THE HANDSTAND

JULY 2002

NICE IS NASTY

A citizen's self-identity has been tutored for centuries to realse itself within the nation - and is a very strong psychological element in our mental outlook and activity within both regions and nations. This is the reason that the European Community was first structured as a trading group only. But as the financial grip of grants and aid began to create a structure that became independent of all the members, the concept of a European Government began to develop too.

Now military development, identifying with NATO, with the USA "War against Terror", have found a purely European advantage in the concept of a European Army of greater consequence than the Western European Union under which the idea was first structured. Again - But, the EU was founded to prevent war among its grouped nations, and the WEU was not envisaged as playing any part outside its own borders in crisis management or peace-keeping methods of attack. We have learnt, however, in recent years that armament factors are more and more involved with horrific weapons of attack.

The military armament of Central and Eastern European countries continues as the USA, under the cover of NATO, poaches a lucrative market from the EU. The Berlin Transatlantic Security Study claims NATO is thus destabilizing the region. Mr, Seppanen of Finland declared: "We should avoid building a destructive empire.

Irish voters said "NO" to the Nice Treaty a year ago, by 54% to 46%. They did not vote against Nice in order to prevent the enlargement of the EU, but because they objected to the fundemental changes Nice provides in the decision making rules, and they objected to a militarized Europe.

They objected to an end to a meaningful Irish Neutrality.

It is difficult to understand why our Government did not imitate the Danish agreement which ensures their neutrality for the future, that can only be altered by referendum.

In a Dutch daily newspaper (NRC) 19th June 2002, Laurens Jan Brinkhorst, Minister of Agriculture inthe Dutch Government, who formerly was their Minister of Foreign Affairs, writes: "The new European co-operation in Security and Defense is not intended as a collective self-defence. Quite to the contrary. It is especially directed at action outside of the EU and at international crisis management - the latter in co-operation with NATO.