26.5.2012 | 11:30
Do not rely on a government which insists the EU has all the answers
Birtist fyrst í Mail Online 23. maí 2012.
Tonight we have yet another EU summit in Brussels, called by my old friend Herman Van Rompuy, where he will present yet another 'strategy for growth and jobs'.Don't expect it to contain any proposals which will genuinely stimulate economies, for this man is the leader of an organisation to whom business innovation is a stranger.With mass civil unrest waiting in the wings and human suffering a daily event in countries like Greece, we have an EU which is more intent on killing the patient and saving the cancer than getting the continent out of this economic crisis.Time and again we are given the same prescription of 'more Europe' yet let us not forget that the single currency itself, the euro; the word which these days is only followed by the word 'crisis', was itself a strategy for growth and jobs.And look where that has got us: even the UK which sensibly stayed out of monetary union is liable for huge costs because of the banking sector's exposure to Greek debt. But it's not just Greece where we have a crisis. Only last week there were yet more protests in Madrid where unemployment is 24.4 per cent and more than 50 per cent amongst the youth.Bookmakers Paddypower have Greece at 3/10 to be the first to leave the single currency. Quite frankly I am surprised they are still taking bets. EU leaders and Greek politicians may have convinced the Greek people that leaving the disastrous eurozone would be some kind of economic suicide but the reality is that only a return to the Drachma will provide the required environment for the growth which is, unsurprisingly, eluding most of the single currency area.The European Union will never develop a strategy that works.The simple fact is that business innovation is something the EU can't grasp. They can talk about it, they can draft and vote on legislation which they say will bring it about but their lack of business ion is telling in every single motion, directive and speech which emanates from a Commission official or pro EU MEP.In Kent where I live, for example, we have a thriving business in the form of a Winery called 'Chapel Down' who were told that because their latest produce, 'An English Salute' was made with grapes from Argentina, they are unable to describe it as 'wine'. Instead, they must us the term 'fruit derived alcoholic beverage from produce sourced outside the EU'.The reason for this, I discovered yesterday is that the European Commission admitted that they hadn't considered the idea of wine made from non EU grapes. As such, hapless EU bureaucrats wrote and voted for legislation which stops a product that is quite clearly wine being described as wine.While this seems another example of 'bonkers Brussels' it's much more than that for the businesses who have to deal with endless reams of legislation and small companies like Chapel Down who will incur additional costs and potentially lose business because of this latest EU farce.This whole situation has been brought about because of interfering eurocrats who, because they have never been in business, can't imagine innovative business ideas. It's these ideas which bring about growth and jobs and it's why the EU will never develop a strategy that will actually work.It's clear that their only role in commerce is to stifle it which is why we should remove ourselves from this organisation as quickly as possible.And don't think that because Brussels have confirmed that this has arisen from another piece of ill thought out legislation that they will do anything about it. Why should they?MPs in Westminster are impotent to stand up for British businesses which means that these regulations keep on hurting businesses at a time when we need them to be profitable.So if you want to see an end to the euro crisis and a return to profitable UK PLC, don't rely on a government which insists that the EU has the answers.Nigel Farage is the UKIP leaderand MEP for the South East counties as well asthe Chairman of the EFD Group in the European Parliament.
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23.5.2012 | 10:32
Nigel Farage: Break up the euro and restore human dignity
Rćđa á ESB-ţinginu í Strasbourg 22. maí 2012. >>>><<<< |
22.5.2012 | 16:15
Um forseta vorn og fósturjörđ
Birtist fyrst í Morgunblađinu 22. maí 2012.
