>European leaders are again showing their contempt for democracy: The Irish
>have to go to the polls until they agree to the Nice treaty and the right
to
>assemble and move freely is suspended if you dare to protest against
>capitalism.
The repression of activists is one thing but I would not link it to the response to the Irish vote. There is a serious problem with the whole "demcracy by treaty" system evolving globally. Treaties create systems of vetos and odd consensus-pressure politics that has little to do with broad democratic will. Look at Kyoto- the US is seeking to use its veto to derail it - yet I would never say that Bush is the harbringer of "democracy" in a global system.
And the vote by the Irish can be read as a country that has benefitted mightily by participation in the European Union and now fears sharing the benefits - particularly fearing having to itself contribute aid - to the poorer nations asking for entry to the EU.
I actually saw little admirable in the Irish vote against Nice. There may be problems with Nice that good lefties could articulate, but the campaign in Ireland looked based more on parochialism and privileged self-interest, not any kind of democratic principle.
-- Nathan Newman