Ireland and the Lisbon Treaty
As you are probably aware, although the 'Yes' vote had been well ahead, there are signs that the 'No' vote is gaining ground. Originally, the people had been swayed by the fact that the main political parties had campaigned for a 'Yes' vote, but the suggestion that 'no one in their right mind' would attempt to read the Treaty by one of the Irish Ministers and a lack of any clear need for the Treaty from its supporters when challenged in debates has made the final outcome far less certain. Here is a letter to one of the Irish newspapers, which in keeping with a long tradition of excellent Irish writing eloquently expresses the case for a 'No' vote. Many of the points, of course, apply equally to Britain. Dear Sir/Madam, At the beginning of the 19th. century Lord Byron described the Union of a small state with a larger state as " ... the Union of a boa constrictor with it's prey". As we in Ireland consider the Lisbon Treaty/Constitution we would do well to remember Lord Byron's prophetic words. He was referring of course, to the Union of Gt. Britain & Ireland which came into effect on 01-Jan-1801. That Union culminated in the Irish Famine. Irish people may not realise however, that each year while her people starved, Ireland was actually exporting £45 Million pounds sterling worth of food. The starvation inflicted on Ireland was not in fact due to a lack of food, but rather due to the unbridled Free Market policies being pursued by the foreigners who wielded power over Ireland at that time. Launching Fine Gael's "Yes" campaign recently, Enda Kenney focused on the Jewish Holocaust. It would have been more to the point had he and Fine Gael focused instead on our own Irish Holocaust. The Famine is a stark warning as to what could happen, if Ireland were again to fall under the rule of foreigners who subscribe to the same unbridled Free Market ideology that resulted in the starvation of millions during the 1840's. Fine Gael's reference to the Jewish Holocaust may have been a botched attempt to imply that the EU is the only way to guarantee peace in Europe. Minister Michael Martin and Sean O'Neachtain MEP appear to share this view. O'Neachtian called the EU "the biggest Peace Process in the world"! The exponents of the so called European peace process conveniently ignore the fact that the EU's expansionary zeal in encouraging portions of the then Yugoslavia to rush to unilateral declarations of independence, was partly responsible for starting the Balkan conflict. Neither do they appear to see any irony in their professions of peace, whilst at the same time facilitating George W. Bush's war in Iraq which has resulted in the deaths of an estimated 650,000 Iraqis. Why does the "biggest peace process in the world" need it's own army and compel it's members including Ireland, to increase military spending? If the EU really is the biggest peace process in the world, why are they amassing more weapons instead of engaging in weapons decommissioning? Why are Irish soldiers helping the French army to prop up a French installed dictator in Chad, under the guise of a humanitarian mission? Do the Government and opposition really believe that our European neighbours will react to an Irish "NO" vote by declaring war on each other and perhaps even on us? Or, are they simply trying to deceive and blackmail us into voting "Yes"? Europe's ordinary people are no more predisposed to violence than anyone else. Historically though, they have been deceived by their leaders into participation in military alliances while at the same time permitting their democratic controls and freedoms to be weakened, in the interest of "Security". Sounds familiar, doesn't it? Evidently, European leaders are again preparing for war. As with this constitution they won't refer to it by it's proper name, they'll call it something else instead. "Peace Enforcement", Rapid Reaction Force" and "Humanitarian Intervention" are the currently preferred misnomers, but do not be deceived. The French and Dutch voters weren't, but they have had to learn this lesson the hard way. This time round a different race and religion is being scapegoat, but everything else is running true to form. Being unable to promote the Treaty/Constitution itself, the "Yes" campaign has been reduced to these types of tactics. Their alternatives are, personal attacks on those of us with the temerity to advocate a "NO" vote, and to persist with the illusion that historically Ireland has been a big net beneficiary of EU largesse. Through the exploitation of our fishery waters, Ireland has in fact been the second largest indirect contributor to the EU. For the last 35 years we have been deceived on this point by the EU's elite in collaboration with our own self serving politicians. In spite of Ireland having contributed 44% of the total EU fishery waters, the Irish Government were, as ever unable to influence EU Policy and when quotas were established Ireland was awarded a paltry 4% of the catch. Their attempt to resell us the EU, which we are already members of and will continue to be members of even after a "NO" vote, requires that we examine the EU's record with regard to Ireland. It is almost 35 years since Ireland joined the EEC, only the last 10 of these years have been good. There rest were downright dismal. Ten good years out of 35 doesn't indicate an unqualified success. Bertie Ahern recently admonished farmers for their negative stance on Lisbon. His assertion that farmers had done better out of the EU than any other group means