Aldrei kaus ég karlinn sem pólitíkus. En ég kaus hann sem forseta og sé ekki enn eftir ţví. Vegna ţess ađ hann hefur stađiđ međ ţjóđ sinni og hagsmunum hennar gegnum ţykkt og ţunnt undanfarin misseri. Veriđ eins og klettur í hafinu, jafnvel á erlendri grund frammi fyrir skćđustu hákörlum heimspressunnar. Og hagsmunagćzla hans, ţjóđ sinni til handa á hinum mestu ögurstundum hennar í seinni tíđ, verđur honum ćvinlega til sóma.Ţessi breytni Ólafs forseta hefur hins vegar orđiđ andstćđingum hans, sem ađ uppistöđu til eru fylgismenn ríkisstjórnarinnar, Icesave-samninganna og ESB-ađlögunnarinnar, tilefni til ađ vćna hann um ađ breyta eđli embćttisins og víkja ţví frá hlutverki sameiningar. Gera ţađ pólitískt. Honum er eignađ ţađ andrúmsloft sem nú ríkir í samskiptum forsetaembćttisins og ríkisvaldsins. Ţarna er í fararbroddi stór og fríđur flokkur fjölmiđlafólks, sem gefur okkur um ţessar mundir hina efnilegustu sýnikennslu í ţví hvernig nota má ţađ feikilega vald sem fjölmiđlar hafa í raun. ţ.e.a.s. misnota!Forsetanum ber ađ gćta fullveldisréttinda almennings.Grunntónninn er s.s. sá ađ embćttiđ sé ekki lengur sameiningartákn ţjóđarinnar, ţökk sé afskiptum Ólafs af ţjóđmálunum. Hér má benda á í ţessu sambandi ađ samkvćmt stjórnarskrá ţeirri sem enn er í gildi er ţađ beinlínis skylda forsetans ađ beina ákvörđunarvaldi, um stór hagsmunamál hennar sem ágreiningur kann ađ vera um, til ţjóđarinnar sjálfrar. Og Ólafur hefur unniđ vel vinnuna sína, í samrćmi viđ ţessa verklýsingu.Eđli málsins samkvćmt eru ţessi tvö hlutverk, annars vegar sameiningartákniđ sem vissulega er ćskilegt út af fyrir sig og hins vegar sú hagsmunagćsla ţjóđarinnar og lýđrćđisins sem stjórnarskráin kveđur á um, illa samrćmanleg ef reynir á ţađ síđarnefnda. Og jafn lítilmannlegt og ţađ er, reyna nú ţau öfl sem orđiđ hafa undir međ málstađ sinn fyrir skikkan forsetans okkar ađ klína ţví á Ólaf ađ honum sé um ađ kenna ađ ekki sé eining međal ţjóđarinnar.En hvernig getur forsetinn veriđ sakađur um ađ hverfa frá hlutverki sameiningartáknsins, ţegar hann var ţó ađeins ađ vinna vinnuna sína skv. stjórnarskránni? Og ţađ ađ beiđni tugţúsunda kjósenda? Full ástćđa er til ađ vísa sök á ţessari óeiningu heim til föđurhúsanna. Til Alţingis og ríkisstjórnarinnar og allra ţeirra sem reyndu međ öllum ráđum ađ sökkva Íslendskum almenningi ađ ósekju í skađrćđis skuldafen, í ţeim tilgangi ađ liđka fyrir ESB-ađlögunarferlinu, sem aldrei hefur ţó veriđ samţykkt af ţjóđinni sjálfri enda ekki eftir ţví leitađ.Hluti ţingmanna Sjálfstćđisflokks brást í Icesave-málinu.Ţarna var ţađ ekki stjórnarandstađan sem dugđi til varnar. Ţađ gerđi ađeins Ólafur forseti. Fyrir hans tilstilli gat ţjóđin hrundiđ ţessari ógeđfelldu ađför ađ henni. Ţađ er rétt sem Ólafur segir ađ komandi kosningar verđa prófsteinn á gćđi fjölmiđlanna. En ţeir eru nú ţegar margir farnir ađ falla á ţví prófi, m.a. međ ţví ađ snúa öllu á haus og klína öllum ţessum ófarnađi á reikning Ólafs.Ţví miđur er sjálf ţjóđareignin, nefskattsmiđillinn (RÚV) ţar á međal. Ekki einasta keppist ţessi fríđi flokkur viđ ađ rakka niđur sitjandi forseta og núa honum um nasir hinum fjölskrúđugasta breyskleika, heldur er um leiđ rćkilega muliđ undir einn mótframbjóđanda hans, sem raunar kemur einmitt úr ţessum sama fjölmiđlaflokki. Ţessum frambjóđanda er jafnvel hjálpađ til ađ hylma yfir pólitíska fortíđ sína. Svo neyđarlega vill hins vegar til ađ nokkuđ augljósar stađreyndir tala allt öđru máli en ţessi frambjóđandi og fríđi flokkurinn hans, um tengsl hans viđ annan stjórnarflokkanna.Međ afneitun sinni er ţessi frambjóđandi, ásamt fylgismönnum, nánast ađ segja hreint út ađ stunduđ sé alvarleg sögufölsun á vefmiđlinum »timarit.is«, ţar sem finna má ýmsar upplýsingar, ekki hagfelldar ţeim. Ég spyr, hvađa erindi eiga ţeir á Bessastađi sem reyna ađ ljúga sig frá fortíđ sinni? Ţess utan er fullljóst, međ fullri virđingu fyrir mörgu ţví annars ágćta og frambćrilega fólki sem í hlut á, ađ mótframbođ gegn sitjandi forseta á ţessum tímapunkti er annađ og meira en fallegar fjölskyldumyndir.Hér eru klárlega pólitísk öfl og pólitísk sjónarmiđ á ferđinni. Ég trúi ţví vel ađ Ólafi gangi gott eitt til ţegar hann kýs ađ bjóđa sig fram á nýjan leik enda rétt sem hann segir um ađ ţađ séu viđsjár framundan í Íslendskum stjórnmálum og almenningur getur enn ţurft ađ reiđa sig á embćttiđ ţess vegna. Og reynslunni er fyrir ađ ţakka ađ viđ vitum hvađ viđ höfum. Ég mun ţví styđja Ólaf Ragnar Grímsson svo lengi sem hann vill gefa kost á sér til embćttis forseta Íslands. Hafi hann bestu ţakkir fyrir störf sín til ţessa. Hvernig getur forsetinn veriđ sakađur umađ hverfa frá hlutverki sameiningartáknsins,ţegar hann var ţó ađeins ađ vinna vinnuna sínasamkvćmt stjórnarskránni ?
