Category: European Union

Leaving the European Union

What a joyous time for the U.K., the shackles of the treacherous and overly bureaucratic E.U. are finally being thrown off. After the communist Jeremy Corbyn led his Labour Party to a crushing and historic defeat a Brexit that has been wallowing and languishing for years finally happened just a few days ago. This blog post represents yet another case where I don’t need to add to much commentary but can link to others who explain the feelings of jubilation (or sadness) amongst the British and Europeans.

The Spectator – You can thank Remainers for the hardness of this Brexit

Above is an article by a man who opposed Brexit but has the self-awareness to realize that perhaps dragging it on for years and opposing the will of the British people might have some blowback.

sp!ked – A glorious victory for democracy

Indeed, a glorious victory for Britain.

The Spectator – The agony of Brexit – for us Germans

An article written by Ms. Stefanie Bolzen  who bemoans the loss of the U.K. from the jackboot of Brussels bureaucrats. She seems to have a rather low opinion of many E.U. member states (“freeloaders” among other unflattering terms) and just can’t understand why the British might not want to participate anymore. Par for the course, the author calls the main opposition party Alternative für Deutschland a bunch of racists.

U.K. Daily Mail – Party like it’s January 31! Brits far and wide including in London, Boston, Warrington and Glasgow celebrate Brexit in style with festivals and pub crawls to mark history

The Daily Mail can be a very interesting news source and I’ll post some of the jubilant (and somber) photos below. Enjoy!

24147008-7954031-Brexiteers_celebrate_outside_the_Houses_of_Parliament_in_London_-a-58_1580526019306
Quite stylish, don’t you think?

Of course, not everybody was happy with the outcome…

The Carl Benjamin Twenty Year Plan to Win Elections

The nations that make up the European Union just had parliamentary elections and the results in the U.K. were good for Nigel Farage and the Brexit Party and awful for the Conservatives and Labor. However, I wanted this post to focus on a very exceptional individual by the name of Carl “it depends on the age of the child” Benjamin and how he has been the harbinger of death to UKIP. Carl Benjamin (a.k.a. Sargon of Akkad) is guy that makes YouTube videos who at some point decided to go from basically being a shock jock and complaining about feminists/SJWs to tarnishing a political party that took 20 years to build up. Carl has grand, big-brain ideas of “Saving the West“, “dealing with Pan-European politics“, and getting back at anyone that makes jokes of or slights him. Carl believes himself to be an excellent leader, an ingenious philosopher, a grand politician, black, a great debater, and a free speech martyr.

Here’s exhibit A of Carl’s sophistry on display:

Carl “muh citations” Benjamin couldn’t be bothered to provide his sources for any claims or discuss policy details at any level. It’s really kind of astonishing that a man who built his YouTube “fame” off of dissembling the blue-haired SJW feminists and their lack of logical arguments was thoroughly crushed by Kristi Winters. Carl should have had a simple time doing some basic research and coming up with a logical argument but I suppose that Sargon got sleepy.

Let’s look at Exhibit B, or “it depends on the age of the child”:

What a set of galaxy-brained comments for our wannabe politician to make. I’m sure that these comments would never come back to bite Carl. Moving onto Exhibit C, “I wouldn’t even rape you“:

SEI_62319427

Not only did Carl say that “I wouldn’t even rape you” but he chose to double-down on previous comments and say something even dumber:

That’s right, Carl decided to state that he might reconsider “not raping Jess Phillips.” What a smart and charming guy. Here’s an example that Soygon has deleted from his channel where he blamed the murders committed by Elliot Rodger on feminism:

These are the kinds of videos that Soygon got his e-fame from; yelling at a video made by someone else but failing every time at actually debating anyone in real time. Isn’t this the kind of man that you would want to vote for? Well, it looks like no one else in the U.K. wanted to vote for UKIP either anymore. UKIP lost to the CUKs, how hilarious is that?

