Comments on: The Stomach For Reform?

By: Randy McDonald

Randy McDonald — Sat, 03 Apr 2004 05:44:06 +0000

my discourse may improve when just one of you clowns has the ability to provide any point by point reply to the basis of my post or even just one the questions and statements posed therein.

Talking about the innate and ineradicable evil of all Europeans isn’t something you can rationally debate. Like all prejudices, it’s best condemned, its proponents isolated from the realm of civilized discourse.

By: Pato

Pato — Sat, 03 Apr 2004 00:27:25 +0000

my discourse may improve when just one of you clowns has the ability to provide any point by point reply to the basis of my post or even just one the questions and statements posed therein.

By: Randy McDonald

Randy McDonald — Fri, 02 Apr 2004 19:56:15 +0000

So in short it is best to simply offer a majority of the tainted minds in the EU a hearty FUCK YOU.

and

Let’s try to overlook the harsh words and provide thought upon a few of the simple questions put forth to those in the “eu”.

I see that your level of discourse hasn’t improved since Eurabia. Try harder, will you?

By: Edward

Edward — Fri, 02 Apr 2004 17:34:33 +0000

“Emotional, perhaps, but not alone”.

Ultimately, RSN, we are all alone.

By: Scott MacMillan

Scott MacMillan — Fri, 02 Apr 2004 16:08:58 +0000

“The rift is getting wider and wider between Europe and America. And that is a good thing.”

No, it’s not a good thing. Certainly not for European liberals — the Vaclav Havel’s of this world who have invested every ounce of their intellectual capital in promoting Euro-Atlantic values (the civilization formerly known as “The West.”) And not good for America, either, I don’t think, as it seems to me the only logical outcome is straight isolationism.

By: Pato

Pato — Fri, 02 Apr 2004 03:02:03 +0000

The only apology needed would be for those souls who cannot extend the brain power to attempt an answer or two to the questions posted above.
Let’s try to overlook the harsh words and provide thought upon a few of the simple questions put forth to those in the “eu”.

By: RSN

RSN — Thu, 01 Apr 2004 23:55:17 +0000

The most interesting aspect to Pato’s comments is that he is not alone in how he assesses Europe. Emotional, perhaps, but not alone.

The rift is getting wider and wider between Europe and America.

And that is a good thing. It frees up America from responsibilities it really doesn’t need.

And it frees up America to take unilateral action whenever it deems it’s necessary.

By: Edward

Edward — Thu, 01 Apr 2004 21:19:34 +0000

“So in short it is best to simply offer a majority of the tainted minds in the EU a hearty FUCK YOU.”

This on its own would have been a lot shorter and to the point. Thank you for your observations, we will take them into account. And thanks for taking the time, although I couldn’t really say we were worth the effort.

But as someone once said: better criticised than ignored.

“But in the long term this is a losing position”

This, I fear, Ivan is the real point: no win-win here, only lose-lose.

By: ivan

ivan — Thu, 01 Apr 2004 19:23:06 +0000

If i can bring some perspective from Belgium here. The current government (disclosure: i work for one of the parties of the coalition, in parlement that is, not the government) is rather weary to implement reforms, and i predict that the parties in essence blocking those reforms - the socialists - will not be punished for it. This “conservatism” is extending beyond refoms of pensions or the social security system. Take public transport. Belgium - read: the socialist ministers responsable for public transport and state entreprises - is against the liberalization of railroads (or in any case want them postponed). Belgium - read: the socialist part of the coalition - is calling for resistance against the European directive on services. Will they be punished for it in the elections? Very doubtfull. It will be a big surprise if the socialists will loose the regional elections in june. They will probably win, even in government, partly because of their resistance against reforms. So i think you are right: voters don’t want reforms and the socialists in Belgium understand that. But in the long term this is a losing position, maybe not for them, but for Europe, and for Belgium.

By: Tobias Schwarz

Tobias Schwarz — Wed, 31 Mar 2004 23:15:39 +0000

Pato,

AFOE does not yet have an editorial policy for comment deleting but your post may prompt us to develop one. Should you wish to engage in any kind of discussion with the people writing or commenting on this site, please refrain from the kind of language used in your above comment.

As for more discussion about the issue *you* want to rant about, try the comments to the entry called “Our deaf, Schizophrenic Uncle S.” available here:

http://fistfulofeuros.net/archives/000491.php