COLLECTIVE MADNESS


“Soft despotism is a term coined by Alexis de Tocqueville describing the state into which a country overrun by "a network of small complicated rules" might degrade. Soft despotism is different from despotism (also called 'hard despotism') in the sense that it is not obvious to the people."

Saturday, December 10, 2011

The Capital Account Honey



This is Absolutely Delicious (She is also, but I am talking about this from the TELEGRAPH):


EU Treaty: new EU plan 'abuses power', say lawyers

The plan by France and Germany to build a separate fiscal union after Britain blocked changes to the European Union’s treaty is an “abuse of power”, according to confidential legal advice.




David Cameron warned countries planning to join France and Germany that they would not be allowed to use the EU’s summit venues and offices when holding meetings.
“Clearly, the institutions of the EU belong to the union, they belong to the 27. They are there to do the things that are in treaties, that we have all signed up to over the years,” the Prime Minister, said following the breakdown of negotiations in Brussels yesterday.
Legal advice seen by The Daily Telegraph warns that the breakaway group of 26 countries cannot use the EU institutions or change European treaties without Britain’s consent.
The advice was drawn up by senior officials and lawyers working for the Council of the EU, the service that advises governments on the legality of their decisions.
In an attempt to overcome the debt crisis by strengthening enforcement of the euro’s fiscal rules, the so-called Euro-Plus group will draw up its own treaty. But documents agreed at yesterday’s summit continue to mention “reinforcement” of existing eurozone rules that would require treaty change, and set out enforcement mechanisms to be policed by the EU’s courts and the European Commission.
“To do this is a 'detournement de pouvoir’ or 'abuse of power’ because it changes rules that were agreed by all 27 EU countries,” says the legal advice. “Moreover, any treaty at less than 27 cannot make use of the community
institutions if they changed the character of those institutions, and any use of the institutions has to be agreed by all.”
The controversy is expected to swamp the courts with litigation, including challenges from Britain.
“It is going to be a bonanza for lawyers and will create an even bigger backlog at the EU courts,” said a diplomat. “It’s not a good way to spend money and prioritise resources during a crisis.”
Officials have also noted that because the new pact will be outside binding EU treaties, sanctions against future fiscal offenders will be based on a “political declaration of intent”.
“These will have no legally binding character and could be revoked following the election of a new government. Is this really going impress the markets?” said an official.

42 comments:

  1. How sweet it is

    Cameron has warned the EU breakaway group that under the laws of the EU, the 26, of the 27 members, cannot use existing EU facilities to gather and administer their new plan without Britain’s approval!

    “To do this is a 'detournement de pouvoir’ or 'abuse of power’ because it changes rules that were agreed by all 27 EU countries,” says the legal advice. “Moreover, any treaty at less than 27 cannot make use of the community
    institutions if they changed the character of those institutions, and any use of the institutions has to be agreed by all.”

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  2. The abuse of power is exactly what France and Germany have aimed at throughout history.

    This is a desperate attempt to shore up a disastrously flawed project.

    The Politicians riding roughshod over everything in their panic. The thing is, they are only correcting the mistakes they made in forming the Euro (and creating more mistakes and mess into the bargain) - lack of transparency, lack of financial controls, lack of integration. If they had done all of this at the time it would probably have gone ahead inside the EU Treaties.

    None of what they are doing will go towards addressing the current problems of the Eurozone, but correcting the mistakes of the past. But is it likely to survive the next round of market sentiment, ratings agency downgrades, etc, etc? Probably due sometime next week.

    Just imagine what will happen when the first country decides it has to go for a referendum. Come on Ireland now your chance to really make the new treaty negotiations exciting. By the time all this happens Sarkozy and Merkel will probably be yesterdays people. Best of luck to the new ones.

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  3. The “Euro” was always a stupid idea, a naive creation of the multiculturalists of the sixties, the same group that has wrecked the very permanence of The United States. Since The Civil War, the US has never been more divided internally , mostly along tribal lines. “Europe” as an entity is an illusion as well. There is a lesson to be learned here, but I am not exactly sure what it is.

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  4. Theodore Roosevelt saw the danger of promoting hyphenated Americans.

    Setting the progressive standard, about 100 years ago.

