Of Lisbon And Legacies

By Charley Brady

Why, when it's Ireland's leading republican party, Fianna Fáil, of course. As the 12th of June rapidly approaches and Ireland represents the only country in Europe being asked to vote in the hideous Lisbon Treaty, the pressure from the 'Yes' camp has become intense.

Indeed, we're well into the bullying stage at this point. In Brussels last Monday Jose Manuel Barroso, who is in charge of the EU Commission, gave us an ultimatum: vote the way that we are told to---in other words 'yes'--- or pay the price.

To hear this is to have a red mist descend on the brain and to make the blood pound behind the eyes. 'Pay the price?'

Is this what we wanted as self- determination?

This Portuguese goon's threats might have worked with some weaklings back in the days when he was a Maoist, but all such utterances bring forth in the Irish is a determination to do the opposite.

At least it should be so, which brings us back to Fianna Fáil.

Just what the devil are the Soldiers of Destiny--- just what are they, a republican party--- doing in joining with this bully- boy to urge us to give away even more of our sovereignty to Brussels?

For make no mistake about it. That is what this Treaty amounts to: a handing over of what little power we have left after having sold our souls piece by piece over the past number of years.

Well, of course there's something in it for them. Next to the entry on 'corruption' in any standard dictionary you'll find an illustration of a cross- section of Fianna Fáil ministers. ("You need some land rezoned? Just slide that cash- stuffed brown envelope on over here.") And they have about as much of a concept of democracy as Mr. Barroso has.

When we voted "No" to the Nice Treaty some years back we were sent back in to vote again, like bold school kids, until we got the answer that they wanted. That's democracy, all right.

Not that it's just them. With the exception of Sinn Féin and the Socialists, every party is urging that we sell ourselves out that final inch. I'm grinding my teeth at the thought that for once I'm in the same camp as the Sinn Féin crowd and as if that's not bad enough some of the limp Greens are also objecting. vStanding shoulder to shoulder with the Greens? I'm in pain here.

But democracy? Out of 166 TDs who were put in place by we the people in order to represent OUR interests, not theirs, only around ten of them are refusing to blindly follow the party instructions.

No guts, no glory, eh boys?

None of the major parties have behaved with the slightest shred of honour. Indeed, we're approaching censorship now as Fine Gael's leader Enda Kenny calls for a gag on the newspaper 'Alive!' simply because it had the temerity to ask some pertinent questions.

Tell you what, let's just go all the way and bring out a Government- sponsored organ called 'Pravda' and we the people can sit back like the automatons they want us to be, spending our remaining days in an Orwellian coma.

Put simply, in December 2007 the 27 European Union Heads of State and Government signed a Reform Treaty that is supposed to make the running of this growing Empire more streamlined.

In fact it does nothing of the kind. In fact the Treaty itself is unreadable and is meant to be so.

I know of nobody who understands it and even our new master, Brian Cowen, admits that he hasn't read it but urges us to vote for it anyway.

It all tends to live up to Vidal's dictum: "Words are used to disguise, not to illuminate, action... Words are used to confuse, so that at election time people will solemnly vote against their own interests".

Imagine if you were buying a house and your solicitor told you not to worry your head about the small print, just go ahead and sign. It'll all work out. Of course you'd do it, wouldn't you?

As if things weren't sneaky enough, France and the Netherlands have already turned it down back when it was the European Constitution. (All that has been done with Lisbon is giving that another title and making it even less comprehensible.)

So their democratic rejection is being ignored; and to put the icing on the cake the Irish Daily Mail has uncovered a document whereby the Brussels crowd - the ones we're supposed to hand over the control of our affairs to-suggest the burying of 'politically sensitive' issues until the voters have been suckered and brow- beaten into voting away their rights.

If there are any Irish reading this on holiday in New York and who will be back for the 12th, please don't let them do this to you.

The fact alone that they won't give you the complete information should be a cause for concern.

This hack will be voting NO. I hope that you will at least give it some thought.