From: eric@sejnet.sunet.se (Eric Thomas)
Subject: Re: [soc.culture.nordic] Re: Why did Denmark
Reply-To: ERIC@SEARN.SUNET.SE
Organization: SUNET, Stockholm, Sweden
Date: Sat, 3 Oct 1992 01:20:39 GMT

In article <1992Oct2.185254.1442@eua.ericsson.se>, etxjpll@eua.ericsson.se (Peter Lund) writes:
> A military union, consisting of countries with a long and strong democ-
> ratic tradition, is something positive. In all wars in history, there 
> has always been at least one party in the conflict that has been a di-
> catorship. Wars between democratic nations are impossible! (Try to find
> a "democratic" war!)

It is pretty difficult to have a good understanding of the implications of a
common army for someone who has only lived in Scandinavia, and who hasn't got a
big and arrogant neighbour to the south.

After the french vote I decided to buy a french magazine to see what the local
press had to say (the swedish press had the result of the vote as a one-liner
at the bottom of the first page, due to important internal decisions which
happened to be made the same day). I took what the local Pressbyr}n had to
offer - it turned out to be Le Point, a major french magazine strongly in
favour of Maastricht. This issue of the magazine, mostly devoted to the
european vote, happened to have two articles about french military
help/interventions in "former" colonies. This was no particular news at all, it
looked like the usual filler material. If you have access to the clari.news
hierarchy, you may want to read the articles about sale of submarines, nuclear
fuel and rocket technology to India and eastern countries. This is what the
real life european military policy is: much more US like than swedish like.

> The only way to increase "democratic control" today is by letting issues,
> having to do with implementing the single market, become supranational 
> [European] issues.

Here is what the magazine said about Denmark. First, Denmark is generally held
in low esteem, if not outright contempt. "Denmark is now alone, but Copenhagen
helps to find a solution". "The treaty cannot be renegotiated, but it could be
rediscussed" (no comment). "The crux of the biscuit is that it is precisely the
Danes who, from the 1st of january of 1993, will inherit the presidency of the
EC! Wisdom would have dictated that they should decline, or at least postpone
(...) A victory of the no might have justified their presidence. But, from now
on, due to the Danes' obstination, it is the whole Community that will, for six
months, be in an awkward situation. How unfortunate! There will be so much to
do during this term". It seems the French have decided in advance that the
Danish representatives are unfit to preside the EC and will only wreak havoc,
just because of the results of the referendum. That is not what I would call a
very considerate attitude.

But we should not despair: the Danes will be under extremely strong political
pressure. To their south, their 11 partners will refuse to renegotiate the main
aspects of the treaties, although concessions could be made regarding the time
frames. To their north, "the other Scandinavians and Finns are impatient to
join the EC... and would accept the terms of the Maastricht treaty!".

This, of course, is complete nonsense. While the scandinavian governments have
stated their desire to join the EC, it is totally unclear whether the people
would approve such a decision, and one thing that is CERTAINLY not a given is
that Maastricht would pass in other scandinavian countries! There is no way on
earth a neutral country can approve a treaty which calls for a common army and
common foreign affairs policy as a matter of routine.

But how can the French be blamed for printing such nonsense when the
scandinavian governments take every possible step to avoid pointing out that
they haven't really got that much support back home? How can they know that
this or that scandinavian prime minister simply hasn't got a mandate for making
the statements he is making?

So I ask you, where is the democracy in that? :-)

  Eric
Newsgroups: alt.politics.ec