themselves privately to not having any referenda.

Fortunately for the EU's democracy the Irish constitution demanded such a step and the Irish people have now spoken for millions in Europe. Yet still the elite try and pretend that they can avoid facing the reality that their dream of integration in many countries is unloved and unsupported."


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France's Lagarde: difficult to implement Lisbon treaty

Sunday June 15 2008

JEJU, Korea, June 15 Guardian

France's finance minister has strong hopes that the European Union will soon have another treaty on reforms to replace one rejected by Irish voters.

"We will certainly go through an in depth analysis of what took place and what did not take place," French Economy Minister Christine Lagarde told a seminar on Asian integration in South Koera.

She said implementing the Lisbon Treaty was "going to be difficult".
Irish voters on Friday rejected the treaty to overhaul the European Union's unwieldy institutions, putting the entire bloc's reform plan in peril and humiliating Ireland's political leaders.

The pact, known as the Lisbon treaty, failed by a margin of 53.4 to 46.6 percent in the only EU country to put it to a popular vote.

But just as the Lisbon treaty was drafted after France and the Netherlands rejected the previous treaty, Lagarde said she was "absolutely certain" there would be another Lisbon or some other agreement on reforms.

"We Europeans believe that it is either all of us or none of us," she said.
The treaty was an effort to resurrect EU reforms that were torpedoed by French and Dutch voters in 2005.

This time all countries but Ireland avoided a referendum. The "No" vote means a country with fewer than 1 percent of the EU's 490 million population could doom a treaty painstakingly negotiated by all 27 member states.

The treaty envisages a long-term president of the European Council of EU leaders, a stronger foreign policy chief and a mutual defence pact. It was due to take effect on Jan. 1, but cannot come into force if a single member fails to ratify it.
(Reporting by Vidya Ranganathan; Editing by Kim Coghill)

43 comments:

  1. Looks like a European Escort Wagon, w/a hood scoop, and backwards opening rear doors
    (like a taxi)
    Anybody know what it is?

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  2. Probably a Toyota.
    But I think integration is a good thing in
    Europe lest they kill one another as in the past.
    The Irish were right however to turn the current idea down.
    They can do better than to turn things over to the
    Euroelite, and I hope they will.

    May God Bless the Irish.

    They need it.

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  3. The Brits need it more, what w/2.5 Million Muzzies in London.
    ...how many does Ireland have?
    Think Scotland got of Scot Free, so far.

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  4. They kept the Romans out, now just gotta keep on doin it w/the Muzzies.
    Webb for Veep!

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  5. (picture him choking pencil neck to death w/his bare hands when the Messiah inadvertently lets know his true feelings about the troops)

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  6. We Europeans believe that it is either all of us or none of us," she said.


    Well that's what she says. However the people feel differently. There is a common ground here somewheres, where they keep their identities, yet co-operate on the big questions.

    What would Spain be without bull-fights? What would France be without fools like
    Sartre? What would Italy be without promiscuity? And the mafia? What would Sweden be without people that want to leave?

    Let them be togeher, but retain their own identities. And keep the goddamned muzzies out.

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  7. Anything that France is involved in, I would be immediately suspicious of.

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  8. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  9. Sounds like the compromise solution, for the Americas, too, bob.

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  10. Like building those electric cars in the Peace Valley, Jordan, with Israeli subsidies?

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  11. Why the question mark? Those electric cars are built by Nissan. What's the involvement of France?

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  12. Corporate ownership. of Nissan, mat.

    Especially in the solar car manufacturering, where they are partnered with Renault

    Nissan, Renault and Better Place team for electric cars, charging points in Israel

    Renault controls Nissan

    Renault still in control of Nissan.(Renault ownership in Nissan rises from 36.8% to 44.4%)(

    The French Government owns the controling interest in Renault.

    Globalism, at its' best.

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  13. And into Colombia, too.

    By Diana Delgado
    Last update: 5:41 a.m. EST March 4, 2008
    BOGOTA (MarketWatch) -- French car maker Renault (13190.FR) said Monday it agreed to buy a 40% stake in Colombia's second-largest car assembler, Sofasa, from Toyota (TO) and Mitsui (7203.TO).
    Renault, which now controls a 60% stake in Sofasa, will boost its ownership to 100%.
    German Calle, Sofasa's chief executive, said in a press release that the transaction is expected to conclude at the end of this year.

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  14. Why ask why?

    The Israeli are subsidizing a French manufacturer.

    Not a bad arrangement for Renault, from what the French Ambassador in London called a "shitty little country"

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  15. Mt wife and I support France every time we travel. Motel 6.

    They 'keep the light on for us'.

    And our money goes to Paris.

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  16. Here's how to support France, when in Vegas.

    Walking distance to the strip.

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  17. MGM Grand two blocks away. Many other biggies accessible by foot.
    Why fight the traffic?

    What I don't understand about this Motel 6 is why, with the real estate prices, they haven't sold out to a biggie. It's prime property, seems to me, and the money they make renting rooms can't be much compared to what they could get otherwise.

    It's a bob travel tip. Clean, has a pool, etc.

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  18. Check-in age is 21 years or older. This helps keep the noise level down to a livable decibel.

    Continental breakfast, you ask?

    Not sure about that, as the times I've been there, I staggered home about 3am, and slept until noon. Then taking a 'wake up' jump in the pool.

