Irish referendum? Vote NO for growth and prosperity

Yesterday I was equivocal today I am sure, Ireland must vote No to the fiscal compact in the forthcoming referendum.

The next few months will be crucial in Irish politics but not because of the referendum on the fiscal compact. It will be the attitude and stance of Irish politicians that will be crucial for their futures.

The fact is that the likely, almost sure, winner of May's French presidential election will be Francois Hollande. Based on current polls even if Hollande went on holidays for the next two months he will still beat Sarkozy.

One of Hollande's key platforms is that he will not sign up to this fiscal compact unless there is also a European ideal and plan for growth hardwired into the treaty changes. Hollande wants to renegotiate France's treaties with Germany and therefore the EU. He wants growth not cuts and as the second most powerful country in the Euro-zone he will put Merkel and Sarkozy's plans in their grave.

Therefore, Irish politicians who peg their credibility on Merkel's, Lutheran, former Commie austerity nonsense, by advocating a Yes to austerity vote, will be running against an inevitability.

That inevitability is that this fiscal compact is dead in the water no matter what way Ireland votes. However by the time Ireland votes it will be clear who has won the French election and if it is Hollande then a No vote will be a No brainer for Ireland. However politicians who say vote yes today will have a hard job trying to say vote no in two months when the issue is clearer than crystal.

Irish politicians who peg their credibility on advocating a Yes vote today will show that they have no foresight, no broad view of Europe and therefore are not worthy of being elected representatives of the Irish people. Many loose cannons will advocate a no vote for various reasons but that does not mean they are qualified to replace the present useless government run by a gormless plank, Enda Kenny and a discredited Labour party.

Some intelligent reasons to vote No are

1/ German economic strategy helped create this crisis and Merkel's fiscal ideas will compound it for at least a decade further than necessary, voting No will add our voice in opposition to her plans

2/ By voting NO Ireland will strengthen Francois Hollande's position on renegotiating the treaty and inputting a guarantee that Europe will seek growth not cuts.

It is likely that several centre right governments in Europe will welcome this and with Sarko gone will breath a sigh of relief that they are not being badgered. With Merkel being pushed to to one side it will be a case of Germany leaving the Euro-zone if they don't like it rather bullying Ireland and the rest of the European nations.

3/ rejecting the treaty changes has NO bearing on Ireland's continued membership of the Euro-zone.

4/ A strong No vote will help restore our national dignity in the face of bullying and incomprehensible political decisions by both the last FF/Green government and the current even more rudderless Fine Gael Labour one.

5/ Just because you can ....

Vote No and be on the side of the growth compact advocated by Francois Hollande.

Vote No and restore our national pride and Ireland's place at the heart of Europe.

UK introduces "arbiet macht frei" schemes for the disabled and unemployed.

In a form reminiscent of Hitler's forced labour camps and death camps the Uk government have introduced forced labour for no pay on the unemployed which they plan to extend to the disabled. Arbeit Macht Frei (Work Makes Free) was the sign that hung over the gates of the Auschwitz death camp. It seems Cameron and his Lib Dem allies have decided that this is the policy to pursue in the UK . The policy will apply to the terminally ill and others

The policy could mean that those on employment and support allowance who have been placed in the work-related activity group (Wrag) could be compelled to undertake work experience for charities, public bodies and high-street retailers. The Wrag group includes those who have been diagnosed with terminal cancer but have more than six months to live; accident and stroke victims; and some of those with mental health issues http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2012/feb/16/disabled-unpaid-work-benefit-cuts?newsfeed=true

For the unemployed the situation now is that to collect their meagure allowence in the UK they may have to work 30 hours unpaid on night duty packing shelves for Tescos. Any firm supporting this scheme should be boycotted. http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2012/feb/16/work-free-tesco-job-advert

James Rogers a neo con spook boy still in short pants

Spook Boy James Rogers

When you see a guy with such hard core spook vibes as James Rogers advocating an idea of Declan Ganley's and the super neo con "Prof" Brenden Simms you need to scratch your head and wonder at the arrognce of the far right neo con intel community. James "Spook boy" Roger's article is linked just below and below that is his current CV http://europeangeostrategy.ideasoneurope.eu/2012/01/14/whatever-happened-to-declan-ganley/ir

Of course James Rogers article is the kind of academic fellatio that we might expect from Cambridge scholars given that the university employs hacks like Brenden Simms who use academica to give a respectable and authoritative veneer to their neo con political crusades and intelligence community led agendas. Lest the original and corrupte Business Post article fall between the cracks, then spook boy is there to inflate it through an act of pseudo-academic fellatio.