that an examination of our farming community should show the EU in it's best possible light. Undoubtedly, our farmers have done better than our fishermen, but in 1973 there were 300,000 Irish farmers, today the figure is just 100,000. EU agriculture policy has resulted in a mass exodus from family farms and the subsequent destruction of our rural communities. The impact of this exodus on the commercial and social life of our rural towns and villages has been so detrimental that not even 10 years of the Celtic Tiger could revive most of them. Under the EU's reign, cattle were turned loose into woods due to the lack of a market for them, or fodder to feed them. Meat factory gates were slammed shut in farmers faces and there were times when you would be rewarded with a suck calf, in return for buying a farmer a pint. Sheep's wool is worth less today than it was 25 years ago. And what of the now extinct Sugar Beet farmers? On top of this litany of policy failures and false promises the EU has piled bureaucracy, regulations and directives. The EU prevents farmers from spreading slurry on the basis of the correct weather conditions, it must be done to a bureaucrat's timetable. Farm produce cannot be sold at the farm gate. Farmers cannot provide themselves and their communities with water, without metering and supply charges, plus VAT. Farmers have been prevented from supplying turf to their local communities and now are to be prevented from using their turf banks altogether. They are even told when they can and can't cut the hedges on their own land and can no longer kill their own pig. Commissioner Mandelson is currently engaged in another sell out of Irish Agriculture at the WTO talks. Minister Pat Carey recently conceded on TV that he (Mandelson) was operating outside of his mandate. Why then has Mandelson not been reigned in? Does our Government already lack the power or influence at EU level to do so? Would Mandelson be allowed to persist if he was acting against Germany's national interest? One thing is certain, if Lisbon is passed with the consequent loss of our veto on foreign trade deals, we will have forever lost the power to control Mandelson or others of his ilk. And what of the rest us? Have FF & FG forgotten about the queues for Donnolly & Morrison visas? Prior to the 10 years of the Celtic Tiger, emigration was the order of the day. What solutions did the EU provide? The answer is none. As the ECB replaced the Irish Central Bank, Ireland was powerless to moderate the excesses of our over heating housing market. Today, it is our young married couples and first time house buyers who are paying dearly for this fiasco. Ireland differs from the other 26 EU member states in one critical respect. Irish Sovereignty resides Exclusively with the Irish People. Thanks to this fact, our Irish Constitution and the Supreme Court's decision in the Crotty case, we alone in the EU are having a referendum. In 2005 the Irish Government explored every avenue in an attempt to find some legal chicanery that would permit them to subvert our right to have our say. They failed! The fact that they failed gives -*test*-('")imony to the superiority of the Irish democratic system over those of our European neighbours. The ordinary people of Europe can only envy our written Irish Constitution and wish that they too had the right to a referendum on the Treaty/Constitution this time round. Everywhere this Treaty/Constitution has been put to a popular vote, the people have defeated it. For the first time ever, this Treaty/Constitution if ratified, will give European law primacy over Irish law and make the European Court of Justice (ECJ) superior to our Irish Supreme Court and Irish Constitution. The ECJ has already demonstrated in it's rulings that it has a strong bias in favour of multinational big business and unbridled free market ideology. Under the terms of this Treaty/Constitution, our Irish Constitution will never again have the power to protect us from corrupt or tyrannical laws and policies. The Government will also have found what they failed to find in 2005, a way to circumvent the Irish Constitution! This blatant attempt to seize power from the Irish People, in itself justifies a "No" vote. "We the People" of Ireland have been entrusted with the protection of Ireland's Sovereignty, Democracy and Freedom by our forefathers, not just for ourselves, but for all the future children of the nation. Our forefathers won this right through 800 years of struggle. Just because this gift has been given to us free of charge, does not mean it is worthless; on the contrary, it is priceless! Are we to be the generation that lays waste to our forefather's monumental achievement after less than 100 years? It is the ultimate irony, that our Irish Constitution is today standing as a bulwark not just in our defence but in defence of others, some of whom once would have oppressed us. That is the genius of our written Irish Constitution. The flaws of Parliamentary democracies, where Sovereignty resides not with "The People", but in Parliament have been exposed in the starkest possible way. Our Irish Constitution is Superior in every respect and we should keep it. Our Irish Constitution needs our support and protection now. Never before in it's short history, has it been in such peril. This IS it's "hour of need"! Uniquely, the Irish Constitution itself, guarantees us the right and the power to defend it. We must retain that right and that power. Your Constitution Needs YOU, vote "No" on June 12th! Yours etc., Tom Ward, Claregalway.
