Who'd be French? Not me!

Who’d be French? 

A beautiful and diverse country producing goodish wines, certainly, however, consider the negatives.

Think about the last 18 months.  130+ people killed and mutilated at the Bataclan, 84 innocents murdered while celebrating Bastille Day, in Nice.  A priest murdered and beheaded while celebrating mass.  A policeman and his wife killed in their own home, journalists killed while carrying out their daily work, in their police-guarded offices, in the capital of France.  These and other horrors have been visited upon France in this period. 

The French Prime Minister, Manuel Valls  has essentially told the French people that they should get used to it.  That they must learn to live with such terror. 

Many older British people will not be surprised at such comments.  They will recall the French defeatism during 1940, when the French nation, largely, capitulated to the Nazis in a matter of days.  One cannot help wonder what it will take for a modern day resistance to form to defeat the enemy that is now very clearly, within.

People say that the upcoming Presidential election, in 2017, will be the catalyst for change.  That the platform of the Right – Republicans or Front National and that of the Left – Socialists, will reflect the populist disquiet with the internal threat - the concern about the no-go areas in many French cities, where migrants congregate and provide a safe haven for their co-religionists, the concern about the lack of integration by certain groups – let’s not beat around the bush – the lack of integration by Muslim immigrants and 2^nd and sometimes 3^rd generation immigrants. 

I doubt it though. 

France is an economic basket case.  It’s not just the recent spasm of rampant socialism, under President Hollande, damaging as that has been.  No, France has been on the slide for years.  Hollande’s predecessor, form 2007 to 2012, President Sarkozy, who is now seeking a return to power, was elected to shake things up and take on the deeply entrenched and very powerful trade unions.  He did somewhere next to zero.  Indeed, I would suggest that his abject failure emboldened the unions and continued the decline of the French economy.

The Front National will make Islam and migration a key election issue and right now, they are leading in the essentially three-horse race.  However, we can expect the Republicans and the Socialists to try and steer clear of any meaningful discussion about this subject. 

Indeed, we are seeing this already.

I opened by asking ‘Who’d be French?’ because were I saddled with such, rather than being blessed by being British, I would be so shamed. 

All of those atrocities mentioned earlier and then the focus of current French political debate?  The burkini! 

Now I do find this dress somewhat offensive but honestly, I think it’s a matter of personal choice.  If Muslim women want to show evident signs of their subjugation by and subservience to, their male ‘overlords’, then that’s their business.   I don’t really think it’s the business of government, local or national, to legislate on what people wear on the beach. 

I could understand if these politicians had nothing else to occupy them.  You know, like terrorist atrocities on their streets, like a fifth column seeking the overthrow of French culture and law but – you know where this is heading.

I guess this falls into the ‘false flag’ category.  The big problem is Islam and its highly threatening position in the West but rather than face this, governments pick-up on trivial issues and try to make them seem significant so that they can deflect attention from their otherwise abject failure to deal with the substantive matter. 

France isn’t alone in this ‘head in the sand’ approach but given the recent terrorist atrocities and the mayhem visited upon its own people, it wouldn’t be unreasonable to expect some ‘steel’ in the French response.  Instead, France’s authorities mimic a poodle when faced with a Doberman or Rottweiler – they make whimpering noises and lay down.  And I am sure I don’t need to be too graphic and describe what else happens to the poodle.

So is France lost?  Sorry to say that things are certainly heading that way.  I write this blog not in support of the Front National, though they have trumpeted the issue for years, but in the hope, probably forlorn, that France’s politicians will awaken and defend their country and their culture.  There’s a lot at stake, make sure you do your bit to push the fight-back agenda.

We chose, we choose

This post is mainly aimed at the people of the UK and the leaders of EU countries.

Firstly though, I have to say wow, just wow!  A referendum result that has made me very, very happy.  Even more happier than the result of the Scottish Independence Referendum.  Of course there will be  some challenges ahead but we are British, we have overcome challenges before and will do so again.

David Cameron, before he resigned (quit?) said that we are not a nation of quitters and we aren't.  We stick with the right path rather than just taking the easy one.

Anyway...