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19.5.2012 | 11:00
Forsetinn, lýđrćđiđ og málskotsrétturinn
Birtist fyrst í Morgunblađinu 18. maí 2012.
Nú styttist í forsetakosningar og langar mig af ţví tilefni ađ gera ađ umtalsefni lýđrćđisţróun og málskotsrétt forsetans. Lýđrćđiđ er í stöđugri ţróun og ţó ađ menn greini á um hinar ýmsu ađferđir og stefnur er ljóst ađ fólk skilur ţađ á ţann hátt ađ fólkiđ, almenningur í landinu skuli hafa úrslitavald um stjórnun landsins og ađ vilji almennings sé ţađ sem koma skuli fram í stjórnarathöfnum hverju sinni.Ţó ađ fyrirkomulag kosninga til Alţingis hér á landi sé ţannig ađ kjörtímabiliđ sé fjögur ár er ţađ ekki svo ađ menn hafi ţar allan rétt til valda og ákvarđana. Ţađ er ekki svo ađ alţingismenn séu kosnir til ađ hafa einrćđisvald ţessi fjögur ár. Eđlileg hugmynd lýđrćđisins er ađ ţeir stjórni í anda fólksins á milli kosninga. Ađ ákvarđanir ţeirra séu eins og ţeir hafa vit til, í takt viđ vilja ţjóđarinnar. Ţetta er eitthvađ sem margir núverandi alţingismenn virđast ekki hafa innbyggt í sína vitund.Forsetinn sćkir vald sitt til gildandi stjórnarskrár.Forseti Íslands hefur samkvćmt stjórnarskránni rétt til ađ synja lögum stađfestingar og fara ţau ţá sjálfkrafa til ţjóđarinnar sem ákveđur međ beinum kosningum örlög ţeirra. Augljóst er ađ ţannig ákvörđun forseta er ekki tekin á degi hverjum né án tilefnis eđa sterkra vísbendinga um ađ einmitt ţađ sé vilji ţjóđarinnar.Í ţrígang á undanförnum árum hefur ţađ gerst ađ forsetinn synjađi lögum stađfestingar. Í eitt skiptiđ voru lögin dregin til baka og tvisvar var kosiđ í kjölfariđ og hafnađi ţjóđin viđkomandi lögum međ afgerandi hćtti. Ţađ undarlega gerđist í kjölfariđ ađ ríkisstjórnin, sem gerđ hafđi veriđ afturrćk međ lagafrumvörp sín sem og ýmsir ađrir áhrifamenn í ţjóđfélaginu, tóku ađ atyrđa forsetann fyrir tiltćkiđ og láta í ţađ skína í fjölmiđlum og annars stađar ţar sem ţeir komu ţví viđ ađ hann hefđi međ ţessu tekiđ sér mikiđ vald. Nánast hrifsađ til sín vald.Ţetta er ekki rétt. Ţađ sem hann gerđi var ađ fćra vald til ţjóđarinnar, vald sem hún á međ óyggjandi hćtti. Ţetta vald er hennar samkvćmt stjórnarskrá sem og eđlilegri heilbrigđri skynsemi. Ţađ ađ gera forsetann tortryggilegan, ţegar hann beitir úrrćđi stjórnarskrárinnar til ađ tryggja lýđrćđi í landinu, er í besta falli fávitskulegt og í versta falli einbeittur brotavilji löggjafans gagnvart sinni eigin ţjóđ.Alţingi ćtti ađ biđja ţjóđina afsökunar.Mađur skyldi halda ađ ţegar ţjóđin hefđi sagt sitt síđasta orđ varđandi lög og gert ţađ međ yfirgnćfandi meirihluta, mundi löggjafinn biđja hana afsökunar á ţví ađ hafa ćtlađ ađ vinna gegn vilja hennar. Nei, alţingismenn hafa ekki beđist afsökunar og bendir margt til ţess ađ ţeir hafi í raun og veru viljađ, og vilji enn, samţykkja lög sem eru í beinni andstöđu viđ ţennan mikla meirihluta. Minna viđbrögđ ţeirra á ţann sem lét hengja sendibođann er flutti váleg tíđindi.Um ţetta ţarf ţjóđin ađ hugsa nú í ađdraganda forsetakosninga. Hún virđist sitja uppi međ Alţingi sem starfar ekki endilega í ţágu hennar, Alţingi sem hefur skýran ásetning til ađ setja lög sem eru í andstöđu viđ eindreginn vilja hennar.Á tyllidögum slá menn um sig og skreyta međ meintri lýđrćđisást en margt bendir til ţess ađ ţeir sem kjörnir eru til forystu vilji gjarnan vera einráđir ţann tíma sem ţeir hafa. Úrrćđi almennings í landinu eru harla fá ţegar hann situr uppi međ ríkisstjórn sem rúin er trausti, Alţingi sem rúiđ er trausti og ýmsar fleiri grundvallarstofnanir ríkisins rúnar trausti. Viđ verđum ađ átta okkur á ţví ađ landinu stýrir fólk sem neitar ađ skilja hvađan valdiđ kemur og vill ţröngva málum í gegn ţótt ţjóđin sé alfariđ á móti ţeim.Í framtíđinni er ţörf á ađ auka beina ađkomu ţjóđarinnar ađ ákvarđanatöku í mikilvćgum málum. Einnig ţarf hún ađ geta krafist ţingkosninga eftir skýrum reglum. Ţangađ til er málskotsréttur forsetans nánast eini neyđarventillinn sem til er. Hann hefur veriđ nýttur međ ţeim árangri ađ ţjóđin sagđi sitt međ afgerandi hćtti og afsagđi lagagerđ sem ekki var ađ hennar skapi. Ţađ er móđgandi ađ hlusta á alţingismenn og ráđherra tala eins og forsetinn hafi unniđ spjöll međ gerđum sínum. Hans ađkoma var einungis sú ađ ađ fara ađ raunverulegum vilja ţjóđarinnar og beina málunum í lýđrćđislegan farveg og brást henni ekki á úrslitastundu.Brotavilji Alţingis er einlćgur,ađ vilja koma málum í gegn,sem meirihluti er ekki fyrir.Forsetinn tekur sér ekki ţađ vald sem hann réttir ţjóđinni.