    There is no room in this country for hyphenated Americanism... a hyphenated American is not an American at all. This is just as true of the man who puts "native" before the hyphen as of the man who puts German or Irish or English or French before the hyphen. Americanism is a matter of the spirit and of the soul. Our allegiance must be purely to the United States. We must unsparingly condemn any man who holds any other allegiance. But if he is heartily and singly loyal to this Republic, then no matter where he was born, he is just as good an American as any one else

    If you choose to be hyphenated, you are not a "real" American.

    There are no Italian-Americans, Swedish-Americans, nor even Jewish-Americans.

    There are Swedes, Italians and Jews, no doubt.
    And there are Americans, too.

    They cannot be conflated, nor combined.

    Loyalty to the United States by "real" Americans is not divisible, nor proportioned.

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  5. They had this discussion in Europe, with the advent of Zionism. There was great fear that the establishment of "Jewish" State would bring the national loyalties of the Europeon Jewish population into question.

    The Zionists, of course, dismissed those fears, but as can be seen almost daily, here at the Elephant Bar the dismissal was fanciful nd self-serving.

    The man who calls himself an American citizen and who yet shows by his actions that he is primarily the citizen of a foreign land, plays a thoroughly mischievous part in the life of our body politic. He has no place here; and the sooner he returns to the land to which he feels his real heart-allegiance, the better it will be for every good American. There is no such thing as a hyphenated American who is a good American. The only man who is a good American is the man who is an American and nothing else.
    T. Roosevelt

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  6. For an American citizen to vote as a German-American, an Irish-American, or an English-American, is to be a traitor to American institutions; and those hyphenated Americans who terrorize American politicians by threats of the foreign vote are engaged in treason to the American Republic

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  7. AIPAC, a band of treasonous traitors, according to the Standard set by T. Roosevelt, both a true Republican and Progressive.

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  8. Now some would like to conflate foreign countries with the United States, by culture or by claims of "civilization".

    But when the foreign countries are then judged by the US Standard and fail to meet it, those hyphenated Americans wail at the injustice of it all.

    While the foreigners, themselves, begin to doubt the loyalties of their hyphenated "American" cousins.

    Because those folks are morally adrift, and the truth of T. Roosevelt's words are universal, not really limited to the people of the United States.

    Those that claim dual loyalties are suspect of treason, everywhere.

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  9. Proof is in the tasting.


    The Israel government is sponsoring ads in the US warning young Jews here against marrying Americans and begging them to bid the States adieu.

    The ads were pulled, but the Israeli sentiment remains the same.

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  10. The Israeli government agreeing with T. Roosevelt, but that idea is rejected by the hyphenated Americans, whole clothe.

    I don't think I have ever seen a demonstration of Israeli contempt for American Jews as obvious as these ads,” Jeffrey Goldberg writes in recent piece published in The Atlantic.

    “The idea, communicated in these ads, that America is no place for a proper Jew, and that a Jew who is concerned about the Jewish future should live in Israel, is archaic, and also chutzpadik.”

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  11. I would like to suggest that Desert Rat do his anti-israel blogposts but otherwise refrain from leaving the droppings on every thread. tambien

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  12. He just put up seven consecutive totally off-topic comments when he could have with a little effort created his very own EB blogpost.

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  13. Your suggestion is noted, and rejected.

    We are discussing Union, Loyalties and the Rule of Law.

    In the "West".

    The differences 'tweem Europeon Union and the Union of American States.

    What is required to create, that more perfect Union?

    The US/Israeli experience, here at the EB, encapsulates the challenges facing Europe, with regards where the residents loyalties lie.

    Are the people of the EU Europeon or citizens of any of the respective 27 States?

    Can there even be Europeons that are not hyphenated?

    If not, the idea of a Europeon Union, it will fail. It is a flawed concept, from its inception, if those loyalties cannot be redirected to the Europeon Union.

    As occurred in the US, post Civil War.

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  14. And has been systematically dismantled by the neo-liberals who propagate "Group Identity" above loyalty to the Union.

    Whether in the United States or in the Europeon Union, the truth of T. Roosevelt's words ring true.

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  15. Oh, and jubal, welcome to the Elephant Bar.

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  16. Way off topic. But...

    hot hot hot

    Don't ya think? I must learn. Yes? As a child I was the hula hoop champion.

    So hot I think it should be the Saturday night EB post and when I master this incredible talent it will be me featuring in the Saturday night EB post.

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  17. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  18. Keeps those girls off the pole, but still movin'

    Think Chris Rock would approve of hula hooping, for his daughter?

