The headline that has just dropped into my INBOX reads;-
France is drawing up plans to create a breakaway organisation of Eurozone countries with its own treaty, parliament and headquarters – a move that could significantly undermine the existing European Union. The proposal would see a formal "union within a union" created, but would lead to a significant deterioration in Britain's influence in Europe. David Cameron is drawing up urgent plans to stop Britain being "railroaded" into agreeing to decisions taken by the new Eurozone bloc. France and Germany are understood to want to strengthen the union between Eurozone countries with new taxes and legal measures to stop nations borrowing and spending too much in future, says The Telegraph.
My immediate knee jerk reaction to a friendly client this morning was as follows;-
***so France create the EU, can't get their way & now want to create another Union, they really are rather spineless***
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Another friend has Skyped me as follows;-
"Resume of what's happening in one of the nations favourite British TV programmes read in the TV Times just now:" Masood is disgusted to find Yusef in Zainab's house." Do I really live in England or have I somehow mysteriously been transported half way across the world?"
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It has struck me that both these communications/opinions are indeed related in some way. Last night on Newsnight Ms Kirsty Wark talked of technocrats taking over Europe. As you all know I've decided to speak up and call this the "rise of fascism" because what we're all experiencing is in fact a legalised driven mode of fascism throughout Europe and various hybrid politically motivated organisations are spreading like wild fire by use of cell phones,social network sites, etc and of course there's plenty of constricting new legislation and absurd regulation to go with it. The ordinary citizens are fed up with rhetoric and decisions that they see no material benefit from. Of course if you're a civil servant or operate within our controlled media you'll more likely applaud it (note Peter Oborne is a rare lone voice out there amongst the swathe of you tell them what I say journalists and newscasters). You even have to get permission to revolt these days. Well I'm revolting (no laughing matter)!
If indeed the little hungarian who runs France gets his way then maybe (maybe NOT) the UK will get left behind. Personally I take the view that our loss(es) from the EU whether we're one leg in one leg out shake it all about or firmly OUT makes very little difference to the slowdown that we're about to witness. Losses today may translate to new opportunities tomorrow. One thing is certain though is this....if France does suggest or even just get a miniscule the way down this new road then our beloved leader, yet another bloody Scotsman (note my grand-mother was scottish, a MacArthur in fact) must and I emphasis must allow the British people (whoever, whatever, whereever we are) a chance to VOTE either Yes or No to the existing EU that already most of us don't want and especially to a NEW EU that our friends 'Les Grenouilles' now suggest. Living in France has turned me into an anti-EU fanatic although I must confess I have much admiration for my neighbours as they suggest they do too to 'Les Roast Boeuf''.
So let's get back to my friends comments regarding the asian soap on UK television shall we? Actually I have no problem with allowing asians a national voice on British television but the point I think my friend was making is that there is too much voice and assistance given to the British ex-commonwealth community living on our shores. In fact just as an observation the number of english PS Oxbridge types has diminished dramatically to be often replaced by either British with commonwealth roots or those more akin to the Big Brother house. You can call me an alarmist, even a racist, but I cannot believe that I'm the only one who has spotted that the 'opportunity' that DaveCamClegg, Brown & Blair so proudly boast of seems to have turned on its head. Take the best TV news, 'Channel4News' fronted by Jon Snow (he of the absurd tie!) who is without doubt the No.1 newscaster (of the old school) remaining I think, well he is surrounded by a team of asian newscasters (their names escape me) who are really excellent BUT surely there are a few Oxbridge WASP types that could do these jobs equally well (?), n'est pas? I'm expecting an avalanche of complaints on this but hehhhhh it's just an observation and for record I have many west indian, asian and arab friends and clients BUT I don't expect them to be broadcasting their version of world events en masse whilst I'm supping a cuppa.
I'd like to hear what the 'lost generation' think! This phrase may be new to some of you but this is my generation who were brought up on Cliff Michelmore, The Sky At Night, the Beatles, Twiggy, the race to the moon, flower-power, bell bottom jeans and of course the 'mini-skirt'. Being so frustrated in the '70s with Unions causing strikes, the lack of anyone to fight (many of us agreed with McCartney's ditty "Give Ireland Back to the Irish" so didn't enlist), seeing our parents getting wiped out by really high taxation (98% I recollect) what did we do? Well, I'll tell you what we did. We got sucked in to Ted Heath's European Common Market Referendum and almost immediately regretted it so we dressed up as punks or New Wave anti-establishment warchilds. The funny thing is I'm still one of those anti-establishment figures who absolutely hates being told what to do and what I cannot do. I wonder why! Could it be because our forebears fought 2 world wars and constantly opposed hypocrisy from across the channel (except from the Dutch of course ehhh Dirk; for transparency my other grand-mother was a Dutch aristo) to allow the people on the shores of UK to live in harmony between each other. The price of freedom was indeed high as some of the recently released stories coming out from WW2 explain.