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18.5.2012 | 12:35
How to debate Paul Krugman
Birtist fyrst í Paper Money Collapse 01. maí 2012.
Paul Krugman is the high priest of Keynesianism and modern interventionism, of economic improvement through inflation and budget deficits. As such he is bęte noir among us libertarians and Austrian School economists. What makes him so annoying is his unquestioning, reflexive and almost childlike enthusiasm for state intervention, even in the face of its obvious failure, and his apparent unwillingness to probe any deeper into the real causes of our present economic problems or to show any willingness to investigate the effectiveness or ineffectiveness of his particular medicine. His Keynesian convictions are presented as articles of faith that no intelligent person can seriously question. A Krugmanesque argument is always built on a number of assumptions that are beyond doubt:
Krugman is practicing Keynesianism as a religion. The 8 commandments above are not to be questioned. Whoever questions them is not worthy of debate. Consequently, Krugman has turned down requests to debate people like Peter Schiff or Bob Murphy. Interestingly, he agreed to debate Ron Paul on TV. The link is here. I have to say that Ron Paul did not do as well as I had hoped he would. He did not sufficiently attack Krugman in my view, for the failure and ultimately disastrous consequences of his policy prescriptions. Krugman is the one who should be made to explain his policy recommendations and who has to answer the criticism that policies like the ones he is recommending got us into this mess in the first place and that his policy ideas have been implemented for years to no effect, at least no positive effect. Yet, Krugman succeeded in putting Paul on the defensive, something in which he was greatly helped by the following: While Krugman may be the most outstanding, unashamed and fundamentalist of the celebrity Keynesians, the attitudes of the general public, the other journalists and thus most of the TV viewers are predominantly shaped by Keynesianism as well, and this means that Krugman, more than Paul or any ‘Austrian’ debater, can rely on some sense of intellectual sympathy. Maybe the viewers don’t quite share the unquestioning dedication to the Faith, that Krugman epitomizes. Maybe they feel queasy about printing trillions of paper dollars and running trillion-dollar deficits. Of course, a true believer like Krugman will never allow himself such feelings. But in general, the public, too, believes that the free market (and greedy bankers) caused the financial crisis; that we need low interest rates and other government measures to stimulate the economy; and that inflation is really not our main concern. Krugman, I think, cleverly used these attitudes to present himself as the safe and rational choice, and Paul as the weirdo who wants to pour out the state-policy baby with the crisis bath water. Ron Paul started strongly by pointing out that Krugman’s policy is based on the idea that a bureaucratic elite can set interest rates and decide how much money should be created, and that this involves an arrogant and dangerous pretence of knowledge. Very good point. Immediately, the apostle Krugman raised his head. “You cannot get the state out of money.” “The Fed has to set interest rates.” “You cannot go back 150 years.” I think this is where Ron Paul should have dug in and put Krugman on the defensive: “Why not? There was no Fed before 1913. That the Fed made things more stable is your assumption. But is it true? People like you and Bernanke tell us that the gold standard was to blame for the Depression. In the run-up to the Depression we had a gold standard but we also had a Fed. How can you say that the gold standard was to blame and the Fed was ultimately the solution? “Dr. Krugman just said, history told us. That is nonsense. History doesn’t tell us anything. You need theory to interpret history, and your theory is wrong. You assign blame for the depression according to your Keynesian theory. If that theory is wrong – and I think it is completely wrong – your interpretation of history is hopelessly wrong. “Dr. Krugman, we no longer live in the 1930s. Why is it that you are harking back to those days? Are we still solving the Great Depression? “Fact is that the monetary and economic institutions of America were shaped by people with your beliefs, Dr. Krugman. We have your system today. We have conducted and are conducting your policies. And, Dr. Krugman, do you really want to tell the American public that these policies and these institutions, such as the Fed, are working? “We have no gold standard. Since 1971, the Fed is entirely free to print as much money as it likes. That is your system, isn’t it? That