UKIP_results_0

Here’s the main video that I’m here to showcase in this post though, it’s pretty hilarious and worth watching all of the way through:

Soygon of Akkad decided to make some videos that are not a direct response but based upon the titles he gave them (The Twenty Year Plan and Exactly as Planned) where you can see the veneer and mask of his faux-intellectualism slipping. The response of Soygon’s loyal Akkadians leaves me incredulous; it’s really kind of amazing:

I think that I’ll close this post out with some random memes that I’ve found:

Bonus:

The “God-Emperor Trump” float in Italy

This story is great, it’s stupendous, it’s astounding! Apparently at a carnival (Carnevale di viareggio) in Italy an elaborate, well-detailed, and massive float of “God-Emperor” Trump (Warhammer 40K) was put up for display to the amazement of audiences everywhere (especially liberals who think that the whole world hates President Trump). The effigy is a wonderful piece of art that I know I will always remember.

The E.U. has been cracking for a while now and the Italian government and people don’t seem to be interested in going lock-step with typical leftist talking points these days. Just take a look at how the French and Italians have been talking about and treating each other for the last several months:

Fox News – French minister warns Italian populist over diplomat recall

CNN – ‘This fight is madness’: Macron-Salvini spat threatens to boil over

Fox News – Italy refuses to accept migrants on NGO rescue boat, says it should go to France instead

Here’s the stream for the entire parade for any who would like to peruse through it:

Here’s the current description of the parade from its website:

NOWADAYS

These days the Carnival of Viareggio is even more the protagonist. Every year on Mardi Gras the Carnival of Viareggio is live on national television (RAI 3) to invade into television screens of Italy with the cheerfulness of its spectacular floats. Each year famous guests, politicians and sports figures   come in Viareggio to admire their papier – mâché effigy as well as thousands of people  decree the success of the event.

The Carnival of Viareggio fills a whole month of daytime and nighttime festivities with parades of allegorical floats, local parties, masked balls and festivals of all kinds.

1990-panoramica-4_804x497_1trump_float

Fox News Insider – LOOK: Massive ‘God Emperor Trump’ Float Rolls Through Parade in Italy

Frau Merkel wants to keep her job

How much longer will Frau Merkel be Chancellor?
How much longer will Frau Merkel be Chancellor?

It seems that Frau Merkel believes her position as Chancellor of Germany may be threatened in the next set of elections; she now wants to “drastically decrease” the number of migrants entering Germany. From the Yahoo News! story:

Merkel has resisted pressure from allies within her Christian Democratic Union (CDU) to put a cap on the number of refugees entering Germany, which is expected to top 1 million this year.

Only one million huh?

‘At the same time we took on board the concerns of the people, who are worried about the future, and this means we want to reduce, we want to drastically decrease the number of people coming to us,’ Merkel told broadcaster ARD.

I suppose that Merkel is now worried about the future of her political career. What exactly was she expecting from her people? In Paris and Brussels New Years’ celebrations had to be cancelled and two railway stations were closed in Germany due to threats from suicide bombers.

484402_article_photo_adpe2sx_900x 484402_article_photo_tzhvwtn_900x 631144

   policeES1807_468x369  protest1

Merkel, whose popularity has fallen over her handling of the refugee crisis, said the word ‘limit’ did not feature in the CDU’s main resolution which will be debated at the two-day party congress starting on Monday in the southern city of Karlsruhe.

Perhaps it’s time to add the word “limit” to the CDU’s vocabulary.

The chancellor added there was broad support in the CDU for her strategy to reduce the numbers.

I’ll bet there is; she wouldn’t want what happened to the Socialist Party in France to happen to her party coalition (CSU/CDU).

This included working with Turkey to fight traffickers, improving the situation at Syrian refugee camps in Turkey, Lebanon and Jordan, and strengthening control of the European Union’s outer borders.

How about strengthening the borders of European countries as well? How about E.U. member states regaining control over their countries?

Merkel’s conservative critics want her to get the number of arrivals down before three state elections in March and say her hopes of running for a fourth term in 2017 would be in danger.

I wonder if Merkel would admit to this?

