http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R._N._Taber
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Update (March 29 2017) Today, Theresa May triggers article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty to take the UK out of the EU. Now, I love Scotland. Why, I keep asking myself, does the SNP think it is better for Scotland to remain under the EU yoke when it would be better off having greater powers devolved to the Scottish Parliament from Westminster (as Theresa May has already implied may well happen)? As for trade, Scotland gets more revenue from trading with the UK than with the EU. Scots (who live in Scotland) whom I have spoken to
don't want to see the UK break up so I can only hope that Nicola Sturgeon's obsession with Independence continues to be seen as NOT in Scotland's best interests by the majority of those who will be left to carry the proverbial can.]
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Update (June 24 2016): In 1975, I voted in favour of an
economic union with the rest of Europe (EEC) not the
political (not to mention extortionist) shambles it has become. So, yes, I am delighted that Britain has now voted to leave the EU. There are likely to be both economic and political storms ahead, and we must weather those. Hopefully, though, we will see a rainbow in the longer term, followed by more sunshine than showers. Whatever, the Remain and Brexit camps need to put their differences aside, not bear grudges, and work
together;
not only for the good of the country, but also of Europe as a whole. Let's not forget that Britain is a
part of Europe, always has been and always will be.]
[Update (May 2016): Some readers have been in touch to ask how I feel about the forthcoming UK referendum about staying or leaving the EU. While the poem on this page makes my feelings clear at the time, these are much the same. As far as trade is concerned, EU countries need ours just as much as we need theirs. Regarding security, it is NATO keeps us safe, not the EU. Indeed EU insistence on freedom of movement puts everyone’s security at risk; it is clear the lack of border controls encourage terrorists to infiltrate genuine refugees. However, it is the fact that Turkey is likely to join the EU at some future date that is the deciding factor for me.
In February 2016, two Turkish men aged 22 and 23 who stole an ice cream and a bag of salted sunflower seeds from a classmate when they were 14 and 15 year-old schoolboys were jailed for 13 years each after a trial lasting eight years. The incredible sentence, for robbery, was passed down by the court even though the victim had never even complained about the matter to police; it was only raised by teachers at the school in Istanbul who were hoping to scare the two boys.
I have no problem with Islam (except the homophobic attitude of many who subscribe to it although that applies to many if not most world religions) but like the rest of the civilised world, I have a problem with
radical Islam. The Turkey of today is fast becoming a radical Islamic state; if and when it is admitted to the EU, I fear for the increasing spread of radical Islam Europe-wide.]
Update (June 2016): A good case for BR-EXIT can also be found on You Tube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UTMxfAkxfQ0
Now, the banks may be mostly to blame for the credit crunch that first opened its jaws in 2008, but the real monster in the eyes of many Europeans (including myself) is the European Parliament.
The eyes of the world may well be on Greece and Italy at this moment in time, but they do not stand alone where the Economics of Power and Politics of Blame are (frequently) seen to rear their ugly heads....
Dare I suggest there is a need to tame the monster to save the Euro? In other words, there needs to be a cull of its more corrupt and/or inept elements...
This poem is a villanelle.
WHERE A MONSTER FEEDS
Eurozone, in Debt’s dark lair,
struggling to reassure the world;
Europeans, fighting despair
Crisis an ascending stair,
stability, a high risk password;
Eurozone, in Debt’s dark lair
Political in-fighting clear,
Brussels, a theatre of the absurd;
Europeans, fighting despair
Its ineptitude stripped bare,
too few voices of reason heard;
Eurozone, in Debt’s dark lair
Flushed out of devious cover,
MEPs, for jobs running scared;
Europeans, fighting despair
Even the Economics of Power
found wanting on Paradise Road;
Eurozone, in Debt’s dark lair.
Europeans, fighting despair
Copyright R. N. Taber 2011
