On the EU constitution

A very late one last night has me in a grumpy mood, and I'm taking it out in letter writing to the Times again.

Councillor Deirdre de Burca (Letters Dec 7) claims that the new EU Constitution 'turns neo-liberalism' and 'a monetarist economic policy' into constitutional principles. In fact, Article I-3 of the constitution states that the EU will work for: 'the sustainable development of Europe based on balanced economic growth and price stability, a highly competitive social market economy, aiming at full employment and social progress, and a high level of protection and improvement of the quality of the environment.' As regards monetary policy, perhaps Cllr de Burca would prefer that we return to the inflation of the seventies and the currency crises of the early nineties?

Mind you, Andy Storey, a very credible voice on development issues argues the alternative view well here: http://www.feasta.org/documents/democracy/storey.htm

posted by Daniel @ Thursday, December 09, 2004

Thalassa by Louis MacNeice

(One of my favourite poems)

Run out the boat, my broken comrades;

Let the old seaweed crack, the surge

Burgeon oblivious of the last

Embarkation of feckless men,

Let every adverse force converge--

Here we must needs embark again.



Run up the sail, my heartsick comrades;

Let each horizon tilt and lurch--

You know the worst: your wills are fickle,

Your values blurred, your hearts impure

And your past life a ruined church--

But let your poison be your cure.



Put out to sea, ignoble comrades,

Whose record shall be noble yet;

Butting through scarps of moving marble

The narwhal dares us to be free;

By a high star our course is set,

Our end is Life. Put out to sea.

posted by Daniel @ Thursday, December 09, 2004