is what you recommend. – You say the Fed needs to keep interest rates low and print money to stimulate growth. That is what the Fed did in 1998 after LTCM and the Russia default, just as you recommended. That is what the Fed did again after the NASDAQ bubble burst and after 9/11 – surely, that was not an Austrian policy but a Keynesian one. It was straight out of your rule book, Dr. Krugman. You say the uninhibited market is to blame for the financial crisis. I say your policy is to blame. The mortgage bubble was blown by the ‘stimulus’ policy of the Fed – low interest rates and plenty new bank reserves – between 2001 and 2005. That was your recommendation, right? And those of your Keynesian buddies, such as Paul McCulley at Pimco. “Since 2007, the Fed is conducting your policy. So is the US government. You demanded monetary stimulus and you got it. The Fed created $2 trillion dollars out of thin air. Interest rates have been zero for years. The US government is conducting stimulus policy to the tune of $1trillion-plus every year. Are you telling me, these are not Keynesian policies? What is it, Austrian policy?! “What you are recommending has in fact been the guiding principle of global economic policy for years. What you are recommending is a systematic distortion of the market place. It is persistent price distortion. That is why we had an unsustainable housing boom. That is why we had a mortgage boom. That is why we had a financial industry boom. And whenever these artificial booms – that you create with your policy – falter, the American public has to pay the price. And what do you suggest then? More of the same. More cheap credit. More government debt. In the hope that you can generate another artificial boom for which a later generation will again have to pay the price. “Dr. Krugman, you just answered the question of this journalist about how much more debt we should accumulate, by saying maybe another 30 percent but that nobody can say for sure. I agree that nobody can say how much debt the system can still take. But tell us, why do you think that the next 30 percent of state debt will magically stimulate the economy and that these 30 percent will thus achieve what the previous 30 percent obviously failed to do. “Dr. Krugman, you have me worried here. And I think our viewers, too. The only response you have to the abject failure of your policies is that we should do more of them. Whatever Keynesian stimulus is being implemented and whatever money the Fed prints, all you ever say is that it is not enough. We need more. Has it ever occurred to you that maybe the problem is the policy itself? Maybe your medicine is making things worse and not better. “And something else worries me, Dr. Krugman. When do we ever stop printing money and borrowing? I think that you are stuck in a failed paradigm, a failed economic theory and a failed policy program. This has happened to scientists and politicians before. You cannot admit that failure. When you are confronted with the failure of modern central banking, of Keynesian stimulus and of moderate inflationism, your only answer is that nothing is wrong with any of it, it is just not implemented forcefully enough. Dr. Krugman, you remind me of a doctor, who misdiagnosed the disease and prescribed the wrong medicine and who is now unwilling to look at the situation objectively. All you want to do is increase the dosage. “If the viewers really want to understand what is going on, they should not buy Krugman’s new book but go to the website of the Mises Institute and look for some excellent Austrian School literature, in particular anything written by Ludwig von Mises himself. But if you don’t have time to do this, maybe you start by reading Paper Money Collapse.” Well, I guess this is how it could have unfolded. In the meantime, the debasement of paper money continues. |
Bloomberg India – India Business Day (16.01.2010)CNN Principal Voices (02.06.2008)Viđtal viđ Richard Quest á CNN (30.01.2010)Viđtal viđ Jeremy Paxman á BBC (06.01.2010)
Viđtal viđ Sigurjón M. Egilsson á Bylgjunni (13.05.2012) |
11.5.2012 | 08:38
Samstađa ţjóđar krefst međalgöngu fyrir EFTA-dómstólnum
EFTA Court1, rue du Fort ThüngenL-1499 Luxembourg28 April 2012.TO THE PRESIDENT AND MEMBERS OF THEEFTA COURTREQUEST TO INTERVENESubmitted pursuant to Article 36 of the Statute of the EFTA Court bySamstađa ţjóđar, a registered association in Iceland,represented by Loftur Altice Ţorsteinsson and Pétur Valdemarsson,hereby applies to the EFTA Court for leave to intervene in Case E-16/11 in support of the Republic of Iceland and on behalf of the nation of Iceland. |
30.4.2012 | 11:30
The Death of Nation-States and the Rise of Empire
forseti Íslands | |||||
forseti Íslands |
Birtist fyrst í American Thinker 30. apríl 2012.
