European Politics

I know that politics can sometimes be a boring subject, but I can get really interested in what is going on in the world. As you may or may not know, the European Constitution is being put to vote in every single member state, one at a time, as they did in the United States two hundred years ago with out consitution. It passed in Spain, but it looks like France is going to deny the Consitutition.

I decided to do some reserach, so I read the entire 65 page EU proposed Consitution. If you're interested and crazy like me, go here to read it http://www.unizar.es/euroconstitucion/library/constitution_29.10.04/part_I_EN.pdf. At first I was very impressed by it. I wouldn't actually mind, at this point having the consitution put into effect in Europe. These are my qualms with it. Strangely, I haven't heard anyone else talking about these.

The Constitution talks about the European Convention on Human Rights. It honors and resepects that document. It is very similar to our Bill or Rights, but it is a little more comprehensive. Here's the text http://www.hri.org/docs/ECHR50.html#Convention.

One thing scares me though. It confers all of the rights on the people and then with a few little clauses, gives government or other people the right to infringe on those rights.

"The exercise of these freedoms, since it carries with it duties and responsibilities, may be subject to such formalities, conditions, restrictions or penalties as are prescribed by law and are necessary in a democratic society, in the interests of national security, territorial integrity or public safety, for the prevention of disorder or crime, for the protection of health or morals, for the protection of the reputation or the rights of others, for preventing the disclosure of information received in confidence, or for maintaining the authority and impartiality of the judiciary."

Yuck. It's like the US Patriot act where they basically have the right to totally monitor you for no reason in the name of "National Security."

With this consitutution, Europe is setting up to actually have something very similar to what America had set up in the beginning. The definition of "state" in 1700 was country. We, as Americans were really supposed to have things turn in a totally different direction. If the founding fathers really saw the country right now and how it has been mishandled, they would be disgusted, and they would advise us to tear it down and build it back up again (as Mr. Jefferson states in the Declaration of Independence). Europe's purpose in uniting together is basically to put all political strife behind them and, united, to continue on into the future. Not a bad thing at all, but when even the constiution allows for higher powers to come into the state and fix it or take over if it is doing something the EU doesn't agree with, that's going a little farther than the stated purpose. Don't get me wrong, it's mostly a good idea, but if not handled very carefully by only the smartest of people, Europe could be heading it's way to the United States of Europe and 1984 here we come.

I'd vote NO too, good job France. I'm watching your polls.