April 2, 2005
I THINK I'M TURNING ALBIONESE:
La France, do you want to turn British? (Matthew Campbell, 4/03/05, Sunday Times of London)
AS debate intensified in France’s referendum campaign on the European Union constitution last week, the voters were invited to consider an unusual question: should they try to be more like the British? Strange as it may seem, the complex exercise of trying to imagine Europe’s future has led to Britain becoming the focus of the May 29 referendum.Back in 1957, when French and German politicians created the old European Community, France’s European dream consisted essentially of constructing a bigger version of itself. Now many seem to think it is turning into a bigger version of Britain and want to stop the process at all costs.
The change is rooted in French perceptions that they have lost influence to the British in an enlarged EU, and the belief, encouraged by the French left, that the proposed EU constitution will result in France being swamped by what one commentator described as the “free-market mania of the Anglo-Saxon world”.
Why would they want to try what works? Posted by Orrin Judd at April 2, 2005 10:59 PM
the french are too busy converting their society over to islam to be bothered with something so mundane as success. karma's a bitch, baby.
Posted by: cjm at April 3, 2005 3:41 AMThis will be fun, as both sides are saying their cause is the best protection against the dreaded Anglo-Saxon influence. A few weeks ago, I tried (and failed) to link a great photo from the "No" side in a French slum somewhere. It said something like: "I don't want to live under Bush. I'm voting no!"
Posted by: Peter B at April 3, 2005 8:15 AMThe EU is a classic example of French over-reach gone bad. Napoleon and Le Roi Soleil have nothing on Giscard and Delors. So long as it was a trade pact, a customs union, allowing each nation to go its own way on all other matters, it worked. But the various nations of Europe have so many diverse interests and diverse cultures that mandating that the minutiae of their daily lives be managed by stateless bureaucrats is guaranteed to fail.
Imagine if you will how the notion of mandatorily pasteurized cheese sells in France or Italy.
Posted by: bart at April 3, 2005 1:58 PMthe european love of cheating a partner also acts an impediment to something like the eu. the reason they have two hour meals, is that if a person gets up from the table, their food will be gone when they return. bastards.
Posted by: cjm at April 3, 2005 4:43 PM"Why would they want to try what works?"
Umm...someone bribed them?
Posted by: Noel at April 4, 2005 2:23 AM