Europe

[Adrian II]

our wildly different opinions on the impact and relevance of this event only reinforces my conviction that EUro federalism cannot work without resorting to authoritarianism, necessary precisely because of the different cultural expectations on what national electorates expect from their society.

As non sequiturs go, this is a real beauty. Because you and I hold different opinions, Eurofederalism can only be authoritarian?

There is a 'Europe of states' embodied by the councils of ministers and heads of state and a 'Europe of the people' represented by the European parliament. The former is much stronger than the latter, it has regularly defeated and devoured the latter because the EP is pretty toothless. The Europe of states is the authoritarian Europe because it operates in secrecy and directs the European Commission which operates in secrecy as well. That's the Europe we're talking about. If we want to make it work properly it should be made accountable to the EP. That is the way forward. Withdrawal into one's little national shell is the way backward.

And the anti-tax platform in particular is stupid because for every euro a country invests in the EU it gets back six. At least 'we' do. If the British don't, they must be doing something wrong.

Consider this, my good man. I particularly like number 50.

[Furunculus]

1. As non sequiturs go, this is a real beauty. Because you and I hold different opinions, Eurofederalism can only be authoritarian?

2. There is a 'Europe of states' embodied by the councils of ministers and heads of state and a 'Europe of the people' represented by the European parliament. The former is much stronger than the latter, it has regularly defeated and devoured the latter because the EP is pretty toothless. The Europe of states is the authoritarian Europe because it operates in secrecy and directs the European Commission which operates in secrecy as well. That's the Europe we're talking about. If we want to make it work properly it should be made accountable to the EP. That is the way forward. Withdrawal into one's little national shell is the way backward.

3. And the anti-tax platform in particular is stupid because for every euro a country invests in the EU it gets back six. At least 'we' do. If the British don't, they must be doing something wrong.

4. Consider this, my good man. I particularly like number 50.

1. no, i'm telling you about my views which inform my opinion as to why the EU is best left as an informal free-trade bloc.

2. or the EU could just be a free-trade zone........... just an idea.

3. what do you mean by "anti-tax platform"?

4. legislation is best done at a level that retains its links to demos-cratos, which is the sovereign nation state.