Some readers may recall the rant of a couple years ago by Nigel Farage, head of the United Kingdom's Independence Party, against Herman Van Rompuy, president of the European Union. Mr. Farage described the gentleman from Belgium as possessing "all the charisma of a damp rag and the appearance of a low-grade bank clerk." He also accused Van Rompuy of being a non-entity from a non-nation. Regardless of Mr. Farage's insulting comments, the fact is that he has some valid observations about the nature and goals of the EU.Farage pointed out that the European Union's unelected officials were asserting authority over (and oftentimes ruining) European nations, without those nations' peoples having any say in the matter. Belgium, he said, tells Greece what to do if the latter desires to remain a vassal-state bound to the European Union.Unfortunately, Belgium has had far too much to say to member-nations. It never stops chattering.French-style bureaucracy -- one in four employees has a job as a civil servant -- has self-duplicated as an EU bureaucracy, which issues a constant stream of rules and regulations so finely precise that bananas are categorized based on size. According to the Official Journal of the European Union, "having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union," the Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 133.2011 sternly lays down "marketing standards for bananas, rules on the verification of compliance with those marketing standards and requirements for notifications in the banana sector."As of that unhappy date of December 19, 2011, bananas from the Madeira, the Azores, the Algarve, Crete, Lakonia and Cyprus fall into the less desirable Class II category because they do not meet the minimum length laid down by the EU.Apparently, for the European Commission's regulators, in the case of bananas, as in other aspects of life, size matters.But the European Union as crazed regulator involves much larger issues than the size, quality, and categorization of various fruits.As Mr. Farage intimated, the regulation-driven, powerful, and controlling EU may be putting the very existence of Europe's nation-states at risk. For example, the impoverishment of Greece and its consignment by the EU to the rump-end of Europe, though hastened by Greece's own feckless governmental policies, means in reality that that nation has been conquered by EU economic means as surely as if an army had marched through its borders and taken over its government. Greece is now in thrall to the EU, as Mr. Farage has tirelessly pointed out.Portugal and Spain appear to be the next fatalities. The end-result may be the rise, once again, of German hegemony. Germany, hedged in since the end of World War II, has only to re-militarize in order to achieve dominance over Western and even Eastern Europe -- even though presently, as Europe's banker, she is utilizing mostly economic means to increase her power. The prospect of a revitalized and militarized Germany is not necessarily the horrid vision it was in the 1930s and '40s, but European nations should be aware that the death of sovereign European nation-states and the rise of any single power could result in an unimaginable tragedy.Nation-states -- countries in which the peoples share a similar cultural heritage, language, ethnicity, and governmental institution -- have been an historic reality in Europe for some five hundred years. The immense and distinct cultural, spiritual, and historical treasures of nations constituting Europe have been a wellspring of vitality for countless countries, including the U.S. It is beyond imagination to conjure a vision as to just what the eradication of Europe's nation-states would involve.Unfortunately, once again, Europe may be threatened by the universal and historic phenomenon that is the impulse toward empire.It is not too far-fetched to describe the European Union as an attempt to establish a European empire by economic means via the currency of the euro, the ubiquitous regulations of the EU, and that entity's accompanying economic dictates. It is quite possible that unless Europe's individual nations fight for their sovereignty, a unified European entity -- a goal long-dreamed of by military conquerors -- could be achieved by a European economic empire.The hope was and is that a universal economic union and the universal currency of the euro would unite Europe -- that is, that money and economic hegemony would speak louder than national interests and identities, acting as the glue to hold together disparate nations.However, the price of membership has meant that national identities have been submerged under the purely materialist framework of the EU. A materialistic view of nations which overrides each nation's individual history and culture is to be substituted for the rich tapestry which was once the European heritage. Individual national governments and national identities are to be supplanted by institutional vehicles which seek to unify by money, finances, and trade.Though it may be hotly denied by Van Rompuy and other leaders, the European Union is essentially inclined toward a reductionist, socialist/Marxist interpretation of governing institutions, as economic factors alone are assumed to be the essence defining and driving nations and humanity itself. Language, culture, art, and history are to submit to a purely economic/materialistic view of history and humanity. The reductionist view of nations means that some will die and others ascend according to whichever nation holds the economic cards.The dilemma facing Europe also faces the United States, which is also seeing the tragic results of a multiculturalism that augers not unity, but fragmentation and then consolidation by a powerful entity. It is not too much to say the fragmentation and division under the philosophical aegis of multiculturalism have been accelerated by our president and his administration.In turn, one result of this consolidation has been an increase in the power of executive branch and its supra-constitutional enforcement agencies, both of which combine to suppress state sovereignty and pull together the power of the federal government. Individual states such as Arizona are under siege from their own government. If the erosion of state sovereignty continues, the result will assure the end of the U.S. as a nation-state based on federalism.Essentially, the current leaders of both the U.S. and the EU see the world's driving forces as superficial and almost solely material, seeking to exclude the spiritual. That is one reason why so much attention is given to material minutiae like measuring and denoting the quality of bananas while matters of the spirit/soul of nations and states are almost completely neglected. Worse yet, attacks on Christianity and the Church universal are increasing as a worldview that insists that humanity is defined by solely material rather than spiritual factors steadily increases its power.As the great thinker Denis De Rougement noted in his classic Love in the Western World:
The EU and our current administration are examples of a purely materialist economic model being forced on nations and states, whose deaths are almost assured if the materialistic model is not forsaken. For let it be said that we are not talking about mutually agreeable and beneficial trade covenants among nations. We are talking about economic empire that quashes true federalism, which itself respects the integrity of individual states.Unless the spiritual aspects of national cultures are revived and cherished and the sovereignty of individual nations and states protected, the end-result of the trends toward consolidation of power will be the demise of European nations and of the individual states of America. All, along with the peoples within them, will be reduced to being defined by bureaucracies reveling in trivial and materialist minutiae such as the measurement of bananas.Europeans and Americans alike must wake up to the truth that men and nations do not live by bananas alone. |
27.4.2012 | 15:46
A gold-based currency board, please
forseti Íslands | |||||
forseti Íslands |
Birtist fyrst í maí-hefti GlobeAsia 2012.
