From: Max M (maxmcorp@worldonline.dk)
Date: Wed Feb 26 2003 - 01:08:41 MST
Lee Corbin wrote:
> A miscalculation? Are you saying that the leader of France
> made a (perhaps hasty) miscalculation?
>
> But it is a miscalculation only if either (a) other EU
> countries are sufficiently annoyed by this, or (b) even
> the people within France find it unacceptable. Of course,
> if (b), then doubtless (a).
I don't think it is a miscalculation like that. There will probably be
no consequences for/inside France because of it. Inside the EU there is
a mild shaking if heads. Which is probably all the reactions it is going
to get. We in Denmark also go critized, but we don't take the critique
that serious. There has been this kind of "family" trouble before, and
they get worked out.
The main problem is the attitude towards new members. We have a great
opertunity to create a huge zone of peacefull cooperation, and that
should not be destroyed by some "minor" disagreement. A critique like
that is likely to alienate those potential new members.
>>Which is plain stupid just before they are going to vote
>>on joining the EU.
>
> Sorry, I'm a bit behind on this. I thought that a number of
> smaller countries, in Eastern Europe primarily, were later on
> going to be trying to join the EU, and so France was telling
> them they'd be sorry for this attitude they have. In your
> sentence here, who is voting for what? Do you mean to say
> that countries like Denmark are *more likely* to try to
> punish France by making it *easier* for those Eastern
> European countries to join instead of harder?
They are (most likely) going to join the EU. The financing and terms has
been agreed on at the last summit. So the deal is done with the EU.
But those countries still has have a vote as to whether they should join
the EU. Most likely joining will mean some transfer of power from the
national state, that should be approved according to their individual
constituions, via a national vote. (cannot remember the english term.)
So pissing of the population in those potential memberstates is foolish,
if you want them to vote for joining the EU. But then again, France have
never been that eager to make the new eastern european countries join
the EU.
>>Chirac is arrogant and no better than Bush.
>
> Okay, you're from Denmark, Max. And it's not surprising that
> this strikes Danish people as arrogant. Are we to suppose
> that people in France do not find this behavior questionable?
> What about Germany. Surely you know something about how
> Germans are looking at this, or not?
-- hilsen/regards Max M Rasmussen, Denmark http://www.futureport.dk/ Fremtiden, videnskab, skeptiscisme og transhumanisme
This archive was generated by hypermail 2.1.5 : Wed Feb 26 2003 - 01:08:50 MST