Vote No to Giscard's Lisbon swindle
WOULD you like to join the Lisbon "loo-las?" Or even the growing ranks of the brain dead?
Sign up while you can; you will join the French loo-las and the Dutch brain dead. Both nations rejected the European constitution -- the Lisbon Treaty under another name.
All the insiders in Ireland are backing Lisbon. Their message is poisonously patronising. Those opposing it were dismissed as "loo-las" by Bertie Ahern and branded as brainless by the nation's sycophants-in-situ, the big employers group, Ibec. Join the loo-las. Wear the insults as a badge of honour.
A battle is being waged between the insiders and the rest. Ordinary people are puzzled. Precisely as was planned by the Lisbon propagandists.
The tactics of the treaty's champions are clear: sow confusion; imply that the detail is too complex for mere mortals; put your trust in your wise politicians who understand it; dismiss any opposition as the "loony left"; hope the label sticks and bulldoze the treaty through the polls.
Here in Ireland, Lisbon lovers are following the road set by the lofty French patrician, ex-president Valery Giscard d'Estaing. The pompous Giscard let the cat out of the bag last year. With a contempt for his people -- now infecting the elite in Ireland -- he made a devastating observation.
Listen to Giscard, gloating at the euro schemers' crafty coup of reviving the rejected European constitution by stealth. Triumphant, after the wording of Lisbon was agreed, the ex-president muttered: "Public opinion will be led -- without knowing it -- to adopt the policies we would never dare present to them directly. All the earlier proposals will be in the new text but will be hidden or disguised in some ways."
Decoded: this proposal has already been rejected. So it's time for a bit of sleight-of-hand. This time, we are calling it a "treaty" instead of a "constitution". In that way, we will duck a referendum.
Giscard thought Lisbon far too important to be left to the French rabble.
Brian Cowen and Enda Kenny are disciples of the d'Estaing school of democracy. They are relying on slogans. Like the former president of France, they are quietly peddling a package already rejected by the French and Dutch people.
The deception is not working. Ordinary people here are beginning to rumble Ireland's European junkies. Few of us, including the Taoiseach and Charlie McCreevy, have read the Lisbon Treaty in full -- but we are starting to click that the insiders are pulling a stroke: keep the punter in the dark; then hurry the treaty through the hurdles.
Ireland is waking up. The Yes camp's message that Lisbon is merely "tidying up the democratic process" is a nonsense. Lisbon is dynamite. It will copperfasten the entire European establishment's grip on power. The pro-Lisbon consensus in official Ireland is staggering. Not a single significant political figure has taken a stand against the treaty. The trades unions are onside, the IBEC sycophants are onside, the exporters are onside. Most of them are either directly supported, linked or even funded by the government.
But the much maligned loo-las have done their homework. They are beginning to communicate a sober message. Lisbon is no "tidying up" job. It is a step too far. And Ireland will lose out. Like how?
Like, we will lose a commissioner. For five out of 15 years Ireland will be without a voice at the Commission. The response from the Yes lobby -- that all countries will suffer the same fate -- is hardly a reason for approving Ireland's loss. It is like comforting an invalid who is about to lose a leg with the good news that everyone else in the hospital will lose one too. Hardly a reason to volunteer for an amputation.
Where would Ireland rate in Europe without the strong voice of current Commissioner Charlie McCreevy? Down in the relegation zone. Or maybe a mere spectator.
Worse still, we will lose half our vote on the European Council.
Now imagine Ireland's mute voice in future years when we have no commissioner, when our voting rights on the council are halved and when our representation in the European parliament is insignificant. At the same time, Germany's voting strength will double.
It sounds bad. It is bad. David Begg of ICTU (and the Lisbon-infatuated Irish Times) and Brendan Butler of IBEC will not tell you about this nasty little surrender of power. Instead, they are the guys entrusted with administering anaesthetic to the people.
Last week, Brendan foolishly described the Lisbon Treaty as a "no brainer". The implication is clear. Leave your critical faculties behind. Sleepwalk into the chasm.
The IBEC business eunuchs' sole task is to soothe the nation's nerves about the 12.5 per cent tax rate. Reassure us that the font of Ireland's prosperity is in no danger after Lisbon.
If you believe that, then you believe that Giscard d'Estaing works for St Vincent de Paul in his spare time.
The hour after Lisbon is passed, the 12.5 per cent tax rate will be in peril. Business please note.
I was alerted to the real threat to the tax rate on Wednesday when I received a well-argued editorial from the Church of Ireland Gazette.
Hardly the work of Brendan's "no brainers" or Bertie's "loo-las".
The author was deeply worried by Lisbon. He gave good reasons, but the most startling reminder on the tax front resurfaced.
Last December the European Commission plotted to bury its proposals on corporate tax until after the Irish referendum. If the news of their plans escaped it could scare the Irish horses.
So the Commission conspired to compel Ireland to vote in the dark. Or as the editor put it: "Vote first, learn later."
Maybe the brainless loo-las are beginning to uncover a few skeletons.
The plot to undermine our tax regime is under way. By bribery or blackmail. Either the veto will be by-passed with an "enhanced co-operation zone" or Ireland will be threatened in other areas like agriculture, grants or education. But we will not hear the truth until we have voted in favour of our tax tormentors.
For the next 10 days we will be the focus of Europe. European junkies will butter us up or threaten us -- like President Barroso did last week. A bit of stick and plenty of carrot.
The disenfranchised French and Dutch, spectators in Giscard's democratic swindle, are depending on us.
We in Ireland carry the can for all 27 peoples. We will decide the fate of the treaty because citizens of all the others have been denied the same privilege. It is an awesome responsibility. Opinion polls elsewhere show that many countries would reject the treaty if they were allowed a vote. That alone should make us think twice about voting Yes.
Even more seriously, if in any doubt about Lisbon's content we should vote No. To support a measure which we do not understand is folly.
And a No vote will give us a unique chance to renegotiate a deal which is not in Ireland's interests.