Her critics say her decision in late August to allow Syrian asylum seekers to remain in Germany regardless which EU country they had first entered had accelerated the influx of migrants.

The migrants can’t get enough free stuff in Italy or Greece.

Here’s a video of these poor, oppressed, and peace-loving migrants turning down free food and water:

Germany still has to face up to the problems of a shrinking population and demographic death-spiral though. I suppose that this was Chancellor Merkel’s way of dealing with the problem; can’t expect progressives to have children right? Merkel has claimed that the migrant influx is a “opportunity for tomorrow.” in a New Year’s address to Germany. From another Yahoo! News article:

‘Next year is about one thing in particular: our cohesion,’ she said. It is important we don’t allow ourselves to be divided. It is crucial not to follow those who, with coldness or even hatred in their hearts, lay a sole claim to what it means to be German and seek to exclude others,’ she urged, in a reference to ring-wing populists and xenophobic street rallies.

I see that the Party media apparatus is hard at work. Anyone who disagrees with adding a million “refugees” a year and Sharia must be a xenophobe, right? I think that citizens of European countries are tiring of being called bigots and xenophobic. As I stated earlier the Socialist Party was crushed in recent French elections and the same may happen to the CSU/CDU in Germany soon. The United Kingdom is holding a referendum on European Union membership in 2017 and could easily exit the EU. If your interested you could always donate to the Leave EU campaign. Czech President Milos Zeman called the recent immigration wave “an organized invasion.” The EU is cracking up and I wonder how many years it will last? Bets anyone?

Sympathizers-of-German-right-wing-populist-movement-PEGIDA-attend-their-twelfth-march-in-Dresden-on-Jan.-12-2015-AFP-800x430 image image-770x514

The People’s Cube always has something good to add!

Moore_Flat_Fatty_Muslim_Hitler_Socialists 3695336957Moore_Flat_Fatty_Muslim_Child_Bridespalestineparents

Yahoo! News-Merkel wants to ‘drastically reduce’ arrivals in Germany

Yahoo! News-Determined Merkel tells Germans:refugee influx and opportunity

Yahoo! News-Crowds enjoy New Year’s celebrations amid tight security

Leave EU-Join Britain’s Fastest Growing Grassroots Movement

BBC News-A guide to the UK’s planned in-out referendum

Bloomberg Business-Merkel Aims to Boost Immigration in Break With Germany’s past

 

 

 

 

The Brussels Sprouts are scared…

Martin Schulz is confused as to why not everyone sees the world the way that he does.
Martin Schulz is confused as to why not everyone sees the world the way that he does.

One of the most interesting articles that I’ve seen lately on Yahoo! News concerns how European Union leaders are worried about control of Europe slipping from their grasp. From the article “‘EU in danger’ of disappearing, warns Schulz” European Parliament President Martin Schulz believes that the E.U. may not last another decade.

‘The European Union is in danger. No one can say whether the EU will still exist in this form in 10 years,’ Schulz said in an interview with German newspaper Die Welt.

Free trade isn’t enough for elitists such as Schulz; he and his other central planners must dictate how European governments operate.

In the EU there were now ‘forces at work to drive us apart,’ said the German politician.

I thought that E.U. leaders claimed to care about democracy? Not when it gets in the way of their control it seems.

We must avoid this because the consequences would be dramatic.

You don’t say Schulz? Dramatic consequences such as not tying Germany, France, Portugal, and Greece to the same currency?

The alternative to the EU would be a ‘Europe of nationalism, a Europe of borders and walls’ — a formula that had led the continent into ‘catastrophe’ repeatedly in the past, Schulz said.

Schulz wouldn’t want citizens of European countries to think for themselves as it’s simply too dangerous. Never fear though, he will ensure the safety of Europe by: taxing its peoples of the majority of their incomes, controlling their lives, and bringing in millions of refugees while doing nothing to verify that there are no dangerous elements among them. What could possibly go wrong with such a plan?

Germany is on course to take in one million asylum seekers this year, half of them from Syria.