Until early in the 20th century, gold played a central role in the world of money. Gold had an incredible run – almost three thousand years. And why not? After all, Professor Roy Jastram convincingly documents in The Golden Constant just how gold maintains its purchasing power over long periods of time. But, since President Richard Nixon closed the gold window in August 1971, gold has not played a formal role in the international monetary regime. Today, the “regime” is characterized by many as a chaotic non-system.In the past decade, gold prices have surged and there have been noises in some quarters that gold’s formal role should be re-established in the sphere of international money. Nobelist Robert Mundell has gone so far as to predict that “Gold will be part of the structure of the international monetary system in the twenty-first century.” |
26.4.2012 | 10:32
Afnám gjaldeyrishafta međ upptöku Ríkisdals
forseti Íslands | |||||
forseti Íslands |
Birtist fyrst í Fréttablađinu 26. apríl 2012.
Gjaldeyrisútbođ og lausnir Seđlabankans viđ afnám gjaldeyrishafta ná ekki flugi og hafa gjörsamlega mistekist vegna vantrausts fjárfesta á bankanum og áćtluninni um afnám haftanna. Međ núverandi fyrirkomulagi mun taka áratugi ađ losa um höftin og ţví ljóst ađ finna verđur nýja leiđ. Gjaldeyrishöft voru sett á til ađ hefta útflćđi erlends gjaldeyris. Síđast ţegar gjaldeyrishöft voru sett á entust ţau í 60 ár. Fastgengisstefna yrđi sett á strax og í kjölfariđ 6 til 9 mánuđum seinna upptaka nýja gjaldmiđilsins Ríkisdals (ISD), útgefins af Myntsláttu- og ţjóđhagsráđi Íslands sem vćri ný stofnun sett saman úr Seđlabanka Íslands og Fjármálaeftirlitinu. Nýi Ríkisdalurinn yrđi međ Bandaríkjadal sem stođmynt.
Ef landsmenn vilja losna viđ gjaldeyrishöftin fljóttog koma á efnahagslegum stöđugleikaer ađferđin sú ađ gera Ríkisdal ađ lögeyri,samhliđa gömlu krónunni međ fastgengi viđ Bandaríkjadollar. |
20.4.2012 | 13:20
Kanadadalur + Ríkisdalur = afnám gjaldeyrishafta
forseti Íslands | |||||
forseti Íslands |
Birtist fyrst í Morgunblađinu 20. apríl 2012.
Eina vitrćna leiđin til ađ afnema gjaldeyrishöftin, hćlbit sem flestir vilja losna viđ, er međ upptöku fastgengis. Međ fastgengi verđur tekin upp »reglubundin peningastefna« en henni fylgjir ađhaldssöm ríkisfjármál og efnahagslegur stöđugleiki. Fagna ber ađ Seđlabankinn verđur lagđur niđur og landsmenn losna viđ ţađ bullandi sukk og torgreindar ákvarđanir sem fylgja slíkum stofnunum. Fastgengi er hćgt ađ framkvćma međ tvennu móti. Annars vegar međ upptöku Kanadadals og hins vegar međ upptöku innlends Ríkisdals útgefnum af myntráđi, međ Kanadadal sem stođmynt. Ađrir erlendir gjaldmiđlar koma einnig til álita, fyrir utan Evru sem af pólitískum ástćđum er ónothćf. Mjög auđvelt er ađ breyta úr Kanadadal yfir í Ríkisdal, ef taliđ er henta. Ţađ verđur samt ekki gert án samţykkis ţjóđarinnar.Ef landsmenn vilja losna viđ gjaldeyrishöftin fljótt og koma á efnahagslegum stöđugleika er ađferđin sú ađ gera Kanadadal strax ađ lögeyri, samhliđa gömlu og lúnu Krónunni. Hugsanlega er hćgt ađ semja viđ seđlabankann í Kanada um ađ hann selji Íslandi nauđsynlegt grunnfé (kr.40 milljarđar) á kostnađarverđi. Ef samningar nást ekki viđ Kanada, er sjálfgefiđ ađ hefja tafarlaust undirbúning ađ stofnun myntráđs.Til ađ tryggja myntráđinu traust er nauđsynlegt ađ festa ákvćđi um ţađ í Stjórnarskrána. Hér eru dćmi um nokkur slík ákvćđi. Fyllri lista er hćgt ađ sjá á vefsetri Samstöđu ţjóđar:Ákvćđi um myntráđ, sem setja ţarf í stjórnarskrá Íslendska lýđveldisinsÁkvćđi um myntráđ, sem setja ţarf í Stjórnarskrána.
