Euro Area

[Sarmatian]

I don't think it matters - if you can't explain the treaty to the people who elected you it's too complex. The Irish voted the treaty down, yes, but it wasn't popular in Britain, France, or the Netherlands either. The UK is one of the largest countries in the EU - how many rejections makes the difference between "a few people spoiling it" and "lacks popular support"

Anyway - the key point is that if these treaties had been explained to the Germans and put to a vote, they might not have got through, and if they had then Merkel et. al would have the authority to insist Germany support the rest of Europe.

This is a fair point. Too many dictatorships have used the "we know what's best for the people" mantra, but it is also true that people never think long term and that they loathe to give up something now even though they will get more of it in the future. Kind of like asking the Greeks whether they want those extreme saving measures on the referendum - now, irrespectively of why it happened in the first place and who's to blame, the only way forward is saving now and more money in the future when the economy recovers. If you actually ask the people, they're gonna say NO overwhelmingly so the only way to do it is not to ask people.

It's a fine balance. Another example could be British involvement in Iraq. Invading another country and putting British lives at stake, with or without official declaration of war, is a very serious matter, something that may not have gotten support from the electorate if it was put to a vote, but the government went ahead and did it anyway.

[Philippus Flavius Homovallumus]

This is a fair point. Too many dictatorships have used the "we know what's best for the people" mantra, but it is also true that people never think long term and that they loathe to give up something now even though they will get more of it in the future. Kind of like asking the Greeks whether they want those extreme saving measures on the referendum - now, irrespectively of why it happened in the first place and who's to blame, the only way forward is saving now and more money in the future when the economy recovers. If you actually ask the people, they're gonna say NO overwhelmingly so the only way to do it is not to ask people.

It's a fine balance. Another example could be British involvement in Iraq. Invading another country and putting British lives at stake, with or without official declaration of war, is a very serious matter, something that may not have gotten support from the electorate if it was put to a vote, but the government went ahead and did it anyway.

Yeah... invading Iraq.

See - lack of public support, didn't go well.