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  19. I don't know but I'm pretty sure by my daughter's video she was hula hooping in the parking lot of the bar she was at last night and was told by the cops she had to leave.

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  20. With my new hip I think I'll not hoop, sides I did that a lifetime ago.

    Let the young girls do it, though, and, maybe, Rufus after a pint.

    (what is today was in olden time)


    b

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  21. Jerusalem

    And did those feet in ancient time
    Walk upon England's mountains green?
    And was the holy Lamb of God
    On England's pleasant pastures seen?

    And did the Countenance Divine
    Shine forth upon our clouded hills?
    And was Jerusalem builded here
    Among these dark Satanic mills?

    Bring me my bow of burning gold!
    Bring me my arrows of desire!
    Bring me my spear! O clouds unfold!
    Bring me my chariot of fire!

    I will not cease from mental fight,
    Nor shall my sword sleep in my hand
    Till we have built Jerusalem
    In England's green and pleasant land.


    -- William Blake


    See what thinking of ancient time brings up?


    b

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  22. We shouldn't allow dual citizenship.


    b

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  23. Deep thoughts from the criminal-American.

    On a daily basis the Rat spews his anti-jewish, anti-israel, anti-zionist tirades.

    And of course this blog supports his anti-semitic point of view.

    After all he is listed on the front page.

    Look in a mirror folks...

    This blog has taken a far downward turn.

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  24. WiO, you can't post to a blog on Shabbat.

    Numbers 15

    [32] And while the children of Israel were in the wilderness, they found a man that gathered sticks upon the sabbath day.

    [33] And they that found him gathering sticks brought him unto Moses and Aaron, and unto all the congregation.

    [34] And they put him in ward, because it was not declared what should be done to him.

    [35] And the LORD said unto Moses, The man shall be surely put to death: all the congregation shall stone him with stones without the camp.

    [36] And all the congregation brought him without the camp, and stoned him with stones, and he died; as the LORD commanded Moses.

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  25. Rat I mentioned those ads a few posts ago, there was a collective shrug.

    Anyone can write a scenario and hire a young actress to call Hanukkah Christmas, but it doesn't happen in real life, so it's nothing but propaganda, and no wonder US Jewry is pissed.

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  26. Melody: I don't know but I'm pretty sure by my daughter's video she was hula hooping in the parking lot of the bar she was at last night and was told by the cops she had to leave.

    The Hula Hoop was a kind of Fifties version of the Pet Rock, a fad that lasted for about two months maybe, and then people kept them in the garage. The difference with Obama is that we have to keep hula-hooping for four whole years.

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  27. DR: If you choose to be hyphenated, you are not a "real" American.

    What about Lesbo-American?

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  28. Deuce: Since The Civil War, the US has never been more divided internally , mostly along tribal lines.

    I disagree. Even racial lines are blurring now. The division is between "Red" and "Blue" but that's purely team-identification, like Patriots vs. Packers, since Obama kept Gitmo open for business and Newt wanted to help Pelosi solve global warming.

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  29. .

    [32] And while the children of Israel were in the wilderness, they found a man that gathered sticks upon the sabbath day...

    [35] And the LORD said unto Moses, The man shall be surely put to death: all the congregation shall stone him with stones without the camp...



    Damn union rules.


    .

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  30. .

    Keep it up Mel and I'll be spending more time here Saturday night.


    .

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  31. .

    Thanks Sam.

    I was just getting ready to send out Christmas cards. This is going to make it so much easier.


    .

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  32. That's what I was thinking, got my Christmas card problem solves.


    Thanks, Sam!

    b

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  33. Ms T comments about WIO posting on Shabbat ?


    And yet MsT advocates the genocide of all Jews...


    sounds like WIO KNOWS the law much better than Ms T who can only proof text....

    Might I humbly suggest the one that advances the concept of "replacement" theology is in no position to comment on any Laws of the Jews?

    Or I other words?

    Ms T is a witch and the laws of the Old Testament should apply to her.

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  34. WiO: And yet MsT advocates the genocide of all Jews...

    Blood libel. I advocate killing no one except to defend my country in war.

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  35. By the way, El Shaddai isn't fooled when his Chosen People break the Sabbath by posting to a blog but cover it up by posting anonymously.

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  36. WiO: Ms T is a witch and the laws of the Old Testament should apply to her.

    Colossians 2:13-14 And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses;
    Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross.

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  37. Now the witch speaks for g-d..

    I guess that's why they call them pagans

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