As you are probably aware, although the 'Yes' vote had been well ahead, there are signs that the 'No' vote is gaining ground. Originally, the people had been swayed by the fact that the main political parties had campaigned for a 'Yes' vote, but the suggestion that 'no one in their right mind' would attempt to read the Treaty by one of the Irish Ministers and a lack of any clear need for the Treaty from its supporters when challenged in debates has made the final outcome far less certain. Here is a letter to one of the Irish newspapers, which in keeping with a long tradition of excellent Irish writing eloquently expresses the case for a 'No' vote. Many of the points, of course, apply equally to Britain. Dear Sir/Madam, At the beginning of the 19th. century Lord Byron described the Union of a small state with a larger state as " ... the Union of a boa constrictor with it's prey". As we in Ireland consider the Lisbon Treaty/Constitution we would do well to remember Lord Byron's prophetic words. He was referring of course, to the Union of Gt. Britain & Ireland which came into effect on 01-Jan-1801. That Union culminated in the Irish Famine. Irish people may not realise however, that each year while her people starved, Ireland was actually exporting £45 Million pounds sterling worth of food. The starvation inflicted on Ireland was not in fact due to a lack of food, but rather due to the unbridled Free Market policies being pursued by the foreigners who wielded power over Ireland at that time. Launching Fine Gael's "Yes" campaign recently, Enda Kenney focused on the Jewish Holocaust. It would have been more to the point had he and Fine Gael focused instead on our own Irish Holocaust. The Famine is a stark warning as to what could happen, if Ireland were again to fall under the rule of foreigners who subscribe to the same unbridled Free Market ideology that resulted in the starvation of millions during the 1840's. Fine Gael's reference to the Jewish Holocaust may have been a botched attempt to imply that the EU is the only way to guarantee peace in Europe. Minister Michael Martin and Sean O'Neachtain MEP appear to share this view. O'Neachtian called the EU "the biggest Peace Process in the world"! The exponents of the so called European peace process conveniently ignore the fact that the EU's expansionary zeal in encouraging portions of the then Yugoslavia to rush to unilateral declarations of independence, was partly responsible for starting the Balkan conflict. Neither do they appear to see any irony in their professions of peace, whilst at the same time facilitating George W. Bush's war in Iraq which has resulted in the deaths of an estimated 650,000 Iraqis. Why does the "biggest peace process in the world" need it's own army and compel it's members including Ireland, to increase military spending? If the EU really is the biggest peace process in the world, why are they amassing more weapons instead of engaging in weapons decommissioning? Why are Irish soldiers helping the French army to prop up a French installed dictator in Chad, under the guise of a humanitarian mission? Do the Government and opposition really believe that our European neighbours will react to an Irish "NO" vote by declaring war on each other and perhaps even on us? Or, are they simply trying to deceive and blackmail us into voting "Yes"? Europe's ordinary people are no more predisposed to violence than anyone else. Historically though, they have been deceived by their leaders into participation in military alliances while at the same time permitting their democratic controls and freedoms to be weakened, in the interest of "Security". Sounds familiar, doesn't it? Evidently, European leaders are again preparing for war. As with this constitution they won't refer to it by it's proper name, they'll call it something else instead. "Peace Enforcement", Rapid Reaction Force" and "Humanitarian Intervention" are the currently preferred misnomers, but do not be deceived. The French and Dutch voters weren't, but they have had to learn this lesson the hard way. This time round a different race and religion is being scapegoat, but everything else is running true to form. Being unable to promote the Treaty/Constitution itself, the "Yes" campaign has been reduced to these types of tactics. Their alternatives are, personal attacks on those of us with the temerity to advocate a "NO" vote, and to persist with the illusion that historically Ireland has been a big net beneficiary of EU largesse. Through the exploitation of our fishery waters, Ireland has in fact been the second largest indirect contributor to the EU. For the last 35 years we have been deceived on this point by the EU's elite in collaboration with our own self serving politicians. In spite of Ireland having contributed 44% of the total EU fishery waters, the Irish Government were, as ever unable to influence EU Policy and when quotas were established Ireland was awarded a paltry 4% of the catch. Their attempt to resell us the EU, which we are already members of and will continue to be members of even after a "NO" vote, requires that we examine the EU's record with regard to Ireland. It is almost 35 years since Ireland joined the EEC, only the last 10 of these years have been good. There rest were downright dismal. Ten good years out of 35 doesn't indicate an unqualified success. Bertie Ahern recently admonished farmers for their negative stance on Lisbon. His assertion that farmers had done better out of the EU than any other group means that an examination