Perhaps this is Merkel’s desperate attempt to make up for a pathetic birthrate of 1.38 as of 2010?

Schulz voiced concern about a lack of solidarity by many EU members in hosting the refugees, and about moves by several eastern European countries to build new barriers.

Schulz just can’t seem to get over the fact that not everyone agrees with him. Why should the proles, I mean citizens, think for themselves?

As a bonus to the “refugee” question Representative Loretta Sanchez (D-CA) who is vying for the Democratic Senate seat of Barbara Boxer just stated that up to 20% of Muslims in the U.S. desire to live in a caliphate. Such thoughtcrime from a prized minority member of the Party is not to be tolerated though; her thoughtcrime is grievous. As all proud Party members know, only racist white people can be (or a portion thereof) identified or generalized as killers.

The world does not belong to those who would slander the Prophet!
The world does not belong to those who would slander the Prophet!

Based upon recent election results in France I believe that French citizens do not care what people like Schulz think. The Front National has received more votes than both the Republicans and Socialist Party.

BBC News-France elections: Le-Pen says political elite “crumbling”

BBC News-French press sees parties in meltdown after FN victory

12351206_1116095101741768_1618962212_n 12033075_10153340834858143_5073588594817872582_n 12032075_1005785816152694_5726404138764970491_n

12033098_1683356608568721_7360030999559252154_n

Here’s why Martin Schulz wants to bring in millions of refugees and why you should agree with him:

 

European socialism and automotive expertise

Progressives just love to talk about how socialism in the Nordic countries is successful and seem to like the policies enforced in Continental Europe. But when the government gives out something for free, is it really free? Did countries like Norway, Sweden, and Denmark create a classless utopia and Worker’s Paradise? Let’s look at some data compiled by an individual who came from Denmark and has firsthand experience from Democratic-Socialism which is supposedly different than Socialism. It’s amazing that progressives will claim that Socialism is different from Democratic-Socialism.

democracy

Here’s a sampling of the work from Manipulism by Mikkel Clair Nissen.

10431493_584181431727781_7347174151346905819_n 10704327_571400949672496_697046755318219909_o 11218234_736740473138542_1122201651430835465_o 10669007_735831993229390_2320416606927235447_o

Socialism is working out so well for many countries of the E.U! The European Union is/has been just full of communists.

11755641_1063670126993989_6935703190490921909_n 11731595_1061510947209907_7141279984784540202_o

Remember when progressives worldwide were hailing the election of communists in Greece? I’ll write more soon on the continuing Greek tragedy in coming posts.

11796195_1063206373707031_2407890948679846375_n

And to close out this post, some fine automotive advice from a budding young technician.

11224628_1480541288910204_1983986268462319270_n

Greece said no to the E.U.

Well the Greek referendum is over with and the Greeks voted with a resounding no (61%) on accepting bailout terms. Plenty of European leaders may say that they believe in the Euro and want Greece to stay in the European Union. The opinion polls that showed the Greeks at a dead heat which each other appear to have been quite wrong. The Greek banks don’t exactly have a lot of cash anymore so the drachma will have to make a reappearance pretty soon.There are no laws written on how a member state would leave the E.U. so now might be a good time for the bureaucrats in Brussels to figure something out.

They're happy, but are they ready for what may come next?
They’re happy, but are they ready for what may come next?

The United Kingdom will be holding a referendum on E.U. membership by 2017. 260,000 Austrians signed a petition that will force the Austrian government to debate the topic of leaving the E.U. in parliament. The most recent E.U. elections went very well for Eurosceptic parties and the trend doesn’t seem to be bending towards those who believe in the Euro and the European Union as it currently stands.

Won't see these two flags next to each other for much longer.
Won’t see these two flags next to each other for much longer.

