World comment

by Politicus

THE SWEDISH PEOPLE are to be congratulated. A Swedish 'Nej' to the euro almost certainly means that it will never become the currency of the EU as a whole, which is a huge defeat for the world-power ambitions of the EU integrationists.

A No to the euro is not only in Sweden's interests but that of the rest of Europe -- indeed of democrats everywhere who understand one of the fundamentals of economics (political economy): namely, that an independent currency is a prerequisite of independence as a state and of the democratic character of any country.

With Britain, Sweden and Denmark remaining outside the eurozone, several of the new EU member states will assuredly join them and stay outside it also, despite the commitments in their accession treaties.

This means that the EU will henceforth be divided into two groups of states so far as currency and monetary policy are concerned. That will leave Ireland -- because of the folly of its uncritically europhile politicians -- tied to the bloc of undynamic EU countries with which it does only one-third of its trade.

By contrast, the EU countries outside the eurozone remain free to adopt either the interest rate or exchange rate that benefits the interests of their own peoples, rather than what suits the European Central Bank in Frankfurt, the governments of France/Germany and the Brussels Commission. T

The Swedish people's No to the euro is a victory for democracy and economic good sense. The Swedes are to be congratulated for seeing through the lies and deception of their euro advocates, with their huge financial and propaganda resources, and holding on to the essential economic basis of independent Swedish statehood.

All independent states have their own currencies. All currencies belong to independent states. It is an absolute scandal that the 'common position' of the EU 15 in their Accession Treaties with the 12 EU applicants should require the latter to commit themselves to abolishing their national currencies -- even though Denmark, Sweden and Britain are not abolishing theirs.

When Poland, Hungary, Romania etc. were client states of the USSR, the Russians never insisted that they abolish their currencies and adopt the rouble instead. Yet the EU 15, including 'anti-imperialist' Ireland, insist on their adopting the euro as a condition of admitting the 12 Applicant countries to the EU.

Few things shows more clearly the imperialist character of the EU, dominated as it ever more obviously is by the state interests of France/Germany, the economic interests of the EU-based transnational corporations and the power-hunger of the Brussels bureaucracy, with its claques of acolytes, clients and ideologues in every European country.

BASES,BASES EVERYWHERE... "How many countries receive military aid from the United States at the present time?" a US Congressman asked in June. A total of 134 countries receive military assistance from the US in the form of international military training and/or foreign military financing, was the answer. There are 195 states in the world today, so nearly 70% of them have military ties to the US, most of them providing bases or other facilities on call. The Romans had nothing on this.

IRELAND IS NOW the ninth largest source of foreign direct investment in the US says a recent survey. This puts the Republic ahead of major economies such as Italy and Spain and makes it the sixth largest EU investor.

The top nine foreign investors in the USA are Britain 16 per cent, Japan 12 per cent, Netherlands 12 per cent, Germany 11per cent, France 11 per cent, Switzerland 9 per cent, Canada 8 per cent, Belgium 4 per cent, Ireland 2 per cent.

The total of Irish investment in the US reached 18 billion dollars by 2001. This is four times what it was five years before. The rise came from major translantic deals by Irish firms, especially those which surged in market value before the US recession and the collapse of the high-tech and internet bubble. While US investment is providing 80,000 jobs in Ireland, Irish investment in the US is responsible for almost the same number of jobs.

EU FISHY BUSINESS... Ireland has got 30 billion euros in net transfers from the EU since it joined the then EEC thirty years ago this year. But in the same time some 120 billion euros worth of fish have been caught in Irish waters, overwelmingly by boats from other EU member states.

The value of Ireland's lost fish-stocks to the rest of the EU is thus four times as much as Ireland's money receipts from Brussels. Just before Ireland, Britain and Denmark joined the EEC in 1973 the existing EEC six, having exhausted their own sea fisheries, adopted the Common Fisheries Policy, which declared the waters of the member states a common resource.

Brussels has now decreed that Irish and Scottish fishermen must stay at home several days each month to prevent collective over-fishing by EU boats. Killybegs and Greencastle in Donegal face being turned into ghost towns as a result, with jobs lost and pubs empty.

It is now recognised that national control of fish stocks is more effective than collective EU management of a 'common resource'. This is because political courage is required to control catches at national level, whereas at EU level there is massive regulation, bureaucracy and buck-passing.

But Brussels has no intention of repatriating control back to its member states, in this area or any other.

SEPTEMBER SAW A great boost for Ireland’s tourist industry, as the Republic saw one of its biggest ever influxes of foreign trade.

An estimated 75,000 ‘foreigners’ descended on Dublin to take part in one of Ireland’s greatest cultural and sporting events; The All-Ireland football final between Tyrone and Armagh.

Accepting the Sam McGuire Cup after a tough match, Tyrone captain Peter Canavan quipped: “They used to say Tyrone were like the British Army; that we had no power when we got over the border. That comparison no longer stands.”