Clean Politics up NOW & make Politicians electable!
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3 DAYS 'TIL THE VOTE, in THE IRISH TIMES!!!!
Hi,
I did try to find if The Irish Times had published this open letter from Anthony Coughlan to its editor, as published below, so as to provide a URL/address however have failed so far!
I was however amused to note that the banner of The Irish Times online spent much, if not all, of Monday pm and well after I had tipped off the paper on 00-353 1 675 8000 that it seemed to be into the field rather of predictions and crystal ball gazing rather than reporting the news because for some strange they seemed to think, well actually headed their banner, Wednesday, 30 September 2009.
I was unable to find any useful racing results nor apposite lottery numbers which was unfortunate. Nor were they any more accurate in their repoting of EU matters so one must assume neither Anthony Coughlan's letter nor tha passage of time have given them pause for thought nor better judgement!
Open letter to Geraldine Kennedy, Editor, The Irish Times, Dublin 2,
from Anthony Coughlan re Ireland's Lisbon Treaty referendum re-run
______
Sunday 30 August 2009
Dear Geraldine,
May I appeal to you to be fairer and more objective in your treatment of the Lisbon Treaty referendum in the Irish Times.
I write as someone who was responsible, along with my friend the late Raymond Crotty, for the 1987 Crotty case on the Single European Act, from which the current referendum stems.
It is quite something, is it not, that Ireland is the only country in Europe in which a referendum is being permitted on this proposal to make some 500 million Europeans into real citizens of the legally new Federal-type European Union which the "Lisbon Constitution" would establish?
Some recent articles and comments which the Irish Times has carried quite drip with hostility and contempt towards the No-side advocates, even though they are only seeking to uphold the majority judgement that was given by Irish voters last year on exactly the same Treaty as is being presented to them again in the 2 October referendum re-run.
The balance of feature articles and comment in the paper is easily three or four times in favour of the Yes side. You show little attempt to examine what is actually in the Treaty. Your coverage is more often a case of attacking the messenger than the message.
Your distinguished predecessor, the late Douglas Gageby, whom I got to know when he was in charge of covering the debate on Ireland's accession to the EEC in 1973, would never have permitted such imbalance.
May I put to you five points, which I suggest should determine any informed and rational person's vote on the Lisbon Treaty, and appeal to you to ensure that Irish Times readers are made aware of them during the coming weeks?
Firstly, are people happy to be made real rather than symbolic citizens of a post-Lisbon Federal European Union which would for the first time be constitutionally separate from and superior to its Member States, with the new EU's Constitution having primacy over the Irish Constitution?
One can only be a citizen of a State and all States must have citizens. We would still keep our Irish citizenship under Lisbon, but in the post-Lisbon EU our rights and duties as Irish citizens would be subordinate to our rights and duties as EU citizens in any cases of conflict between the two, with all the implications of that.
Secondly, how can it be in Ireland's interest that European law-making in the post-Lisbon Union should be made primarily on the basis of population size, just as in any State, such that Germany's vote in making EU laws would increase to 17% of the total votes compared to 8% at present, the voting weight of France, Britain and Italy would go from their current 8% to 12% each, and Ireland's vote would fall from 2% to 0.8%?
Making European directives and regulations at present requires a qualified majority of weighted votes on the EU Council of Ministers plus a simple majority of Member States. When Ireland joined the then EEC in 1973 France, Germany, Britain and Italy had 10 votes each and we had 3 - a ratio of 3 to 1. Today the Big States have 29 votes each and Ireland has 7 - a ratio of 4 to 1.
How can it be in our interest to vote for a Treaty which would give Germany 20 times Ireland's vote and France, Britain and Italy 15 times each? How can former Taoseach Bertie Ahern and his Foreign MInister Brian Cowen have agreed to such an obvious bad deal when they signed up to the EU Constitution in 2004?
Thirdly, how can it be in Ireland's interest that the Irish Government should lose the right to decide who would represent us on the EU Commission, the body which has the monopoly of proposing all EU laws? Under Lisbon our present right to "propose" the Irish nominee would be replaced by a right to make "suggestions" only, for the incoming Commission President to decide, who in turn would be appointed by Merkel, Sarkozy and Brown - so replacing a bottom-up process of appointment by a top-down one.