I don’t see how the Greeks can possibly maintain their current budgets and spending levels. I also don’t see how the people of Europe are willing to give up control of their currencies, much of their economies, and sovereignty to a body like the European Union. The intellectuals who believed and pushed for the Euro seemed to believe that a monetary union would bring political unification. Quite the opposite has happened though. Political differences and demands by different nations that don’t have a real Federal government or other institutions to bind them together are destroying the idea of European integration. Even space cadet Paul Krugman realizes that the Euro is a flawed idea.

Greece Bailout

Yahoo! News-“Europe is dying,” EU opponents say, as Greek “No” brings delight

Yahoo! News-German calls for Grexit mount as EU stunned by “No” vote

Forbes-Happy Birthday, Milton Friedman, The European Crisis Is Your Latest Vindication

Yahoo! News-Greece enters uncharted territory after referendum “No” vote

Greece and capital control

The Greek government recently announced that banks would be shutdown for six business days, ATM withdrawals would be limited to €60 per day, and that the Athens Stock Exchange would remain closed on Monday. Time is almost up for Greece and the actions taken by the Greek government won’t solve any financial problems. PM Tsipras and the Greek government are still blaming everybody but themselves for this mess. Tsipras wants the deadline for the bailout program to be extended past June 30th to allow time for a referendum. The following are some statements made my Tsipras:

It is now more than clear that this decision has no other aim than to blackmail the will of the Greek people and prevent the smooth democratic process of the referendum,” and “They will not succeed. These moves will have the exact opposite effect. They will make the Greek people more determined in their choice to reject the unacceptable … proposals and ultimatums of the creditors,

They're right you know, there's no future for Greece in the E.U. Time to start printing million drachma bills out...
They’re right you know, there’s no future for Greece in the E.U. Time to start printing million drachma bills out…
I bet Greece's Finance Minister is real happy right now. I wonder how he'll blame this on the Germans?
I bet Greece’s Finance Minister is real happy right now. I wonder how he’ll blame this on the Germans?
Members of left wing parties burn a European Union flag during a protest in the northern Greek port city of Thessaloniki, Sunday, June 28, 2015.  Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras says the Bank of Greece has recommended that banks remain closed and restrictions be imposed on transactions, after the European Central Bank didn't increase the amount of emergency liquidity the lenders can access from the central bank. (AP Photo/Giannis Papanikos)
Members of left wing parties burn a European Union flag during a protest in the northern Greek port city of Thessaloniki, Sunday, June 28, 2015. Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras says the Bank of Greece has recommended that banks remain closed and restrictions be imposed on transactions, after the European Central Bank didn’t increase the amount of emergency liquidity the lenders can access from the central bank. (AP Photo/Giannis Papanikos)

Couldn’t Tsipras just be honest and say give my country more free money while forgiving our debt? If the Greek people are interested in regaining sovereignty they should vote to leave the E.U. and dump the Euro. The Greeks also need to reduce government spending and dump socialism. I suppose that there’s simply no way that anything will work out well for Greece. Even if Greece receives any help from the Russians or Chinese, the coming years will be even more painful than the last five have been. The Greek healthcare system has been going downhill for years now while Greeks pensions continue to stay fat. Obviously what Greece needs is more socialism and not less. I wonder how much higher the Greek unemployment rate can go, which is currently over 25%?

Here are some of the more interesting comments from the articles I linked to:

Greekdebt Greekdebt1 Greekdebt2 Greekdebt3

Yahoo! News-Greece imposes capital controls, banks to remain shut

Yahoo! News-Parliament approves referendum; Greece’s future in balance

Bloomberg View-Greece and Germany Agree the Euro can’t work

The Greek tragedy continues… somehow

This game between Greece and its creditors somehow drags on. I really don’t understand why, the Greeks are showing few signs of making reforms. The Greeks have already received bailout money, aren’t willing to make any reforms, and continue to make demands of the ECB, IMF,  Germany, and anyone else who loaned money to the Greeks and expected the Greeks to not act like total deadbeats. Like I’ve written before, there’s no writing a parody about this. The actions of the Greek government are a parody and complete joke in of themselves. I wonder how many people believe that the Greeks will actually pay back all of the money that they were given?

