Vocal Voices

Has written a very good article on the EU, head and shoulders above most of the detail-lite stuff we get in our press. I don't agree with his conclusions but he writes well.

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/a ... t-71867636

The bit on the "Eurogroup" is especially eye opening.

Thank you Cromwell.

That is a well written article and certainly an eye opener. Oh for more pieces like that... from both sides.

I'll keep my opinions of his conclusions to myself.

He does write extremely well. But he does miss a point here and there. Had he said the Danish National Anthem, he would have been able to tie it in later to the attacks on the democratic legitimacy of the EU. After all the Danes had two referendums on the Maastricht treaty and the most significant issues the Danes had were around the fact that the EU was Anti Democratic.

Which shows a smaller view of the EU than he might have had.

Whilst I do recognise his logic and his fears, driven by the experience of his family and his life, I do not come to the same conclusions.

Greece, as a small, non Nuclear, nation, has much to fear in the destruction of the EU. Britain, as a massive world leading economy and the 3rd (or 4th depending on how you calculate the French ability), largest nuclear power in the world, is in an entirely different situation. Britain has far, far less to fear from a total breakdown in Europe than any other country in the EU, including France who have a land border with 5 EU states.

I also believe that Yanis is taking an academic view to this. Which is that infinite effort should be taken for every small gain in the change of the organism, never getting to the roots, always trimming the diseased and uncontrolled growth of the organism.

I take the farmers/gardeners view. If it's a diseased bush/shrub/tree, rip it out by the roots, burn it down and plan fresh seeds which are clean and good and the right seeds for the organism you wish to grow.

The Treaty of Rome was a diseased seed from which more and more twisted and fantastic growths have grown. There is no good reason to stay there an keep pruning, it will go on forever and will never fix the problem.