Well intel boy

james my son ..as an academic with better teachers than yourself one terribly important issue is citation of sources and it is not the "Daily Business Post" you tit, it is the SUNDAY Business Post . In my Uni such an error would have made your first a 2.1, your 2.1 a 2.2 and your 2.2 a 3.0

This blog slows down fascists and neo-cons it is up to employers and the public to keep them slowed down.

James Rogers is a founding director of the Group on Grand Strategy. He is currently completing his Ph.D. in European Studies at Pembroke lege, University of Cambridge. He holds an M.Phil in Contemporary European Studies fromHughes Hall, University of Cambridge and a B.Sc. Econ. with first class honours in International Politics and Strategic Studies from Aberystwyth University.

During Autumn 2008, James was a Visiting Fellow at the European Union Institute for Security Studies, where he conducted research on the maritime geopolitics of the Indian Ocean and East Asia. He has also completed research assignments for the Sub-Committee on Security and Defence of the European Parliament, the European Council on Foreign Relations, the Egmont Institute and the Alternatives Foundation. He is currently working on a RAND Europe project on the strategic implications of the modernisation of Asian navies, for France and the European Union.

He has spoken at a number of conferences and seminars, including those arranged by various European Union presidencies, the European Parliament, France’s National Institute for Higher Defence Studies, the Royal United Services Institute and the European Security and Defence College.

Bashar al-Assad contact me and redeem yourself

Bashar al-Assad as a medical doctor you must know what your military forces are doing is criminal and wrong. You are a pawn of the military, you are obviously being pushed aside one way or the other. You are an intelligent man I am a blogger stop the shelling for the love of Allah stop killing people. If you no longer have control let the world know
you may Email me peoplekorps@gmail.com Know this Bashar al-Assad the future is grim without dialogue. Tonight you kill the mothers and children of your executioners unless your own army decide to deal with you first at Russias behest. email me your thoughts. peoplekorps@gmail.com

This foolishness has killed enough preserve Syria and stop killing the people

Claude Gueant is an arsehole but its ok in May he will have no power

Claude Gueant on the left and the runt on the right

Claude Gueant is an arsehole but as his boss Nicolas Sarkozy will not be president of France come May we dont have to worry about his courting the far right in an attempt to woe the ignorant followers of Marie le Pen, from her Front Nationale. http://www.aljazeera.com/news/europe/2012/02/201225162625127900.html

The game is over ass holes......trust me on this

Sarkozy Nein Danke ...he will be gone by May

Note what a humourless prick Claude Gueant is in the photo above.

Lucinda Creighton is an idiot out of her depth

Despite being from her alma mater I have to say Lucinda Creighton is either an idiot and/or a liar or both.

This is based on my watching Vincent Browne tonight on TV3

Christ on a stick she says words but they mean NOTHING. Really Lucinda stop supporting the Mayo eejit, Enda Kenny and get a grip. Tonight you claimed Fine Gael could create millions of jobs in Ireland?? as well as fudging about half a dozen other answers. Cut your losses and resign now, you are a disgrace to the fine tutoring you received at TCD . FYI I love Mayo people just not Dame Enda Average.

Creighton at 32 years of age is a high achiever politically but a low breed of human-hood with her market economy attitude and her failing to explain why her party leader and herself dont seem to be on the same page.

It is sad that Creighton went to the same university as Jonathan Swift, Thomas Davis and Oscar Wilde and indeed myself, and yet, turned out thus.