ROLE REVERSAL ?....
Odd things going on in the world right now. Nothing unusual you might say as the world is an odd place. Take the latest examples of FIFA and the World Cup and the ultra democratic process that sees just one candidate put forward for the Presidency of the European Commission.
FIFA is run by one Sepp Blatter and has been for more years than I care to remember. His leadership has given rise to rampant criticism, suspicion and downright cynicism about the way that organisation is run. However, it carries serenely on with every indication that Blatter will seek to carry on for another four years, thus making the root and branch reform which it is crying out for, even less likely.
In the European Union, the one candidate to be the next President of the EU Commission was one Jean-Claude Juncker, an arch federalist and one who in Dave Cameron`s opinion is yesterday`s man, entirely incapable and unwilling to contemplate any reform of the EU but instead is quite probably going to promote even greater centralised power to Brussels.
In today`s vote, Dave lost 26-2, with only Hungary as his sole supporter in opposing Juncker`s `election.` I put `election` in quotes, as my idea of an election for the President of the EU is that there should be a choice of candidates and a vote of all the `citizens` of the EU rather than it being left to the whimsical notion of EU members. But this is the EU, of course, where their idea of democracy is to ignore the wishes of those who pay for it all, ignore the results of democratic ballots in member states and carry on regardless because they know what`s good for us.
Juncker, of course, was supported by the German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who seems to have assumed the political leadership of the EU, which is very odd indeed, given the fact that Germany are 2-0 down after extra time. Now the truth is that the leadership of the EU so far has also given rise to rampant criticism, suspicion and downright cynicism about the way that organisation is run (is it 19 years now that their accounts have not been signed off because of the institutionalised financial mismanagement?) And with Juncker`s `election` the EU will carry serenely on, thus making the root and branch reform which it is crying out for, even less likely.
So, two conclusions. The first is to say well done to Dave Cameron for at least giving it a go, although his defeat does mean that any chance of acceptably renegotiating the UK`s relationship with the EU is dead in the Channel, so we might as well have the in-out referendum now and get on with it.
The second is to suggest that there might as well be a role reversal between Blatter and Merkel - she could run FIFA (well, the Germans with their largely non-German team seem to be doing OK) and Blatter could become the eminence grise of Brussels. It may be fanciful but I`m not sure we would notice any difference. After all, there`s no hope for any reform of either organisation and every chance that they will both continue to bring the game into disrepute.
FIFA is run by one Sepp Blatter and has been for more years than I care to remember. His leadership has given rise to rampant criticism, suspicion and downright cynicism about the way that organisation is run. However, it carries serenely on with every indication that Blatter will seek to carry on for another four years, thus making the root and branch reform which it is crying out for, even less likely.
In the European Union, the one candidate to be the next President of the EU Commission was one Jean-Claude Juncker, an arch federalist and one who in Dave Cameron`s opinion is yesterday`s man, entirely incapable and unwilling to contemplate any reform of the EU but instead is quite probably going to promote even greater centralised power to Brussels.
In today`s vote, Dave lost 26-2, with only Hungary as his sole supporter in opposing Juncker`s `election.` I put `election` in quotes, as my idea of an election for the President of the EU is that there should be a choice of candidates and a vote of all the `citizens` of the EU rather than it being left to the whimsical notion of EU members. But this is the EU, of course, where their idea of democracy is to ignore the wishes of those who pay for it all, ignore the results of democratic ballots in member states and carry on regardless because they know what`s good for us.
Juncker, of course, was supported by the German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who seems to have assumed the political leadership of the EU, which is very odd indeed, given the fact that Germany are 2-0 down after extra time. Now the truth is that the leadership of the EU so far has also given rise to rampant criticism, suspicion and downright cynicism about the way that organisation is run (is it 19 years now that their accounts have not been signed off because of the institutionalised financial mismanagement?) And with Juncker`s `election` the EU will carry serenely on, thus making the root and branch reform which it is crying out for, even less likely.
So, two conclusions. The first is to say well done to Dave Cameron for at least giving it a go, although his defeat does mean that any chance of acceptably renegotiating the UK`s relationship with the EU is dead in the Channel, so we might as well have the in-out referendum now and get on with it.
The second is to suggest that there might as well be a role reversal between Blatter and Merkel - she could run FIFA (well, the Germans with their largely non-German team seem to be doing OK) and Blatter could become the eminence grise of Brussels. It may be fanciful but I`m not sure we would notice any difference. After all, there`s no hope for any reform of either organisation and every chance that they will both continue to bring the game into disrepute.
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