Mary Ellon Synon has closed her Daily Mail blog. It was the main reason I visited the Mail site - to read her candid comments about the inner workings of that massive bureaucracy called the European Union.
Her last post begins:
This is my column from Monday’s Irish Daily Mail. Scots who are leaning towards independence from the United Kingdom might want to read it, to learn from Ireland’s experience how little influence a small member state has in the EU.
It's always worth listening to those who have no reason to be anything but objective and as a blogger she has never shown any political preference regarding independence or unionism; therefore I have no problem accepting her comment.
Knowing a pitfall in advance is always a bonus. We have been warned!
Posts
17 comments:
Subrosa
So Eire Inside the EU is internationally insignificant...And what presumably Eire outside is internationally insignificant.
Or the wierdys ones create a tiny little world to live in and imagine they are much bigger with more influence.
We have seen a lot and learnt some things since Ireland joined the EU then joined the Euro.The government of Ireland made a lot of what we now know to be bad mistakes.We must not make the same mistakes. I have seen enough to feel certain that the EU knew exactly what would happen and as it put Ireland firmly in EU clutches they just shed a few crocodile tears and grabbed !
We know the Euro as set up ultimately will fail,we are watching it fall apart. The rulers of Germany looked at the "idea" in 1942-44 and decided it was not possible to combine northern and southern Europe economically, and abandoned it as unworkable.
Why was the EU built around the Euro,knowing it would fail? Was it a long term plan that the Euro would fail and the countries involved would be forced into economic unity to survive at all.
Well,Its one way to win the peace.
We should realise there is no future in the EU. The only future is as an independent free country
with our future in our own hands.
Anything else is as slaves.
Thought 300 years was long enough !
Even if Scotland does get its independence, I can't see how it could join the EU, as the Spanish would not have it.
Damo, you should really try and keep up. Just the other day, the Spanish denied just that very thing, forced to deny yet another scare story started by yet another overzealous unionist.
Coupled by the noises from the EU commission that Scotland and rUK would be treated equally (i.e. if one is a member, so is the other, if one is not, neither is the other), these scare tactics can now only used by those that can be dismissed as swivel-eyed loons.
Eire fought for generations to gain independence from the British yet happily signed away their sovereignty to Brussels without a whimper.
I wonder if the Scots will do the same if we get independence.
The one fact this article and most of the comments underline is - no nation should be governed by its politicians.
That's the EU for ye Niko.
The Irish did make serious mistakes Apogee, but the unelected now have them firmly in the fold.
Damo, that's nonsense and just propaganda from the unionists.
Thanks for scotching the myth Forteanjo.
They did it thinking they'd get money RM. That was the only reason - according to my Irish pals.
Indeed Crinkly.
Another unionist anti foreigner rant from the daily mail
I don't think so footdee. She's always been impartial.
We have to accept criticism and give it consideration. Writing off anyone who 'dares' to say that Scotland will be anything other than the brightest and best small independent country in the world is foolish.
Ireland after it's hard fought independence from London was a very poor country up until they joined the EU in 73 along with the UK and Denmark.
It does not have the benefit of vast natural resource such as Scotland has, and it's back ground and economy is agricultural based, so they started from a much lower base line than Scotland.
Ireland gained a lot from the EU, it's infrastructure has improved beyond recognition. It was cooked by the fact that their housing boom went to far to fast.
Few countries in the West has suffered as much as Ireland all that is true. They are not hammering on Londons door to be ruled from there again. London offered no help to solve Irelands problems, ever. What would they have been out side of the EU? We see reports of illegal immigrants sleeping rough in London, shanty towns in Ealing back gardens, the Borders Agency letting God knows who come in to this country, the UKs debt spirals and spirals and spirals, so much we are going to have to invent a new way to describe a zillion zillions, the house prices have crashed, orders for Navy ships go to S Korea, corruption seeps from every pore of public life. Who the hell are we to poke Ireland.
Ireland Iceland and all of Scandinavia rates much higher on the HDI index than the UK. Iceland is recovering fast.
If we are to be in the EU, then why on earth do we need Westminster to treat us with contempt, if we ever did. we can fight our own battles in the EU and be much better represented. I would sooner trust Alex Salmond than the snakes in Westminster.
Size has not protected the USA or the UK or the EU from economic tsunami. All three groups have huge troubles economically. We would do well to mind our own business and let Ireland alone.
As blogged by Guido, evry thing may change very quickly, both in Scotland and Ireland. Icelands experience has been a game changer.
http://tiny.cc/plqzc
"Currently 20 cents of every euro of Irish taxes is going to pay the interest on the €uro-bank bail-out debts. The Irish bail-out plan is costing €54,800 per Irish household. Ireland’s future thus looks a lot more bleak than Iceland’s path of debt default and a devaluation of 60% two years ago which has seen the country rebounding: exports and manufacturing are growing by 20%, tourism is back near all-time highs, real wages are rising, unemployment is declining sharply, interest rates fell from 18% to 5.5% and the stock market has rebounded 50% from its lows. The bond rating agencies have already re-rated Iceland investment grade. In contrast the €uro-banker’s bail-out will only burden the next generation of Irish who don’t flee the crushing debts not of their making…
Ireland’s long love affair with Brussels has come to an end. It is not inconceivable that Ireland could vote no… making it stick is the problem…"
KBW, the housing bubble wasn't the only matter than caused problems in Eire.
Ten or so years ago the Irish government was giving anyone with a car thousands of pounds to trade it in for a better one. I know people who made a fortune from that stupidity.
But I agree, they wouldn't want to be part of the UK again, although they've relied too much on tourism in recent years. Now though that is on the decline and having squandered lots of money they've none left for industrial investment.
Iceland and Finland aren't in the EU but are doing ok as you say. Is it necessary for Scotland to join the EU? I really can't see the benefits.
Maybe we should be courageous and become a real democracy like Iceland.
I don't think Ireland will vote no and that's because too many people with fingers in the EU trough are in politics there.
Post a Comment