What was that french word for a small card,......oh that's it tumbril.

CarT,is it me or is it getting dark early?

It's interesting watching a country like Croatia [my parents emigrated from Croatia to America 30 years ago, and recently moved back].

This less developed country would love EU membership, but the committee that decides thinks that a factual view of the recent war (Serbian aggression and responsibility for the vast majority of human rights violations) is worse than a "balanced" view.

They want a Croatian General to stand trial in The Hague for war crimes. Croatia is reluctant to apprehend him. It's plenty like folks calling for Franks or Rumsfeld to stand trial, but Croatia happens to not be a super-power. They are holding back EU membership for this.

I somewhat find them lucky to be spared membership; given the clear direction things are going. On the other hand, opening the European markets would be extremely good for Croatia's economy.

Funny how you can make a short term choice to join a larger open market, in spite of the anti-capitalist trend of the area over the long term. Either way, there are a great deal of internal reforms of the still semi-socialist system that would greatly improve their economic outlook regardless of EU membership.

If this weren't so important, I'd love to pull up a lawn chair and watch the parade of deluded technocrats with a smile. Too bad the EU has nukes, an anti-American streak, and a history of totalitarianism.

It seems that the insects have not noticed that someone has picked up the rock they were under.

Man I wish I'd said that.

I know ... I will.

"until various bits start falling off... preferably UK shaped bits."

That gave me more than a little giggle.

Good one, Perry. ;)

"It seems that the insects have not noticed that someone has picked up the rock they were under."

lol classic quote...

Oh damn somebody already commented on it!

I thought the same about "With luck the Euroclass will continue to seriously underestimate the problem and thereby create enough real hostility that the whole European edifice will just start lurching from one political crisis to another until various bits start falling off... preferably UK shaped bits".

An immortal line!

I'm going to be busy for the next few days, so let me pre-emptively comment on the thundering silence from the Samizdata neocon bumkissers on the US and Britain shutting down an investigation into the murder of protestors in Uzbekistan.

When Uzbeks kill their own, it's OK. When Saddam did it, well for most of the time, it was OK for Saddam to kill his own people too. As far as US policy went.

"U.S. Opposed Calls at NATO for Probe of Uzbek Killings

Officials Feared Losing Air Base Access

By R. Jeffrey Smith and Glenn Kessler
Washington Post Staff Writers
Tuesday, June 14, 2005; Page A15

Defense officials from Russia and the United States last week helped block a new demand for an international probe into the Uzbekistan government's shooting of hundreds of protesters last month, according to U.S. and diplomatic officials.

British and other European officials had pushed to include language calling for an independent investigation in a communique issued by defense ministers of NATO countries and Russia after a daylong meeting in Brussels on Thursday. But the joint communique merely stated that "issues of security and stability in Central Asia, including Uzbekistan," had been discussed."

Remember, folks, It's OK if you're a Republican!

When the bits start falling off I'd like one of them to be England shaped

With luck the Euroclass will continue to seriously underestimate the problem and thereby create enough real hostility that the whole European edifice will just start lurching from one political crisis to another until various bits start falling off... preferably UK shaped bits.

Hear hear, so let's hope Blair caves in to Chiraq and Schroder and waves our rebate goodbye. The loss of the few billions will be far outweighed by a resulting increased hostility to the whole shebang.

The loss of the few billions will be far outweighed by a resulting increased hostility to the whole shebang.

Good point Pete. Financially, its not going to make a jot of difference to me whether the money goes to French farmers, African dictators, or schools n' hospitals in the UK.

Funny how people get riled about subsidising Europe but not about subsidising others in the UK.

rexie,

I thought I was the only one who saw through the "UK" crap - ie a way to make the troublesome Scots and the ghastly Northern Irish Unionists feel "included".

'Oh to be in England, now the bits are falling off'

ADE

With almost Marxist historiography, Eurocrats dismiss the French and Dutch results as the product of "false consciousness".

This sounds like what some of the Democrats started spouting last November: "why are those stupid peasants in the Red States voting against their own best interests?"

Eurosceptics share one overriding trait with socialists - extreme negativity and a lack of an alternate solution.

So here's one.
The creation of a new European Union based entirely on a free trade area - Turkey and the Ukraine to be immediately invited, abolition of the Social Charter, reform of the CAP, abolition of the European Human Rights Act and replacement of the euro with a more robust alternative - the pound.

Those countries that wish to stay with the euro and a regulated economy may do so.

Pete_London - Of course Blair is going to cave in. It has been signalled for over a week now. Blair's statements that he will not cave in under any circumstances. The row with Jacques Chirac because Toneboy is standing up for Britain and our rebate (of our own money). The dynamic Jack Straw telling off Jacques Chirac and telling him to keep his hands off our rebate.

It couldn't be any clearer. The drama is for the little people who don't count. The taxpayers. The row is, as always, manufactured and entered into with mirth on both sides of the Channel. The result will be that Jacques pretends to make some concessions and Toneboy pretends to be mollifed. Result: Britain sacrifices its rebate.

How naive, after seven years of Blair, to think otherwise.

replacement of the euro with a more robust alternative - the pound.

Ah, yes, here we go. Enter left, Peter Mandelson saying his lines: Britain's rebate is unfair and Blair should be prepared to "renegotiate".

I'm guessing one more player will enter - Chris Patten or someone - agreeing with Mandelson. Then we will have the musical interlude of a minuet and little by little, Tony will see sense in the arguments. Mark my words.

A strong currency is precisely what many EU nations don't need.

The Euro and the pound are floating currencies. Their values in terms of other currencies go up and down, as do the prices within each country. The nominal "strength" of a currency is an invalid concept.

Before discussing the nominal value of a currency, I suggest you acquaint yourself with two basic economic concepts: relative purchasing power parity and the real exchange rate.

Tim surely the "strength" of a currency is a trade off between interest rates verses inflation and will an international trader be able convert it into another currency when he wants to. The US dollar is accepted all over the world no questions asked, to a lesser extent so is the pound. However 1 currency many governments/government borrowing rates is a recipe for disaster.

MikeG

I think the "strength" Suffering is referring to is the nominal value of the currency expressed in terms of other currencies, a number which is irrelevant without considering the level of prices and, as you say, interest rates of the relevant countries.

The "strength" of the US dollar in the context you are referring to it is the value of the monetary asset as a unit of exchange, which has less to do with exchange rates, interest rates or inflation rates and more to do with the low credit risk of US taxpayers.

So far as interest rates are concerned, the common theory is that interest rates determine short-term movements in currencies (interest rate parity), while inflation determines long-term movements (relative purchasing power parity).

Two can play at that game. What were the French and Dutch who voted Yes in the treaty referenda REALLY voting for? Suggestions on a postcard.

Meanwhile France's elite (hell, it's a French word, that tells you something) continue to sleepwalk past the majority of Le Peuple by placing M. de Villepin in the premiership: a never-elected poet who appears to think that Waterloo had 'an aura of victory' about it... for Napoleon.

Not on the face of it a man who can readily grasp that Non means Non.
But this way of tackling reality may be a French tic. After all, wasn't a book which argued that no hijacked plane hit the Pentagon on 9/11 a bestseller in France?