Bono the clown exposed by A. Cockburn.

by antibono Mon Aug 12, 2002 17:52

Bono Betrays Ireland
by Andrew Cockburn

The people of Ireland, currently suffering under the deluges of a terrible summer, are being further depressed by an avalanche of mendacious propaganda urging them to vote "Yes" in a referendum on the Treaty of Nice to be held this October. A torrent of homilies from agents of Big Capital, including the major parties, the German Chancellor, the Economist, and, predictably and nauseatingly, Jesse Helms best friend: U2 warbler Bono.

Most people assume that this treaty, negotiated by the member government s of the European Union in 2000, simply providers for the admission of new member to the EU -- up to 13 -- from Eastern Europe. Propagandists for the new order like to stress that this enlargement is what Nice is all about. It is not. Nice is essentially about a sinister overhaul of the system by which the people of the EU are governed. The most important provisions of the agreement changed the system for governing the Union, which currently gives small and big countries a roughly equal voice, to one in which the big countries -- particularly France, Germany, Italy and Britain -- have the decisive say

EU procedures require that the treaty be ratified by all member states before it can come into force. For most European regimes, this posed no problem, the document being duly rubber stamped by pliant Parliaments. The Irish, however, have an irritating constitutional stipulation requiring that changes in the way the country is governed be submitted directly to the people for ratification in a referendum. In June last year the people duly tramped to the polls and resoundingly rejected the treaty, 54% to 46%.

Bellows of dismay rang through the chanceries of Europe. Gerhardt Schroeder came to Dublin and pronounced that the Irish people would have to vote again until they came up with the right answer. The Washington Post wagged an admonitory editorial finger, repeating the conventional official wisdom that the Irish had exhibited disgraceful selfishness in basing their rejection on a desire to stop Poles, Czechs, Rumanians and other prospective members from gaining access to the payouts from Brussels hitherto enjoyed by the Irish.

As might be expected, this analysis was wholly false. Basically, the Irish rejected the treaty not because they wanted to keep Polish farmers and other East Europeans away from the trough, but because, like most European citizens, they are increasingly outraged at the attrition of European democracy in favor of rule by unelected officials in Brussels issuing edicts on everything from tax policy to the composition of Ireland's incomparably superior pork sausages. They noted that, under Nice, Ireland would lose its automatic right to select one of the powerful European commissioners and would have its representation on the Council of Ministers severely diluted. Nor were they happy at the creation, under Nice, of a 60,000 man Rapid Reaction Force under EU command and slated for intervention abroad. Encouraged by a skillful No campaign spearheaded by the Green Party and Sinn Fein, the voters delivered their wise verdict.

That should have been the end of it. The people had spoken But the Irish ruling clique, notoriously corrupt, bowed the head and bent the knee in humble obedience to orders from their betters. Disgracefully, Prime Minister Bertie Ahern apologized to his fellow European leaders for the indiscipline of his voters and announced that Schroeder's admonition would be followed: Ireland would vote again.

Little is being left to chance. Last time, an over confident government allowed state funds to be used for the presentation of arguments on both sides. That will not happen again. P.J. Mara, Dublin's pre-eminent political fixer, has been enlisted to run the yes campaign. The President, Mary McAleese, has unconstitutionally intervened in a political debate by indicating her preference for a yes decision. There has thus been much for the people to bear, and then....Bono.

With a typical blend of arrogance and ignorance, the butcher shrike of the Liffey went on Irish radio and declared that the Irish people had voted the way they did because they were not properly informed on the issues. Ever eager to brag about his access to the corridors of power, he declared that "I go to meetings with politicians in Europe, they always bring it up.....I think to vote No is going to make Ireland look very selfish." He concluded by echoing the official lie that the issue had been only about the enlargement of the EU.

Thus Bono reiterated the dogma, endlessly pounded into Irish heads, that they have been the welfare queens of Europe, fattened on handouts from Brussels, giving little in return and now racing to deny the same largesse to the suffering masses of Ljubliana and Cracow.

This is absolutely not the case. To cite just one example, arduous investigation by Irish marine biologist and entrepreneur John King lays bare the figures on the pillaging of a vital resource. Over the thirty years since Ireland joined Europe, the Irish have received some twenty billion pounds (the currency that was replaced by the Euro at the beginning of this year) from Brussels. Not a small chunk of change. However, in joining, Ireland agreed to give up territorial control of its immensely rich fishing grounds, leaving them open to plunder by other European fishing fleets. In consequence, those fleets, especially the Spaniards, have extracted an average of 14 billion pounds worth of fish every year since 1972. This state of affairs is indeed coming to an end, as Irish waters are now swept clear, with barely a fish left to nurture what was once the Irish fishing industry.

The only ray of hope in this sorry tale is that, despite the barrage of persiflage, polls indicate that the Irish voter will once again stand up for democracy, once more sending Ahern and Bono scurrying off to make what excuses they can to their overseers.

by bb Tue Aug 13, 2002 09:53

I agree!

I note that one key aspect for Poland and Slovenai joining the EU is that both have a large proportion of their popultaions living in the rural sector.

Yet the proposed `entry criteria' would see a 10 ban on EU subsidies to Polish and Slovene farmers - just enough time for the farms to be bankrupted and bought out by western corporates, after the eastern Europe farmers struggle against the existing EU subsidised farms.

Of course, after the initial 10 year block of `new, enlarged EU' monies to the rural sectors of grateful Poland and Slovenia, the money tap will be turned on. This coincidentally, should occur just in time to start rewarding the corporates who take over the Polish and Slovene farming sector with EU subsidies.

Of course, the newly unemployed Pole and Slovene workers can benefit from EU largesse (in the form of assistance to governments who will pay the bloated benefit budgets) by moving to the cities in the hope of industrial or commercial work. A nice pool of despereate, and hence cheap, labour forms, and the capitalist cycle is ready to swing into full motion.

Won't it be glorious - and the Irish people will be able to bask in the thought of having brought western joy to their backward eastern neighbours!

Of course, I hope the Irish voters will have enough sense to reject the stuck record of Bonehead and EU sycophants, and look at the dictatorial edicts people like Schroeder issue. Does anyone think he makes such statements for the love of the Irsih, or the Poles, or Slovenes?

Vote NO to Nice and the EU capitalist tyranny!!!

by grav Tue Aug 13, 2002 11:37

Does anyone have a convincing yes argument? I'm curious. Will the eastern european countries be able to get in if we vote No again?

by Kommy Tue Aug 13, 2002 12:14

Grav,
All countries who want to join the EU may join the EU without the Nice Treaty in the same way as all previous successful applicants joined the EU without a treaty being required.

There are provisions in the Treaty which say how an enlarged parliament, council etc would work in terms of distribution of voting rights etc but you will find that these comprise a very small part of the Treaty and those parts themselves are controversial (eg no permanent representation on the commission and even when we do get to nominate a commissioner, the rest of the countries may veto our own choice!).

There is a huge amount of material in the treaty which has absolutely no connection with enlargement. The fact that the treaty is not required to allow new members into the EU was admitted by the (unelected) EU Head Honcho Romano Prodi last year.