Isn't PM Tsipras just full of smiles?
Isn’t PM Tsipras just full of smiles?

Belgium EU Greece Bailout European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker welcomes Greece's Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras at the start of an EU-CELAC Latin America summit in Brussels

I suppose I can’t blame Greece’s creditors to harshly for keeping up the charade of negotiations. Who would want to take the blame for Greece default and going back to the drachma? Everyone has there limits though. IMF spokesman Gerry Rice stated: “There has been no progress in narrowing these differences,” and “There are major differences between us in most key areas“. I would read this as the Greeks just want free money and the IMF has had enough of that. European Union President Donald Tusk quipped: “The Greek government has to be, I think, a little bit more realistic“. Volker Kauder, the caucus leader for Merkel’s party in Germany stated: “It’s not possible that the borrower decides under what conditions the lender kindly gives his money”.

There goes Merkel, dour as usual. Why isn't she more interested in giving the Greeks more money?
There goes Merkel, dour as usual. Why isn’t she more interested in giving the Greeks more money?

Perhaps the Greeks are right and from now on the debtor should dictate the terms of the loan contract to the creditor? That sounds plenty progressive to me! Having to pay back the money one owes should be relegated to the last millennium. Only evil capitalists and enemies of the state would want their money back. What’s wrong with Greek proposals to borrow more money to pay back debt? Forward comrades, the revolution awaits!

I wonder how much more common this site will be in Greece soon?
I wonder how much more common this sight will be in Greece soon?

Yahoo News!-Greece gets wake-up call: coming week could seal its fate

Bloomberg Business-New Greek Budget Plan Falls Short of Last Week’s Pledge

Humiliating Greece

I’ve written about the Greek debt situation a couple of times now, and it continues to bring on the laughs. Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras recently stated the following concerning negotiations with Greece’s creditors: that Greece was willing to accept a “viable and long-lasting” deal and would refuse “humiliating terms“. PM Tsipras also stated the following: “Throughout, we have proven we are ready to make concessions in order to get a mutually acceptable deal. We demand of our partners the same respect and corresponding concessions. We have done our duty, it is now time for Europe to do the same,”. PM Tsipras is also claiming that the IMF is at fault for extreme terms such as: budget surpluses that are too high, reductions in welfare/handout programs, and not writing off debt.

A true people's hero, fighting to get more money for nothing!
A true people’s hero, fighting to get more money for nothing!

It would be hard for someone to write a better parody of the Greek government than what the Greek government itself is doing and claiming it will do. Syriza is asking for investment funding, infrastructure funding, debt write-off’s, to maintain excessive deficits, and blaming all of Greece’s problems on everyone but Greece. Some of Syriza’s brightest thinkers believe that leaving the Euro and going back to the Drachma will be no big deal. It’ll be just like the hyperinflation that the Weimar Republic experienced. Who else is ready to have a Greek million drachma bill as a souvenir?

I wonder if the Greeks are ready for this?
I wonder if the Greeks are ready for this?
A fine use for what the Greek drachma soon will be...
A fine use for what the Greek drachma soon will be…

I personally believe that no European country should have adopted the Euro without actually becoming a federal state or just maintained their sovereignty. Especially with a country that’s contributing as little as Greece is, but there aren’t any easy choices concerning a Grexit are there? But if the IMF doesn’t just give more money to Greece, how will the Greeks pay for healthcare? It’s not as if the socialist government is able to provide much and clearly the Greek economy is suffering from bad policies. I suppose that Syriza will just blame “austerity” though…

A Greek pensioner holds a flag during a demonstration for better healthcare in Athens
Can’t get enough of that government run healthcare.

A Greek pensioner shouts slogans during a demonstration for better healthcare in Athens

The Independent-Greek hospitals cannot afford painkillers, scissors or sheets as budget cuts bite

Yahoo! News-PM: Greece will not accept “humiliating” bailout terms

Almost forgot to take some screenshots of comments from the Yahoo News article:

Greecedebt1 Greecedebt2 Greecedebt3 Greecedebt4