The people of the UK chose to leave the European Union.  More than 33.5 million of us registered a vote and chose, by a margin of 52:48 to leave.  The majority chose to ignore the merchants of fear and chose to decouple us from the failed European Union project.  We never chose to sign-up to ever political union, we originally chose to join a Common Market but the corporatists and socialists of certain European countries want to become submerged in a political union.  That's their choice - though in typical EU fashion,  their people aren't being asked - but we have chosen a different course.  We wish them well.

Go back to the start of the last paragraph.  The people of the UK chose to leave the European Union.  This was a question put to the whole of the UK and a decision reached by the whole of the UK.  The talk of a second Scottish Independence Referendum, coming from Nicola Sturgeon is anti-democratic and is pure mischief making from her.  I really believe that if she was in a party of three or more enjoying a dinner out and one of the party said 'red or white wine'  and she was in the minority, she would immediately call for her democratic rights be respected and for a new Scottish Independence Referendum to be called.  Opportunist doesn't even come close.

Sturgeon is mischief making.  She knows full well that Foreign Affairs is not a devolved responsibility.  This is a power reserved to the Westminster parliament.  All this talk about asking Brussels to consider an application, from a constituent part of the UK, to join the EU is absolute rubbish.  Typical froth from Bute House.  Sturgeon and her minority devolved government should do what they were elected to do - manage the devolved affairs of Scotland.  They have done a very poor job of that so far - hence why they are now a minority government - but that is what they are there for.  Now is the time for Nicola to shut-up and do her job.

She also knows that the EU will have its hands full in the coming time, trying to make sure that the departure of the UK is achieved in a manner that is mutually acceptable and, perhaps much or most of their focus will be on making sure that no other member country dares to let their population make a choice.  Can't let the democratic will of the people get in the way of the EU project!  

Does anyone seriously think that Spain would let the EU consider, for even a single nano-second, allowing a constituent part of a member country to negotiate its own terms of membership of the EU, while it is still part of its home country?

So we in the UK chose to leave the European Union.  The leaders of the other members states now need to realise that we will also choose, when we leave.  We will invoke Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty (never voted for by the British people, by the way), when we choose to do so.  We will act in the interests of the British people (all of them, Nicola).  That may not sound very communitaire but there you are.  We chose to regain our long-held freedoms and we will choose the timing for when we get these back.

Jean-Claude Juncker, President of the European Commission can huff and puff all he wants.  One of the first things he needs to learn, post June 23, 2016, is that we chose to no longer pay any heed to his demands.  We will choose, we will not be ordered to do anything by an unelected foreigner.  We had the choice and we chose, freedom from such tyranny.  Angela Merkel, Francois Hollande and Co. please take note.

David Cameron was elected as a member of the mother of parliaments and the Conservative Party chose him to lead it and therefore to be our  Prime Minister.  His first act, after the June 23 result, was to decide that on behalf of the people of the UK, he chose to delay invoking Article 50, until after his successor has been elected, because he believes that this is the best course of action he can choose for our country.

Some of my fellow-countrymen and women are now complaining about the result of the referendum. They say that younger people voted predominately for Remain while older people voted in similar numbers for Leave.  The argument seems to be that somehow the votes of these younger people should count for me because they will have to live with the consequences longer.  The latter point is true.  Though since they will enjoy the benefits of our regained freedom, I don't really see their point. Anyway a decision was requested and an answer was given.  As a nation (listening Nicola??) we chose to Leave. That's it.  No need for further referendums - I know that this is how the EU has solved its inconvenient referendum results, in the past but we are British and we understand democracy.  We have been at it longer than any other nation and so perhaps that's why we know how it works.

To all those that chose to Leave and to put their well-founded faith in the British people, I say a heart-felt thanks.   We have chosen freedom and our path will now diverge from our European friends.  We wish them bonne chance and gutes reise but we are off somewhere else.

Cameron leaves Brussels 'empty-handed'

Dateline:  Brussels 02.40 am February 20, 2016

David Cameron has left the Brussels EU summit, empty-handed.  His attempts to reach agreement, with other EU leaders, on what many have described as a seriously weak deal, have failed.

The  main stumbling blocks were the attempt to limit benefits for migrants and the British exclusion from so called ever closer union.

