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July 17, 2008
Keep Voting Until You Get It Right!
Ah, the gallic arrogance of the Ruling Class! Here's Democracy, Euro-Style
Irish politicians reacted angrily Wednesday after French President Nicolas Sarkozy suggested Ireland should hold a second referendum on the EU's new treaty, after rejecting it last month.Irish voters dealt a blow to the European Union last month by rejecting the Lisbon Treaty in the only popular vote on the text anywhere in the 27-nation bloc.
According to deputies who attended a meeting with Sarkozy Tuesday, he said that the Irish would "have to re-vote", despite 53 percent opposition.
A key adviser to the French president said later on Wednesday that Sarkozy could ask Ireland to hold a second referendum on the document, but with some minor changes.
"One of the solutions would be indeed to eventually ask the Irish to re-vote, but probably not on a text that would be exactly the same," said Henri Guaino in an interview to French television.
Gee, are they going to let the folks who voted "Yes" also revote?
Hell, are they ever going to let everyone in Europe vote on it, too?
Methinks...not.
Posted by Mr. Bingley at July 17, 2008 07:11 AM
Comments
Best 2 out of 3? 3 outta 5?
Posted by: Nobrainer at July 17, 2008 07:33 AM
Democracy is just so much simpler when the Ministers make the decisions for you.
Posted by: Mr. Bingley at July 17, 2008 07:42 AM
They need to just start doing rock paper scissors. Goofy euros.
Posted by: Ebola at July 17, 2008 09:26 AM
Well, the French have had - what - five or so different governments since their Revolution, including at least one emperor... They're experts in do-overs.
Posted by: nightfly at July 17, 2008 10:19 AM
Same thing here in Austin. We keep voting against putting in a light rail system, for example, but the government keeps putting it up for vote. I guess they figure it's like the old saying about getting a job. You can hear a thousand no's, you only need one yes.
And with Ireland and the EU, the yes means forever and ever. The no only means no until you say yes.
Posted by: Skyler at July 17, 2008 10:37 AM
Just hope that the Euroweenies don't copy Dhimmicrats in voting the cemetary. There are a lot of Americans buried over there.
Posted by: The_Real_JeffS at July 17, 2008 12:46 PM
I dunno, have the Italians had a stable gov't in the last 60 years? Seems like they change every five years or something.
Posted by: Ebola at July 17, 2008 01:53 PM
Nightfly, it's more than that:
1) constitutional monarchy
2) First Republic
3) First Empire
4) Bourbon Restoration
5) July Monarchy
6) Second Republic
7) Second Empire
8) Third Republic
9) Vichy Regime
10) Fourth Republic
11) Fifth Republic
The Third Republic, from the defeat of Napoleon III at Sedan in 1871 to the fall of Paris to Hitler in 1940, was the longest. De Gaulle's Fifth Republic comes next but still has 19 years to go. The Ancien Regime, by contrast, lasted almost 1300 years, if one defines it from Clovis's coronation as the sole King of the Franks to the Tennis Court Oath in 1789 whereby the Estates General made themselves into the National Assembly (the definitive legal break into the the constitutional monarchy of 1789-1792).
Ebola, you're confusing changes of "government," i.e., the party in power, with changes in the form of government. The Italian Republic, founded by communist fraud in the referendum that ousted the House of Savoy, has been around since 1946.
Skyler, the Canadians have a word for this phenomenon, in reference to Quebec. It is a "never-end-um." Votes are to be held repeatedly and forever until they reach the "correct" result (whether that Quebecois secession or the latest EU gobbledygook).
Posted by: Dave J at July 17, 2008 08:14 PM
"never-end-um"
Ha!!
Posted by: Mr. Bingley at July 18, 2008 08:16 AM
Dave - thanks. I got the five from the Republics, I suppose - or else I'm just a tiny bit stupid. =P
Posted by: nightfly at July 18, 2008 10:16 AM