This quite vitiates the value of the promise that each State can keep its national Commissioner under Lisbon. Most people do not know about this change which the Lisbon Treaty would make. The Government White Paper does not even mention it, nor do the Yes-side advocates, despite their supposed zeal for the truth about the Treaty.
Fourthly, Lisbon would abolish the national veto which we have at present in over 30 new policy areas by handing over to the EU the power to make laws binding on us with regard to public services, policing, crime, justice, the harmonisation of legal procedures, immigration, transport, tourism, sport, culture, public health etc.
Each of these areas will have major implications for some Irish people. Could the Irish Times not set out in a non-contentious manner what exactly is being proposed for each such area?
Fifthly, it will not be the end of the world if Irish voters reject Lisbon again. If we vote No, the Czech Republic and Poland will not ratify the Treaty. It may be that Germany itself will not have ratified it by the time we vote. And by next May there will be a new Government in Britain which will be pledged to withdraw the UK's ratification of Lisbon on its first day in office, put the Treaty to a referendum and recommend a No vote to it - as long we do not clamp this undemocratic Constitution on the whole of the EU first.
In this way our fellow- countrymen and women north of the Border would have the chance to vote on it. Our membership of the eurozone and the State's ability to borrow money would be unaffected.
The great advantage of such a second No is that it would open the way to a fundamental look at where the European Union is going, returning to the 2003 Laeken Declaration, which envisaged a more democratic, transparent and accountable Union, with some powers being repatriated from Brussels to the Member States, before the subsequent Convention was hijacked by the Euro-Federalists who foisted on us the "Lisbon Constitution".
I recognise of course that you, quite rightly, have an editorial view on Lisbon, but I put in a plea for a more balanced and objective approach in your general coverage in the paper.
Below for your information is a summary of the main reasons why people should be concerned about this Treaty. They have been drawn up with the assistance of authorities in Irish and European law. If any inaccuracy can be shown, I should be happy to withdraw it.
Yours sincerely
Anthony Coughlan
Senior Lecturer Emeritus in Social Policy, TCD;
President, Foundation for EU Democracy, Brussels;
Director, National Platform EU Research and Information Centre, Dublin
To view the 13 points CLICK HERE
Turn EVERY Election into a Referendum for Liberty, Sovereignty, Justice & Home Rule
Write on YOUR Ballot Paper in EVERY election:
LEAVE THE EU
TO LEAVE THE EU
What is the exit and survival plan for Ireland & the United Kingdoms to maximise on the many benefits of leaving The EU. It is the DUTY of our Politicians and Snivil Cervants to ensure the continuity, liberty and right to self determination of our peoples they have a DUTY to protect against crime and secure both our food and our borders.
NONE of these DUTIES has a single Irish or British politician upheld for 40 years. They have drawn their incomes fraudulently and dishonesty.
Politicians are failing to tell the truth, but so are almost all wanabe Politicians, the MSM and Snivil Cervants.
The fact is that even if EVERY Irish & British MEP wanted change in The EU it would achieve NOTHING.
Every single British & Irish Politician, of EVERY Party, elected since before we joined the EUropean Common Market, has promised to change The EU's CAP & CFP - In 40 Years they have achieved absolutely NOTHING!
To try to put a value on OUR Freedom is as futile as floccipaucinihilipilification and as odious as the metissage of our societies, as we rummage in the ashes of our ancestors dreams, sacrifices and achievements, the flotsam of our hopes and the jetsam of our lives, consider the Country and Anglosphere which we leave our children and the future, with shame!
Regards,
Greg L-W.
01291 – 62 65 62
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I SUGGEST – since there is clearly no political party of repute, advocating or campaigning for withdrawal of Ireland or the United Kingdoms from the EU and restoration of our independent sovereign, democracy, with Justice & the right to self determination in a free country. Deny the self seeking & meaningless wanabe MEPs the 'Mythical Mandate' for which they clamour. Diktat is imposed from The EU but Law should be made in our own Parliaments, for our Countries & our Peoples.
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