Brune Ale:
I think that the Europeans should form a committe to discuss the issue. Delegates from all 15 EU nations would form subcommittees to analyze progress and coordinate with their counterparts. The head of course must be a Frenchman and all documents must be translated into all 15 languages plus any regional languages and dialects. The group would receive funding from taxes raised by the sale of passports and for visas sold to allow the passage of animals. Then the commitee could gather once a year on the riviera or in the Greek Islands to review progress before submitting a paper which would be reviewed by the EU Parliament which would necessitate a study to be funded by the EU in which the findings of the committee are to be analyzed and discussed before forwarding it to the General Assmbly where it will be discussed in ad hoc committees before recommending that further studies are required. etc. etc. etc. etc.
No wonder so many have such utter contempt for Europe and its meetings. What has Europe done lately?
[quote=“fred smith”]Brune Ale:
I think that the Europeans should form a committe to discuss the issue. Delegates from all 15 EU nations would form subcommittees to analyze progress and coordinate with their counterparts. The head of course must be a Frenchman and all documents must be translated into all 15 languages plus any regional languages and dialects. The group would receive funding from taxes raised by the sale of passports and for visas sold to allow the passage of animals. Then the commitee could gather once a year on the riviera or in the Greek Islands to review progress before submitting a paper which would be reviewed by the EU Parliament which would necessitate a study to be funded by the EU in which the findings of the committee are to be analyzed and discussed before forwarding it to the General Assmbly where it will be discussed in ad hoc committees before recommending that further studies are required. etc. etc. etc. etc.
No wonder so many have such utter contempt for Europe and its meetings. What has Europe done lately?[/quote]
The answer lies with Ace Ventura - Pet Comissioner
If you thought that the Spanish capitulation was worthy of contempt, here view the mushy meanderings of Romano Prodi.
“It is clear that force alone cannot win the fight against terrorism.” Sounds reasonable until you hear Prodi’s amplification of the idea just two days earlier. “We know that international terrorism wants to spread fear,” he said. “Fear generates not so much justice but rather vengeance, which chooses war to answer the need of security. . . . We become prisoners of terror and of terrorists.” In other words, making war on terror is unjust, fearful, mere vengeance and ultimately a victory for terrorism.
If not war, then what? A centerpiece to Prodi’s solution to terrorism: a new European constitution. I’m not making this up: “to defeat fear we only have democracy and politics. . . . Today for us, politics means building Europe completely with its constitution and its institutions.”
This is beyond appeasement. This is decadence: Terror rages and we tend our garden.
AU:
Did I ever say that the EU was not composed of many countries?
Did I ever say that ALL Muslim countries must be targeted?
Did I ever say that Europe must be invaded?
Perhaps I need to get EU citizenship. Can you tell me how?
Now that we have gotten past the shrieking, can we analyze a few facts?
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Name one successful example of EU or EU-led negotiations that led to the end of any particular conflict say in the last 60 years?
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Name one successful example of where terrorists were “negotiated” with?
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Name one country that is now safe from terrorism after having negotiated a truce with Al Qaeda?
Spain’s actions are sheer cowardice. Zapatero is worthy of contempt. Now, please recall the American president Bush called to congratulate him. He chose to call press conferences to state this incredibly nasty things about Bush and Blair and the campaign against Iraq. Once he did, why must we spare him a similar “criticism” of his actions? This was the Spanish cowboy unilaterally and unprofessionally and undiplomatically slinging his guns out bang bang and this is precisely what Europe criticizes Bush for? 
When has Bush ever made such wild statements against the democratically elected leader of any nation? So the irony is that it is the new leader of Spain that is being the most unrational, unthinking, unilateralist shoot em up cowboy or should I say gaucho? Yes, let’s talk stereotypes and who started the recent cat fight Bush or Zapatero?
Then let’s seriously ask do you think that his actions will make Spain safe? Is Spain trying to get out of doing its fair share of fighting terrorism? Finally, if Spain and Prodi are so interested in democracy and getting at the root causes of the problem, isn’t it the best interests of all concerned to do that by making Iraq secure and democratic?
What is tierra Lliure?
Gaucho is an Argentine (spanish-speaking) cowboy. Get it? 
Without wmds, we have a pr black eye, this is true, but is there not a good reason for going in anyway to deal with the “root causes” that Prodi seems concerned about?
Ah Catalonia:
But it was fought before the negotiations were finalized and the group disbanded in 1970.
Still, for all this talk about the UN and EU (more civilized) approach to negotiations, where is the string of successes? Any?
It’s often said that Switzerland has one of (the?) most representative democracies. Dunno much about it. Any Swiss hornblowers in the house?
All I know is that every law put forward must be put to the people in a referendum. Pretty democratic to me. Doesn’t explain why the Swiss are so stupefyingly boring though.
Regards
[quote=“BroonAle”]All I know is that every law put forward must be put to the people in a referendum. Pretty democratic to me. Doesn’t explain why the Swiss are so stupefyingly boring though.
Regards[/quote]
You mean there are people more boring than Canadians? 
:snore:
Strange AU:
I thought that you had grown up under the Fascist dictatorship. While that may be true as in you were four years old maybe five when it ended, you therefore cannot pretend to have any real memories of what was already a pretty toothless dictatorship by the time you were born so which is it? huh? Huh?
[quote=“Closet Queen”][quote=“BroonAle”]All I know is that every law put forward must be put to the people in a referendum. Pretty democratic to me. Doesn’t explain why the Swiss are so stupefyingly boring though.
Regards[/quote]
You mean there are people more boring than Canadians? :snore:[/quote]
Oh yes. Do you know anyone funny or anything funny that has ever come out of Iceland?
Sandman:
I knew that I could count on you to refute Brune’s argument while subtely scoring points on him with your swanist antipenguinist message. Take that Mr. Ale!
Not so fast Fred. Black suit … white shirt … yellow shoes … tendency to waddle … fondness for bouillabaisse … I have the sneaking suspicion I might in fact be a penguinista.
Sandman:
You must also be Spanish, turncoat cowardly winging mealymouthed traitor that you are! Go over to the Penguinista side if you must but like the Spanish and the wretchedly morally abject French, you may have cause to rue your decision. Oh yes, you may!
