Today, I received in my inbox a press release announcing the creation of a new European movement, titled titled the Vibrant Europe Forum.
The press release started with this inspiring paragraph:
Thirty high profile representatives call for action to turn an increasingly weary Europe into a ‘vibrant’ Europe by means of a declaration signed in Maastricht’s Castle Vaeshartelt. The commitment was unique in that key individuals from all walks of life, generations and countries far beyond the confines of Europe came together around their commitments to have European citizens’ voices heard. CEOs of multinationals, world leading academics, activists and politicians from various parties, including the Social Democrats, Greens, Liberals and Christian Democrats, agreed to pressure their constituencies on behalf of their societies and act as change agents with a view to make a lasting difference at the European elections of 2014.
Herein lies the paradox of Europe. Thirty self defined Euro-elites set themselves up as spokespeople for 350 million Europeans. They come together to have, as they grandly put it, "to have European citizens voices heard".
Press release tells us that this group comprises of just four occupations; CEOs, academics, activists and politicians. There were no tinkers, tailors soldiers and sailors ready to speak up for a vibrant Europe. Other workaday occupations were also missing; there were no doctors, nurses; carpenters, bricklayers, or shopkeepers. The bankers and other assorted criminals were not present when this self appointed group signed its declaration of principles.
This group of thirty representatives may be highly unrepresentative but that doesn't stop them from their self appointed task of making a "lasting difference", becoming"change agents", allegedly acting on "behalf of their societies".
This is the story of Modern Europe. A small group of Euro federalists believe that they know what is best for the rest of us. After 40 years of bureaucratic manoeuvring and deception they have created a quasi-European state. They have also brought a continent to the brink of disaster. Their regulations has crippled our economies, their financial bubbles have destroyed our savings, and their treaties have robbed us of our sovereignty. Their single currency has laid waste economies of southern Europe, unemployment is rising everywhere, while economic growth is virtually non-existent.
Vibrant Europe? Dying Europe would have been a more appropriate title for their elitist forum.
6 comments:
How did that rubbish get into your inbox?
More persuasive if you addressed the (more difficult topic of the) passivity that allowed all this to happen.
Anonymous 07:54
Agreed. But I really don't know how it happened. I ask myself that question every day.
Alice
There are several near meaningless words which can be taken as a guarantee that what you are reading is the work of a quangocrat desperately trying to justify their salary. “Vibrant” is one of them. But there are numerous others: “key”, “sustainable”, “stake-holder”, “dynamic”, etc.
Ralph,
I think it was their twisted vocab that got to me.
Alice
I love the idea od "activists" as a profession. Unfortunaqtely it is entirely true. It looks like, of the 4 professions only CEOs won't be directly government paid. If they are CEOs of big companies much of their job will be schmoozing with the politicos.
Such centralisation is only possible in a Europe entirely antithical to all od Europe's fistory. The reason why European culture conquered the world is that the state were smaller than the culture. When Columbus didn't get the support of the king of France he could try England, Portugal and Spain. When Gilieo was condemned by the Inquisition, Fescartes could move to Sweden. Whereas when Cheng Ho came back to China in 1431, after exploring the Indian Ocwena and reaching the south Atlantic, and the party line had turned against exploration, he could do noting.
The EU stultifies competition between European countries, which is the path to progress.
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