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August 11, 2006
Eurosoviet tactics?
Via Glenn Reynolds, I see that Belgian blogger Paul Belien (about whom I have posted before) has once again been visited by the police. He's holding firm: Apparently someone in Ghent has lodged a complaint against this website. I am not allowed to know who this person is, but I am requested to come to the police station to be interrogated. I told the officer that I refuse to justify my writings for anonymous complaints. “I am not living in the Soviet Union,” I told him (though I fear I am).Good for him! (Glenn provides a link where you can write to express disapproval.) This is another reminder that free speech is endangered, and that despite its designation as a "universal right," it mainly seems to be enjoyed in the United States. (Where, tragically, we take it for granted.) Mr. Belien's fear that the European Union is headed in the direction of Sovietization appears to be quite legitimate. In addition to his abuse by Belgian authorities, he cites former Soviet dissident Vladimir Bukovsky, who sees clear evidence that the European Union is modeled along Soviet lines: . . .the original idea was to have what they called a convergency, whereby the Soviet Union would mellow somewhat and become more social-democratic, while Western Europe would become social-democratic and socialist. Then there will be convergency. The structures have to fit each other. This is why the structures of the European Union were initially built with the purpose of fitting into the Soviet structure. This is why they are so similar in functioning and in structure.As Bukovsky notes, small countries are constantly being badgered and bullied into joining -- by means of constantly recurring elections until at last their sovereignty has been voted away: Look at Denmark which voted against the Maastricht treaty twice. Look at Ireland [which voted against the Nice treaty]. Look at many other countries, they are under enormous pressure. It is almost blackmail. Switzerland was forced to vote five times in a referendum. All five times they have rejected it, but who knows what will happen the sixth time, the seventh time. It is always the same thing. It is a trick for idiots. The people have to vote in referendums until the people vote the way that is wanted. Then they have to stop voting. Why stop? Let us continue voting. The European Union is what Americans would call a shotgun marriage.This reminds me of the diametrically opposed Hobbesian versus Lockean views of "joining." (As to the Sovietization theory, this makes me want to read up on Angleton again.) There is a constant pattern of free speech being under relentless attack in Europe. Criminalizing impossible-to-define ideas like racism leads inexorably to criminalizing even more undefinable ideas. Like "Islamophobia": On 31 January 2006 the British House of Commons narrowly defeated – with just 283 votes against 282 – New Labour’s Racial and Religious Hatred Bill, intended to prohibit speech or artistic expressions deemed insulting by religious communities. This was a narrow yet historic victory for freedom of expression, as well as a victory for Parliament against a despotic-minded Government. Liberal-Democratic spokesman Evan Harris commented: “The Government just failed to understand that they can’t take liberties with freedom of expression.” In France and other European countries, the mere utterance of opinions critical of homosexuality is a crime: Stating that “homosexual behaviour endangers the survival of humanity” and that “heterosexuality is morally superior to homosexuality” can cost you dearly in France. Exactly these opinions, expressed by the French politician Christian Vanneste last year, led to him being sentenced on Tuesday to payment of a heavy fine.If I had to sit and listen to him, I could probably manage to get myself quite steamed over Vanneste's remarks. But the idea of making what he says a crime? That's a complete outrage. Unless, of course, you think Ann Coulter should be imprisoned for what she says. Don't laugh. In Europe, she would be.
What caused this party to be banned? Advocacy of Nazism? Hardly. According to the London Telegraph, among the tracts was a leaflet against female circumcision, written by a Turkish woman: The lawsuit against the Vlaams Blok was brought by a rights watchdog controlled by the prime minister's office.
Punishment with imprisonment for one month to one year and a fine of fifty francs to one thousand francs or with either of these, is applied to:If we had such a law here (something many activists want), anyone who advocated selective profiling at airports could be arrested. If the "European Union" is considered a "nationality," I guess anyone who advocated ("incited") against that could be arrested. Ditto, advocacy against a religious Caliphate! Sometimes the whole world seems to be going insane. (I guess that means I'm not alone. Small comfort that!) posted by Eric on 08.11.06 at 08:23 AM
Comments
Can you please direct me to the specific quotes from the specific posts that got Paul Belian in trouble with the law? Or have the cops even specified what upset the complainant? Raging Bee · August 11, 2006 02:12 PM The convergence theory was famously espoused by FDR, who told Stalin, "You are becoming more democratic and we are becoming more socialist." I wonder what the ruthlessly realistic Stalin thought of that obnoxious silliness. Bleepless · August 11, 2006 02:19 PM |
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About the Swiss voting on joining the EU five times.
It is ridiculously easy in Switzerland to hold a referendum on just about anything. Every few months I'm asked to vote on several questions.
Enough Swiss decided that a national referendum would be a good thing. No one forced the Swiss to vote again and again because they didn't like the way the vote turned out.
That said, the EU is pressuring Switzerland on several things, but that is simply a strong group pressuring a weker nation on economics.
Switzerland is content to negotiate bilateral agreements with the EU, rather than join the EU, and the EU bargains very hard.