of our farming community should show the EU in it's best possible light. Undoubtedly, our farmers have done better than our fishermen, but in 1973 there were 300,000 Irish farmers, today the figure is just 100,000. EU agriculture policy has resulted in a mass exodus from family farms and the subsequent destruction of our rural communities. The impact of this exodus on the commercial and social life of our rural towns and villages has been so detrimental that not even 10 years of the Celtic Tiger could revive most of them. Under the EU's reign, cattle were turned loose into woods due to the lack of a market for them, or fodder to feed them. Meat factory gates were slammed shut in farmers faces and there were times when you would be rewarded with a suck calf, in return for buying a farmer a pint. Sheep's wool is worth less today than it was 25 years ago. And what of the now extinct Sugar Beet farmers? On top of this litany of policy failures and false promises the EU has piled bureaucracy, regulations and directives. The EU prevents farmers from spreading slurry on the basis of the correct weather conditions, it must be done to a bureaucrat's timetable. Farm produce cannot be sold at the farm gate. Farmers cannot provide themselves and their communities with water, without metering and supply charges, plus VAT. Farmers have been prevented from supplying turf to their local communities and now are to be prevented from using their turf banks altogether. They are even told when they can and can't cut the hedges on their own land and can no longer kill their own pig. Commissioner Mandelson is currently engaged in another sell out of Irish Agriculture at the WTO talks. Minister Pat Carey recently conceded on TV that he (Mandelson) was operating outside of his mandate. Why then has Mandelson not been reigned in? Does our Government already lack the power or influence at EU level to do so? Would Mandelson be allowed to persist if he was acting against Germany's national interest? One thing is certain, if Lisbon is passed with the consequent loss of our veto on foreign trade deals, we will have forever lost the power to control Mandelson or others of his ilk. And what of the rest us? Have FF & FG forgotten about the queues for Donnolly & Morrison visas? Prior to the 10 years of the Celtic Tiger, emigration was the order of the day. What solutions did the EU provide? The answer is none. As the ECB replaced the Irish Central Bank, Ireland was powerless to moderate the excesses of our over heating housing market. Today, it is our young married couples and first time house buyers who are paying dearly for this fiasco. Ireland differs from the other 26 EU member states in one critical respect. Irish Sovereignty resides Exclusively with the Irish People. Thanks to this fact, our Irish Constitution and the Supreme Court's decision in the Crotty case, we alone in the EU are having a referendum. In 2005 the Irish Government explored every avenue in an attempt to find some legal chicanery that would permit them to subvert our right to have our say. They failed! The fact that they failed gives -*test*-('")imony to the superiority of the Irish democratic system over those of our European neighbours. The ordinary people of Europe can only envy our written Irish Constitution and wish that they too had the right to a referendum on the Treaty/Constitution this time round. Everywhere this Treaty/Constitution has been put to a popular vote, the people have defeated it. For the first time ever, this Treaty/Constitution if ratified, will give European law primacy over Irish law and make the European Court of Justice (ECJ) superior to our Irish Supreme Court and Irish Constitution. The ECJ has already demonstrated in it's rulings that it has a strong bias in favour of multinational big business and unbridled free market ideology. Under the terms of this Treaty/Constitution, our Irish Constitution will never again have the power to protect us from corrupt or tyrannical laws and policies. The Government will also have found what they failed to find in 2005, a way to circumvent the Irish Constitution! This blatant attempt to seize power from the Irish People, in itself justifies a "No" vote. "We the People" of Ireland have been entrusted with the protection of Ireland's Sovereignty, Democracy and Freedom by our forefathers, not just for ourselves, but for all the future children of the nation. Our forefathers won this right through 800 years of struggle. Just because this gift has been given to us free of charge, does not mean it is worthless; on the contrary, it is priceless! Are we to be the generation that lays waste to our forefather's monumental achievement after less than 100 years? It is the ultimate irony, that our Irish Constitution is today standing as a bulwark not just in our defence but in defence of others, some of whom once would have oppressed us. That is the genius of our written Irish Constitution. The flaws of Parliamentary democracies, where Sovereignty resides not with "The People", but in Parliament have been exposed in the starkest possible way. Our Irish Constitution is Superior in every respect and we should keep it. Our Irish Constitution needs our support and protection now. Never before in it's short history, has it been in such peril. This IS it's "hour of need"! Uniquely, the Irish Constitution itself, guarantees us the right and the power to defend it. We must retain that right and that power. Your Constitution Needs YOU, vote "No" on June 12th! Yours etc., Tom Ward, Claregalway.