The Eastern European countries of Bulgaria, Poland, Hungary, Romania and Czech Republic formed a bloc to oppose the imposition of the so called Emergency Brake.  While the opposition was not unexpected, that the countries stuck to their position was.  These countries could have easily given in on this because any application of the ‘brake’ would require their subsequent approval and so, just as the so called Brexit people claim, these countries could have applied their opposition at some point in the future. 

They chose not to do so and there is speculation that this was because Germany has been talking of ‘punishment’ for these countries because of their refusal to take in more and more migrants/refugees. Chancellor Angela Merkel is in a bind – she can’t go back on her ‘the party’s at mine’ post on FaceBook, which opened Germany’s doors to a flood of refugees – and after the escalating evidence of sexual violence being committed by the, mostly male, refugees, she is facing a growing backlash, at home and so needs to ‘spread the load’.  Trouble is, most other European countries are putting up barriers to taking in more refugees.  Merkel’s big hope is that Greece fails to meet the recently issued edict on border controls and so Schengen gets suspended, which is a useful stop-gap for Merkel.

So, Merkel’s bluff has been called by the East Europeans and Cameron’s ‘big consensus negotiating success’ evaporated.

Merkel also wasn’t even able to keep France ‘onside’.  President Hollande couldn’t really conceal his anger at the number of French people who have migrated to London and the South East, since his election.  These folks mainly work in the City and the special privileges that he believes will accrue to the City, by the UK avoiding ever closer integration provide a stark contrast between a growing and successful Finance sector, in London, and an increasingly irrelevant French finance market.  

To be fair, Hollande also has to pay attention to the Front National.  Marine Le Pen has made the FN electable and threatens to be a serious contender in the next Presidential election.  The FN is much less enamoured with the EU than either Hollande’s socialists or Sakozy’s Republicans and so he needs to keep a foot, or at least a toe, in the anti-EU camp>  Also, it never does any French politician any harm to have a poke at les Rosbifs. 

So, what now for David Cameron?

The deal was always a weak one and many in his own party were against it.   This failure leaves him severely weakened.   He has staked much on his personal diplomacy and has twisted the arms of his Cabinet colleagues to get behind his deal.  Now he has failed on this, his ‘colleagues’ will be expected to run for cover.

Indeed, it has been suggested, that in order to remain in power, Cameron may just proceed with a June referendum and campaign for a ‘Leave’ result so that his hand is strengthened and he can go back to the EU and now say ‘either you give us this or we will leave’. 

Of course, the above is fiction or maybe, more accurately ‘wishful thinking’. 

Chances are though, Cameron will return and, like Neville Chamberlain before him, will have a 21^st century equivalent to ‘the peace in our time’, piece of paper, which he will then try to sell to the British. 

How though will Tory ministers react? 

George Osborne is said to be the most political of Chancellors.  He probably considers the political implications of what tie or underwear he wears, before leaving the house, each day.  So  will he dare to be bold?  He is the heir-apparent to Cameron, will he make the judgement that now is the time for him to step out of Cameron’s shadow and be his ‘own man’?  Will he judge that the surest way to kill off UKIP is to take the EU away from them and that an EU-less UKIP will not be anywhere near as potent a force?  We can but hope. 

No doubt he will weigh the risk of backing the ‘Stay’ camp but must be concerned at the continuing refugee/migrant crisis and its impact on Conservative fortunes.  He won’t want to be ‘tarred’ with the accusation that by supporting ‘Stay’ he is jeopardising Britain’s economic future, by tying the UK to the floundering EU one, or that he has done a ‘Merkel’ and left Britain’s doors open to masses (can I say swarms) of migrants from the EU and from outside the EU.

We will see.  

Boris Johnson, Osborne’s main rival, remains sitting on the fence.  He needs to get off it and state his position.  No more being coy.

I struggle to say this but it needs to be said.  I hope that Cameron fails, over the next few days.  This might lead to the referendum being delayed but that’s okay.  The EU is a failed project.  This failure will become more apparent over time.  A later vote, maybe preceded by a further migration crisis, can only help  the Brexit side.

Remember, as I have said  here , Vote Leave even if you want to stay in.   Cameron’s deal is very, very weak.