From the links I've seen, the Dutch seem to have rejected the constitution on grounds that Americans would find fairly comprehensible--immigration issues, a sense that they were getting pushed around by the larger EU members, and dissatisfaction with the strata of undemocratic, unaccountable bureaucracy in Brussels. Like I said, pretty reasonable stuff.

The French, however, cast their votes in a uniquely Gallic fashion. The Oui voters felt the constitution was needed to make the EU a stronger counterweight to the US in international affairs, while the Non voters--as Ace noted--had the bizarre notion that greater control from Brussels would somehow make them more "Anglo-Saxon." So both sides were voting anti-American; they just differed on the most effective strategy.

Interestingly, Sabine Herold, Slublog's democracy babe, favored the constitution. Here's a link to the article (from the Telegraph), but this is the money quote:

Sabine Herold, their spokesman, says: "I think that only the European Union can break the hold of the unions and drag France into the 21st century. We have 10 per cent unemployment, we are in a rut. We need to become more Anglo-Saxon."

So Ace, my question is, who feels worse today-- Jackie Chirac, or Georgie Soros?

I'm sure you saw the Euro taking a dive over the past week. The Euro Soros loves to love.

I wonder what this does to Filet-O-Fish's food budget.

Cheers,
Dave at Garfield Ridge

I tried reading that beast of a document, and the further I got into it, the more it read like an entirely convoluted and vague interstate trade agreement. There were so many things aimed at specific countries and industries that it never stated clearly what specific laws all signatories would be bound together by accepting it.

And starting it off by kissing the King of Belgium's ass....

852 pages vs. the mere 16 pages of our beauty. And theirs reads more like NAFTA then a constituion. lol Thank you, Jesus!!! And frankly, who wants France joining the 21rst century, anyway.

And frankly, who wants France joining the 21rst century, anyway.

Not me -- that's the century we're in, after all. There's just not room for both of us.

Europe is just such a bunch of snotballs that I'm cheering the demise of their stupid constitution out of pure schadenfreude. It seemed important to those morons to pass it, and they didn't, ha ha ha.

Of course, from what I know about it, it's such a big, steaming pile of dung that it would have been equally hilarious if they had passed it. So it was really a win/win situation for me.

The first TWO trimesters? That's a baby, dude.

But i agree with the rest of your post.

But Ace, we all know that the very best form of government is enlightened despotism - preferably led by Sith Lords:)

Regardless of trimester, that's a HUMAN, dude.

Later,
bbeck

Almost everyone I know voted 'nee'. And all of them are in favor of more economic intergration. Opinion on Turkey joining the EU is divided. The media and political elites like to pretend that every no-voter is a racist and a protectionist, but in reality this referendum was more about the unaccountable political elites at home and in Brussels.

Daran's comments are spot on. Europe does need economic liberalization. (Here, anytime there is talk of lowering some tax because it is too high there is debate about which tax to raise in order to make up for the lost revenue. Wake up people. They are all way too high.) It does not need another level of bureaucracy above the already insane level of bureacracy that exists (at least here in Germany).

The French have actually done something good for Europe for a change. Their no votes, for all the wrong reasons, have ignited a real debate about the assanine constitution. The Dutch seem to have now voted nee for relatively good reasons. According to today's morning show on ARD (a public ty station in Germany), support for the constitution is slipping in Germany (although it has already passed parliament). Before this debate had been ignited, Germans just sort of assumed the constitution was a good thing because it was European. Now, more and more are realizing it is a constitution for the governers, rather than the governed.

"immolization": It's really "immolation." I don't enjoy issuing bulletins on the conventions of grammar; it's just that this one particularly made me wince.

I think you are entirely correct in your implication that the people who would be running the show in Europe are precisely the people who would not be trade liberalizers. They are incented to make things as bureaucratic and complicated as possible--it insures continued employment for themselves and their unelected cronies. Defeat for the EU Constitution is a very good thing for both Europe and the world economy.

Abortion is murder. That being said, it is a state issue--which should be decided by the states.

Guys!!! I am being invaded by liberals on my blog!! Please come help me out here!!! I am traveling and can't get to my blog much!!
Thanks!!!!

www.Rightwingsparkle.blogspot.com

Ditto on the life issue Vin.
The funny thing about the EU trainwreck is that if the vote had gone the other way, it would have been OK for the US too. Simply because the EU's bueracracy would have crushed its economy under its utopian regulations, removing the EU as an obstacle to our ambitions.
The No vote is a good thing for the people of Europe who for the most part have little to no clue as to what's going on beyond their union paycheck and their local soccer team. They're finally waking up to the fact that unelected/unnaccountable politicos are making decisions that are fucking them
The problem is the legacy of the class system is so strong in the EU that its hard for the people to question their "betters".
Now we'll see if the elites will try to hold new elections until they finally win and then never have a vote again.

"Guys!!! I am being invaded by liberals on my blog!!"

You need to get an exterminator before they start forming drum circles, or worse yet... a music festival.

RWS- yeah you got a pretty bad infestation there. Unfortunately it is of the completly dim-witted, tinfoil hat, stereotypical variety. They almost sound like parodies of liberals. Your best bet is to just not feed them. Engagement is what they live for. Let them die.

RWS, you gotta start putting NASCAR logos all over your site. Its been proven to drive libs away.
Also the pink girly thing is a damn lib magnet. Libs think your Excitable Andy on a Good day.

Gun pics help too.

And pics of you kissing other hot babes. Yeah.

Iblis made me laugh.

Well that's one of you suckers.