So what kind of vision do we as a nation really have? It's pretty confused because our own identity is pretty confused. I have a British Passport, my family are Cornish, I was brought up in the South-East and I live in the EU. My partner was born an Armenian, was brought up in Yerevan, went to Moscow University (where she achieved the rank of Lieutenant in the Russian Army as a translator for when we invaded), has a Russian Passport and is British and lives in EU (I think!). Yup, she has a British Passport too (heck, she'll shoot me for this but I can take it, I'm British, hang on so is she). CONFUSED? And this is the point, none of us really know who we are at the moment. The french believe in Egalite, Fraternite & Liberte and yet are shackled by their bureaucracy. My local farmers ALL hate the EU, Parisians, any foreigner, all claim to be ex-resistance fighters BUT all to a man love the european handouts as they can drive around in brand spanking new 4WD tractors (this is no exaggeration) and wait for it don't really see themselves as being great french patriots because their real roots are different. Many still speak the local patois rather like our cousins over the border in Somerset then.
I prefer to think of myself as a Cornishman and fly the 'Cornish Ensign' whenever I can. It's an unofficial black/white cross cornish flag with a Union Flag in the top left corner. Occasionally I fly the Malawi flag (although they've just changed it again), the french tricolor (to stop the regulars practicising their guillotines), the dutch orange flag which looks more like a tablecloth, the Russian War flag, the Russian flag (to keep the peace), and I have a whole load of others too that I fly on special occasions because I like to remind myself that I'm not really european or British. How can I be British? The inside cover informs me that I as the bearer can "pass freely without let or hindrance and to afford the bearer such assistance and protection as may be necessary". Sorry, but I'm not getting the hang of this DaveCam. Have you tried getting in or out of the UK recently? It's time for a Cornish passport and a fishing vessel I think.
On to more serious subjects though. So as we all know we British, that's Fred, Eric, Tatiana, Sophie, Mohammad and Shane etc etc do really need to decide what we want and pretty damn soon I think. So over to you DaveCam. Please can we have 2 referendums? The first should be a straight GREEN or RED card for the European Union and the second should be phrased differently along the lines of "DO YOU AGREE WITH THE CONCEPT OF BRITISH?" YES or NO.
For record the (former British) Commonwealth is more powerful than the European Union. There are more countries involved, a much bigger population, more diversity, more natural resources, they usually speak our language, sell us tea, play cricket and the only downside that I can see is that they don't let WASP english and cornish in. There's no need to dwell on the EU but there are several things in common that I can think of. These are in short; bureaucrats are mass-producing at an alarming rate and the Germans seem to be at the helm. Who said that? Off with his head.
I'm going for a cuppa!
STOP PRESS....The EU have decided that the (British) Commonwealth no longer exists. They've decided to call it THE EUROPEAN COMMONWEALTH & Albania have just signed up. I'm hoping that Holland will be allowed to join as the UK or whatever it's called these days does need dutch expertise on dykes, flood control, erosion, unpronounciation and their in-depth knowledge of class C drug abuse.
Don't tell him your name Pike!
The keetle is back on.
One lump or two comrade!
Suggestion for DaveCam.......Let's just refer to our ourselves as THE COMMONWEALTH shall we (in fact most people are unaware that is now The Commonwealth of Nations NOT the British Commonwealth)....we can then cut out the word British from everything. I notice that the leading seafarers charity that used to be called the BRITISH SAILORS SOCIETY and then the BRITISH & INTERNATIONAL SAILORS SOCIETY is now known just as THE SAILOR'S SOCIETY....true! Actually with Mozambique (a former Portuguese colony) and Rwanda achieving membership of the Commonwealth a name change to just a UK & COMMONWEALTH PASSPORT seems even more than appropriate.
NOTE...for record THE COMMONWEALTH OF NATIONS is a far bigger trading partner than the European Union. Perhaps we should remind our politicians of this by insisting on a Referendum on the EU whilst at the same time re-examining the status of citizenship in UK. I am sure that I'm not the only one who would prefer a United Kingdom & Commonwealth Passport.
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