Article

2004-07-12 Europe

EU threat to national dish angers Croats

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Posted by Mark Espinola 2004-07-12 10:13:29 PM|| || Front Page|| [2 views since 2007-05-07] Top

Mrs Orsulic, who runs her farm with her three children and used to be a Europhile, now takes a dim view of the EU.

Welcome to the real world, Mrs. Orsulic. If you want to "take a dim view of the EU," take a number and get in line. And it's a looooong line.

Posted by Barbara Skolaut 2004-07-12 10:17:40 PM|| 2004-07-12 10:17:40 PM|| Front Page Top

#2 Does anyone else remember the reports about how it took international committees over a year to hammer out who in the EU would produce what flavor crisps (chips to Americans)? Supposedly the costs of cobbling the pact together ran into the tens of millions.

Another superb example is Denmark and their domestic market for black licorice. Danes routinely consume more licorice than chocolate. Only Holland and Germany come remotely close to Danish production levels. Yet Denmark was supposedly told it will need to cut back its over-production of licorice to levels found elsewhere in the EU.

I seem to remember hearing something like this pertaining to both Danish Akavit and Scotland's production of Whisky as well. All of it is quite reminiscent of the UN's overall efficacy.

Posted by Zenster 2004-07-12 10:35:52 PM|| 2004-07-12 10:35:52 PM|| Front Page Top

#3 What I don't get is why so many European countries feel that it is necessary to join the EU. East Asian countries have gone from strength to strength without giving up any of their national sovereignty. This is just a really weird complex.

Posted by Zhang Fei 2004-07-12 11:24:59 PM|| [http://www.polipundit.com] 2004-07-12 11:24:59 PM|| Front Page Top

#4 Zhang> It's our evil mind rays. We have brainwashed them.

But my guess is that most European countries have realized that only the powerful can speak of "national sovereignty" and actually mean it as applied to themselves.

De jure sovereignty is nothing without *de facto* sovereignty. De facto sovereignty doesn't exist for the weak and isolated, to be played by one power against the other. Cyprus is a fine example of what "sovereignty" meant for a little nation. To be pushed around by the bullies of the neighbourhood.

The weak countries want the institutional framework that law rather than the sheer application of might provides.

It's the question of the rule of law versus anarchy. When the rule of law applies, the weak countries may still be overpowered, but they can't be *intimidated*.

Posted by Aris Katsaris 2004-07-13 12:05:30 PM|| 2004-07-13 12:05:30 PM|| Front Page Top

#5 You mean like Singapore? But they actually have gonads.

Cyprus seems like a good example of the need to stay out of European entanglements. Cyprus would not have been invaded by the Turks if the Greeks had not instigated a coup d'etat. The moral of Cyprus? Beware of Greeks bearing coups.

Posted by ed 2004-07-13 12:21:46 PM|| 2004-07-13 12:21:46 PM|| Front Page Top

#6 You mean like Singapore? But they actually have gonads.

Singapore which was part of the Malaysian federation? They left it not because they would be more "sovereign" but because of the tension between the Chinese and the Malay. I believe, Malaysia was afraid that (predominantly Chinese) Singarope would end up politically dominating the union.

So was that a sign of a Singaporian wish for "sovereignty" or Malaysian wish for the same? I'm not that well informed in that region of the world to know all the aspects of the situation.

Cyprus would not have been invaded by the Turks if the Greeks had not instigated a coup d'etat.

Ofcourse. Did I say otherwise? Why did you think that I used the word "bullies" plural?

In more recent times, were it not for the EU, Greece's own bullying embargo towards FYRO Macedonia in the mid 90s could have continued for far longer.

Posted by Aris Katsaris 2004-07-13 3:20:33 PM|| 2004-07-13 3:20:33 PM|| Front Page Top

#7 Where have you been, Aris? Working on that power plant problem?

Posted by Raj 2004-07-13 3:27:55 PM|| 2004-07-13 3:27:55 PM|| Front Page Top

#8 Raj> I opted to update Wikipedia on the Economical and Monetary Union, instead.

Posted by Aris Katsaris 2004-07-13 4:03:21 PM|| 2004-07-13 4:03:21 PM|| Front Page Top

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