The Lisbon Treaty: My Take

[nwhyte]

I promised a post on the Treaty of Lisbon a couple of days ago, so here it is.

Comments

[chickenfeet2003]

makes me despair for British political culture.

The xenophobia, yearning for empire, persistent low level racism and the belief in the manifestly illusory 'special relationship' with the Americans all add up to a political class that hasn't lived in the real world for several decades.

[annafdd]

Word.

[hfnuala]

Here's an example of how toxic it is :
http://www.express.co.uk/cartoon/view/2008-01-31

[chickenfeet2003]

Words fail me. The Mail, the Express and the Sun are so vile one wonders how the people who write for them live with themselves.

[irishkate]

will Ireland really be the only country to have a referrendum on it?

[matgb]

My understanding is that Ireland's the only country constitutionally required to, others may choose to if they wish, it'll depend on local politics and govt preferences I guess.

[inuitmonster]

I gather that even Ireland is not constitutionally obliged to have a referendum on every EU treaty, but it has become the practice to have one regardless of whether or not they are needed. We Irish so crazy!

[pgmcc]

Thanks for this posting. I'm bringing it to my political master (my wife) immediately.

[drasecretcampus]

I did a lot of shouting at the radio when people were saying "The EU can't have a constitution; only countries can have constitutions."

States and provinces often have constitutions. Organisations have constitutions. Even the BSFA has a constituion, and you don't get people fearing it's going to annexe the BFS. H'mm.

[applez]

makes me despair for British political culture.

Hmm...well, the American one is in many ways worse. Though in keeping with that tradition, I think we can both effectively scapegoat the current political cultures as an Australian conspiracy. ;-)