Comments on: Death to the Internets

By: Paddy Matthews

Paddy Matthews — Sat, 07 Jun 2008 20:20:37 +0000

the zeitgeist has turned on Biffo after 4 short weeks

According to today’s paper, it doesn’t seem to be the Biffo himself – or even Fianna Fáil – that the zeitgeist has turned on.

I’d think that he’s reaping a considerable advantage from not being his predecessor (especially after this week’s “I won it on the gee-gees” outing).

It may not seem like that on the leafy avenues of south Dublin, but there’s an awful lot more to the country than the leafy avenues of south Dublin.

By: John P

John P — Sat, 07 Jun 2008 15:37:58 +0000

I am so over the internet, I’m going to post a message on a weblog. I am so over the high price of gas, I’m going for a drive. I am so over drugs and alcohol, I’m going to get stoned. And so on, and so on, ad infinitum.

By: James

James — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 18:21:02 +0000

Ironically, the greatest merit of the EU Constitution (voted against by the French and Dutch) was that it consolidated the various EU treaties in one relatively (I stress relatively) digestible document. I would have happily voted for it. But Lisbon is virtually the same thing and (as recognised by Bertie) everything different about it is worse.

On the substance of Lisbon itself I would probably support it – modest and sensible changes it seems for the most part. However there is a serious problem with the idea of just ignoring the French and Dutch votes and generally with the idea that European integration (which I am all for on Habermasian “postnational democracy” grounds) can carry on without dealing with the hostility/suspicion of actual Europeans to the process as it exists.

So in a sense I would be tempted to vote no on a sort of politique du pire basis (to integrate the thread’s French theme) – ultimately it may be best to bring on a wide and deep institutional crisis rather than just pushing it further down the pipe. On the other hand I don’t think Ireland voting No would be a big enough deal to provoke any real reconsideration among the Euro-elite who would instead take it as one more data-point against involving the great unwashed in the first place.

By: paul

paul — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 16:49:24 +0000

Oops, messed up my markup, sorry. What happened to the preview option? :/

By: paul

paul — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 16:46:39 +0000

I really had good intentions to inform myself before deciding how to vote. I have just downloaded the consolidated text of the Lisbon Treaty from the . It is 479 pages long. Who can honestly say that they've read this?

By: strewelpeter

strewelpeter — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 16:19:58 +0000

LOL Mortification, that might do it

Won’t be so funny if No wins and Mary Lou becomes the new head Facist.

By: Tony

Tony — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 15:21:43 +0000

Hey, Maria – you’ve forgotten that the last-minute opinion poll showing a late swing towards the Euroskeptics is absolutely essential to get the Yes Vote out. While disgruntled wingnuts are already motivated to vote no, the yea-sayers often need that whiff of danger, and, most importantly for Irish people, MORTIFICATION, to get us off our backsides.

By: astrongmaybe

astrongmaybe — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 14:13:13 +0000

Good for your siblings! Rule number 1: don’t sign what you haven’t read. And the Treaty is unreadable – until it is published in a form which allows for democratic debate, NO is the only possible answer.

By: strewelpeter

strewelpeter — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 13:24:58 +0000

WTF indeed?
A coalition of Sinn Fein (Everyones favourite Nationalist Socialist party with its own private army) Youth Defence and the apalling Libertas .
Those and every other crackpot and tin foil hat merchant.

…Informed enough to know that they don’t know …
Oh Dear!
The default position seems to be that if I’m too stupid to understand this then I should vote against it. Nice.

By: praisegod barebones

praisegod barebones — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 10:39:53 +0000

One small consolation for the existence of the interwebs is that you can order the oeuvre of Fred Vargas from Amazon.fr.

Not remotely tedious, although there are one or two failed relationships in the background. I’d suggest ‘Un peu plus loin sur la droite as a good place to start.

By: Pete

Pete — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 10:29:14 +0000

The EU is the second-most elitist political project in the world; it’s not really suprising that now people are finally being asked for their participation that they’re witholding it?

By: Paul M. Watson

Paul M. Watson — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 10:15:19 +0000

At least the poll seems to indicate people are informed enough to know they don’t know what the treaty is about and that they aren’t just going to vote the way their party leader says they should vote.

As for the interwebs, move to the West and you’ll be sorted ;)

By: Martin Wisse

Martin Wisse — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 09:16:07 +0000

The No votes are in the lead? That’s excellent news.

It’s time the EU was knocked down a peg or two again, though no doubt once the Irish do say now, a new, new constitution^wtreaty will be imposed without the possibility of another referendum. Just like we saw this timne around, with us Dutch and French being punished for our wrong votes by not getting a new referendum.

By: stostosto

stostosto — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 08:55:50 +0000

Why would there be any other kind? Dreary French novels about failed relationships is all you need. From Balzac to Dumas to Verne to Flaubert to Sartre to Houellebecq: Turn off your mind, relax and float downstream. (As famous French author Jean-Marc Cartney-Lennon put it).

By: Arnaud

Arnaud — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 07:54:02 +0000

OMG! Tell me you are not reading Beigbeder! Didn’t 99 Francs convince you the guy is a fraude?