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  19. Let us be honest: If the people of Zimbabwe were being terrorized by a white despot - if it were a white ruling party whose goons were beating them and burning their homes - the whole world would be aroused on their behalf. Surely they deserve no less just because their oppressor is black.

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  20. dRat,

    Sorry, no cigar. Renault was privatized in 1996.

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  21. ..Not a bad arrangement for Renault, from what the French Ambassador in London called a "shitty little country"..


    Probably had more to do with being in London than anything else. The poor fellow was just trying to fit in.

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  22. I'd never buy a Renault. I remember my cousin, drove one from Pullman to Walla Walla in the dead of winter, at Christmas break, when the wipers wouldn't work, with his head out the window to see. Looked like Frosty the Snowman when he got there. No, no, no Renault.

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  23. French cars have very poor reliability. They also tend to corrode very quickly. My dad drives a Nissan. Only reason for that is the better lease deal as compared to Honda at that time. So far, no problems. He's had it for two years now. Three more to go.

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  24. We have a Nissan. I have nothing but praise for it. It got 37+ mpg on our trip east. I am not making this up. We kept really really good records. It's got about 140,000 miles on it now, and not a rattle, uses zero oil. Great car for the money, bought it used.

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  25. My only complaint with Nissan is their expensive parts. If the car needs a repair, you're hosed. But my dad bought the 5 years labor and parts warranty, and after that he's got a very attractive buyback price. I think that with the low interest lease financing (1.2%) and after lease value of that car, he'll probably end up making money on that deal, as compared to buying the car outright.

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  26. Yup, parts are expensive, but, I've never had to buy any--yet.

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  27. I take it back. I had to buy a new window switch panel. That was about a hundred bucks. But as I put it in myself there was no labor charge.

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  28. The results are in. It's been proven we right wingers are The Nicest Folks On The Block

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  29. Bob,

    Stop that. I have a reputation to maintain! :)

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  30. Mat, look at this--

    Even when they do have children, research carried out at Princeton University shows liberals hug them less than conservatives.

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  31. The same holds true when the question of having children arises. Progressive American cities such as San Francisco and Seattle have become 'childless liberal boutique' cities, according to Joel Kotkin, an expert on urban development.


    This don't bode well for the future, because, as Joseph Campbell says, life, finally, is serious.

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  32. What are you saying Bob, Conservative devotion leads to spoiled Liberal brats?

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  33. Some cross-pollination:

    http://www.treehugger.com/files/2006/06/canada_israel.php

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  34. Nay, I hope I'm not saying that. I thought the article was kind of humorous though, and I take it with a big grain of salt.

    Summer is finally here today. Kind of lifts one's spirits, the warmth and the long days, and then the cool at night. Some of the crops are headed out here already, and the town is peaceful, more or less. Not a bad time to be alive, taken all in all.

    Take care, Mat, will talk later. The eternal grocery shopping calls.

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  35. Bob,

    Sun Jun 15, 05:50:00 PM EDT was meant with tongue in cheek. :)

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  36. The French Government started privatising Renault since 1994, leaving a share of 44% today.

    In 1999, Renault eventually succeeded to strengthen itself via merging with the near-bankrupted Nissan. It took over 36.8% stakes of Nissan motor (later increased to 44.4%) and 22.5% Nissan Diesel to form the 4th largest car maker in the world, just behind GM, Ford and Toyota (but could be overtaken by VW soon).

    Meanwhile, it acquired Romanian car maker Dacia by taking 51% ownership.

    In 2000, it took over Korea's Samsung through the link with Nissan. Samsung used to produce cars based on Nissan's design.

    Copyright© 2006 by Mark Wan


    Smoke 'em if you got 'em.

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  37. UPDATED: 08:28, July 07, 2006

    French government denies involvement in possible Renault-Nissan-GM alliance




    The French government, the biggest shareholder in French carmaker Renault ... said it had not been asked to intervene in a possible alliance between Renault-Nissan and U.S. automaker General Motors Corp. (GM).

    "I don't think the state is like some minority shareholder who is going to say you have to do this or that. I respect the governance," French Finance Minister Thierry Breton told reporters.

    Breton made the comments after a proposal of an alliance between the two groups was put forward by a shareholder in GM, which faces decreasing sales.

    The board of directors at Renault-Nissan agreed in principle to hold discussions if GM made the offer official.

    GM's board of directors will discuss the matter on Friday.

    Source: Xinhua

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  38. "Get Osama Bin Laden before I leave office, orders George W Bush"

    From the article:

    "One US intelligence source compared the “growing number of clandestine reconnaissance missions” inside Pakistan with those conducted in Laos and Cambodia at the height of the Vietnam war.

    America rarely acknowledges the use of Predator and Reaper drones, but the most recent known strike was on a suspected Al-Qaeda safe house in the Pakistani province of North Waziristan earlier in June. Villagers said the house was empty. "


    Anyone here care to estimate what it would cost AQ to locate and track those drones? How invisible are those drones? How cheap is some sort of electromagnetic spectrum that can reflect them?

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  39. dRat,

    Nissan's stake in Renault is 15%. Same as the French government's stake in Renault. (See Wikipedia). With your logic, we might as well declare Nissan as owner, which, of-course, is nonsense.

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  40. "Anyone here care to estimate what it would cost AQ to locate and track those drones?"


    LOL! I would say it would cost them their lives.

    ReplyDelete