This really goes to the heart of my visceral dislike of the European delusion. None of the European nations have a democratic foundation built up gradually, layer over layer, over centuries. The nearest to it is France but even a quick glance at their democratic history, barely 200 years old, shows a series of decrepit, patched up structures which are regularly undermined which is why they are so eager to cling to the construct of 'Mother Europe'. Had the EU remained a mostly western constellation of states it might have stood a chance but the power-mad fanatics who run it were never going to be satisfied with that and so they rushed off to cuddle the eastern states most of whom would have difficulty actually spelling the word 'democracy'!
All of which brings us to Hungary and the power-mad thug who runs it - Viktor Orban. He obviously learned how to run an election from the example of his Big Brother in Russia. The whole thing was a fix and a farce - albeit, a farce which eventually will evolve into a tragedy. Not, I hasten to add, that he was not supported by a very large section of the population but if our electorate is somewhat dim, dumb and daft to the finer points of politics, then the Eastern Europeans are practically Neanderthal!
In the meantime, 'back at the ranch', or perhaps that should be 'back at the citadel of false illusions', aka: Brussels, they now have an even bigger nightmare than Brexit. As Peter Foster points out in The Telegraph, the next EU budget will have to cope with a €10bn-€15bn squeeze when the Brits depart but the 'Visigrad' nations are all lining up with their outstretched begging bowls. Failure to fill them might tempt some of them to let bygones be bygones and cuddle up to 'Uncle Vlad', and any attempt by Brussels to criticise 'thugocracy' in the east will go down like a bowl of sick! Not that too much criticism is likely because not only is Germany deeply wedded to Hungary but also because, according to Mr. Foster, the German political Right is rising fast!
The fact is that the Europeans simply do not understand democracy. We Brits were unbelievably lucky to live in an island where, more or less alone, we could proceed slowly, with fits and starts and some back-steps, to develop a mature and sophisticated democracy. Our 'cousins', too, were blessed in that they could 'nick' the lot, take it over the water and with a few alterations apply it to their new land. In the meantime, Europe might, just might, succeed but I suspect that 'a good deal of blood will pass under the bridge' before they have a working system.
It's almost like the New World Order has failed miserably and the common folk are revolting. Wonder what comes next from the Brussels types and the common people in Reaction?
Posted by: Whitewall | Monday, 09 April 2018 at 18:19
A thug on my side is quite welcome when the communist thugs of the EU. are in control I can’t wait for the third reich to be disuninited by the latter day reluctant commies of the late USSR. Such fun.
Posted by: Peter Whale | Monday, 09 April 2018 at 21:54
What a load of old baloney, Gaffer.
Out of all the post-fall of the USSR states that joined the EU, the split of democratically acceptable from democratically doubtful is not that bad: -
Top of the class ...
- Finland*
- Latvia
- Lithuania
- Estonia
- Czech Republic (teacher's pet)
- Slovakia
Could do better (but joined later) ...
- Romania
- Bulgaria
- Croatia
Remedial ...
- Hungary
- Poland
Still trying to pass the entrance exam ...
- Ukraine
* Was neutral pre-fall of the USSR, but joined EU when USSR collapsed
Now if Blighty had stayed loyal to its time-honoured role of spreading democracy, separation of powers, rule of law, individual freedom, freedom of the press, free opposition, etc. etc., as you rightly and triumphantly observe it has done in the past ...
Top of the class ...
- US
- Canada (born out of wedlock)
- Oz
- NZ
- Israel (adopted, then returned to its roots)
- Japan
- South Korea
Could do better
- India
- Probably a few others I can't think of off the top of my head
Remedial
- Pakistan
- Just about anywhere in Africa
- Probably a few others I can't think of off the top of my head
... then it would be in there with the EU trying to get Blighty's time-honoured principles engendered into the Novichoks on the Eastern edge of Europe.
Instead, you did you know what and the EU is standing alone trying to keep the Novichoks up to scratch all on its own.
Even the Krauts are now showing their Hunnish inner character, and cosying up to the Rooskies, Ribbentrop-Molotov style, and you have rendered Blighty near powerless to stop it.
The end outcome will be a European Continent dominated by single power in which we have no say-so, in this case a Russo-German pact, with every state therein run by a mini-Vlad.
In other words, the West's worst nightmare. A state of affairs in continental Europe against which we have railed with countless blood and treasure for a thousand years.
Shame on you Brexiteers. When you pop your clogs you're going to have to explain to all those Tom's, from Hastings to the Fall of Berlin, why you couldn't cope with the Jaw-Jaw world they bequeathed you - bequeathed you with ten centuries of their War-War and sacrifice.
Actually you won't be meeting them of course, because you'll be going to a different place than they are for putting that x in the box 23rd June 2016.
SoD
Posted by: Loz | Tuesday, 10 April 2018 at 12:54
Just re-read that.
By George and all the Saints, I was feeling a bit low this morning, but I feel much better now, thank you very much!
SoD
Posted by: Loz | Tuesday, 10 April 2018 at 12:57