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It is always easier for any group to define what they are against rather than what they are for.  I am surprised that to should suggest we should take the easy way out...  :-)

notes from no w here
by Frank Schnittger (mail Frankschnittger at hot dotty communists) on Fri Sep 25th, 2009 at 01:51:27 PM EST
[ Parent ]
What about the one whose name Russian, Chinese and Indian diplomats supposedly spelled out even though they never heard it.

*Lunatic*, n.
One whose delusions are out of fashion.
by DoDo on Fri Sep 25th, 2009 at 02:07:59 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Well we clearly can't displease those diplomats when making our decision.  that might upset the Foreign Office...

notes from no w here
by Frank Schnittger (mail Frankschnittger at hot dotty communists) on Fri Sep 25th, 2009 at 02:19:00 PM EST
[ Parent ]
What about Václav Klaus?

<ducks>...

"Dieu se rit des hommes qui se plaignent des conséquences alors qu'ils en chérissent les causes" Jacques-Bénigne Bossuet

by Melanchthon on Fri Sep 25th, 2009 at 04:00:27 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Maybe that might convince him to approve the Lisbon Treaty.

En un viejo país ineficiente, algo así como España entre dos guerras civiles, poseer una casa y poca hacienda y memoria ninguna. -- Gil de Biedma
by Migeru (migeru at eurotrib dot com) on Sat Sep 26th, 2009 at 05:41:48 AM EST
[ Parent ]
Klaus trying to herd the cats that are the EU heads of statesand governments... LOL, that would be a show!

*Lunatic*, n.
One whose delusions are out of fashion.
by DoDo on Sat Sep 26th, 2009 at 01:34:42 PM EST
[ Parent ]
It's not the easy way out, it's the only way in for us. It has nothing to do with easiness and everything to do with strategic assessment.

Do you really think that, if ET were to promote a candidate, we would be noticed, let alone listened to?

"Dieu se rit des hommes qui se plaignent des conséquences alors qu'ils en chérissent les causes" Jacques-Bénigne Bossuet

by Melanchthon on Fri Sep 25th, 2009 at 03:51:08 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Ah yes, poor little ET, no one cares about us.  But does that give us the licence not to make any hard choices ourselves?  C'mon Mela - who ya up for?

notes from no w here
by Frank Schnittger (mail Frankschnittger at hot dotty communists) on Fri Sep 25th, 2009 at 09:43:44 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Why not draft Gorby? He's done more for European integration than most of the bozos that're actually running.

- Jake

If you only spend 20 minutes of the rest of your life on economics, go spend them here.

by JakeS (JangoSierra 'at' gmail 'dot' com) on Sat Sep 26th, 2009 at 05:11:42 AM EST
[ Parent ]
Gorby's one of my heros - I don't have many - but even I have to concede that he is past it...

notes from no w here
by Frank Schnittger (mail Frankschnittger at hot dotty communists) on Sat Sep 26th, 2009 at 09:31:10 AM EST
[ Parent ]
True.

When's the next Spanish general election? Is ZP gonna be free before Lisbon is ratified?

- Jake

If you only spend 20 minutes of the rest of your life on economics, go spend them here.

by JakeS (JangoSierra 'at' gmail 'dot' com) on Sat Sep 26th, 2009 at 09:57:28 AM EST
[ Parent ]
Last election was in March 2008, though there are calls for early elections over the handling of the crisis.

ZP will hold the rotating presidency of the Council of Ministers in the first half if 2010. See how you like him after that :P

En un viejo país ineficiente, algo así como España entre dos guerras civiles, poseer una casa y poca hacienda y memoria ninguna. -- Gil de Biedma

by Migeru (migeru at eurotrib dot com) on Sat Sep 26th, 2009 at 10:00:08 AM EST
[ Parent ]
I'm not sure I like him, but he's actually qualified for the job. Which is better than can be said for most of the field.

- Jake

If you only spend 20 minutes of the rest of your life on economics, go spend them here.

by JakeS (JangoSierra 'at' gmail 'dot' com) on Sat Sep 26th, 2009 at 10:12:02 AM EST
[ Parent ]
On second thought: is he? He can keep together his own party, but when has he conducted something involving equal partners?

*Lunatic*, n.
One whose delusions are out of fashion.
by DoDo on Sat Sep 26th, 2009 at 01:37:20 PM EST
[ Parent ]
In that respect he seems to have run his party like Blair did - by sidelining all dissenters and possible challengers.

En un viejo país ineficiente, algo así como España entre dos guerras civiles, poseer una casa y poca hacienda y memoria ninguna. -- Gil de Biedma
by Migeru (migeru at eurotrib dot com) on Sat Sep 26th, 2009 at 01:39:33 PM EST
[ Parent ]
As professor Bruwer said in André Brink's great novel "A dry white season":
"There are only two kinds of madness one should guard against.  One is the belief that we can do everything.  The other is the belief that we can do nothing."

"Dieu se rit des hommes qui se plaignent des conséquences alors qu'ils en chérissent les causes" Jacques-Bénigne Bossuet
by Melanchthon on Sat Sep 26th, 2009 at 06:30:13 AM EST
[ Parent ]
Dead on.  On the one hand, and on the other...  -get off the fence!!!!  What ya doin'?

notes from no w here
by Frank Schnittger (mail Frankschnittger at hot dotty communists) on Sat Sep 26th, 2009 at 09:27:23 AM EST
[ Parent ]
How is being against Blair being on the fence?

I think Melanchthon's right that our campaigning for a candidate would have little or no effect. Helping spread the message that Blair sparks off immediate and strong opposition is something we can do with effect.

by afew (afew(a in a circle)eurotrib_dot_com) on Sat Sep 26th, 2009 at 10:02:14 AM EST
[ Parent ]
the main thing is to derail any possibility of an aura of inevitability for Blair.

As long as we can drum up noise against him, we can accomplish our task.

In the long run, we're all dead. John Maynard Keynes

by Jerome a Paris (etg@eurotrib.com) on Sun Sep 27th, 2009 at 06:27:10 AM EST
[ Parent ]

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