Enginn verđur svikinn af ađ taka Kanadadal í fóstur.Sem stođmynt er Kanadadalur einkanlega hentugur. Ađ undanförnu hefur Kanada blómstrađ og horfur framundan eru ekki síđri en á Íslandi. Athygli vekur ađ síđust 10 árin hefur landsframleiđsla á mann veriđ nćr jöfn í báđum löndunum. Mikilvćgt er ađ um efnahag Kanada ríkja ekki sömu efasemdir og gilda um Bandaríkin, svo ESB sé nú ekki nefnt í ţessu sambandi.Flestum Íslendingum er ljóst ađ flotgengi undir stjórn Seđlabankans hefur mistekist hörmulega undanfarna áratugi. Ţannig liggur fyrir ađ Íslendska krónan hefur frá 1939 veikzt um 99,95 prósent gagnvart Dönsku krónunni. Ţetta samsvarar ţví ađ Dönsk króna hafi haldiđ verđgildi sínu 2.000 sinnum betur en krónan okkar.Ţađ er mikil kokhreysti ađ halda ţví fram ađ vandi peningakerfisins verđi leystur međ mannaskiptum í Seđlabankanum. Kerfisvandi verđur einungis leystur međ kerfisbreytingu. Kanadadalur er góđur kostur til ađ koma á langţráđum stöđugleika. Ađ taka Kanadadal í fóstur gefur einnig tilefni ađ rćkja betur frćndsemi viđ ţá fjölmörgu Íslendinga sem búa í Kanada.Ef landsmenn vilja losna viđ gjaldeyrishöftin fljóttog koma á efnahagslegum stöđugleikaer ađferđin sú ađ gera Kanadadal strax ađ lögeyri. |
19.4.2012 | 12:33
Utanríkisţjónusta Íslands í höndum vangefinna trúđa ?
forseti Íslands | |||||
forseti Íslands |
19. apríl 2012.
Hvađ eftir annađ er utanríkisráđuneytiđ stađiđ ađ vinnubrögđum sem benda til ađ vangefnir trúđar haldi ţar um stjórnvölinn. Raunar eru margir vissir um ađ landráđ séu heldstu áhugamál sumra starfsmanna ráđuneytisins. Í Morgunblađinu í dag segir svo af athöfnum Utanríkisráđuneytis:
Ţarna er veriđ ađ fjalla um ţađ sem ćtti ađ vera “harđorđ mótmćli viđ fjandsamlegri framkomu Evrópusambandsins gagnvart Íslandi”. Allur almenningur veit ađ ţessi “athugasemd” er ekkert annađ en blekking. Ţarna er ekki veriđ ađ koma á framfćri harđorđum mótmćlum. Ţvert á móti er Utanríkisráđuneytiđ ađ fullvissa Evrópusambandiđ um ađ kjölturakkar ţess hafi ekki hvikađ í hollustu sinni viđ hiđ erlenda vald.Enginn nema “vangefinn trúđur” lćtur sér detta í huga ađ hvísla blíđmćlum í eyra andstćđings síns og halda ţví síđan fram viđ samherja sína ađ um harđorđ mótmćli hafi veriđ ađ rćđa. Hugsanlega gćti svona blekking tekist einu sinni, en Utanríkisráđuneytiđ hefur orđiđ uppvíst ađ sömu vinnubrögđum áđur og ţá í alvarlegri kringumstćđum.Svo nefnd Brussel-viđmiđ voru sögđ niđurstađa í samningaviđrćđum Utanríkisráđuneytis og Evrópusambandsins. Fulltrúar ráđuneytisins hafa fullyrt ađ ţarna hafi veriđ gerđir sögulegir samningar sem hafi bundiđ Evrópusambandiđ ađ ţjóđarétti. Á grundvelli Brussel-viđmiđanna var Alţingi talin trú um ađ Ísland fengi blíđar móttökur viđ samningaborđ nýlenduveldanna. Međ Icesave-kröfurnar yrđi fariđ í samrćmi viđ ţá grundvallarreglu ESB, ađ ríkisábyrgđ vćri óheimil.Brussel-viđmiđin reyndust fullkomin blekking sem núna er vitađ ađ var samin í Utanríkisráđuneytinu, undir stjórn Össurar Skarphéđinssonar. Viđmiđin voru ekki samningur ţar sem gćtt var hagsmuna beggja ađila, heldur voru ţau illa dulbúin yfirlýsing um uppgjöf Íslands. Í bréfi til Samstöđu ţjóđar stađfesti Framkvćmdastjórn ESB ađ enginn Brussel-samningur var gerđur. Yfirlýsing utanríkisráđherra um “sameiginleg viđmiđ” var ekki papírsins virđi, enda skorti bćđi haus og undirskriftir á plaggiđ.Stađreyndin er sú ađ vangefnir trúđar halda á utanríkishagsmunum Íslands og ekki nóg međ ţađ, ţví ađ sumir starfsmenn ráđuneytisins hafa veriđ stađnir ađ landráđum. Ţannig voru Kristján Guy Burgess og Einar Gunnarsson starfsmenn Utanríkisráđuneytis kćrđir til Ríkissaksóknara fyrir landráđ. Ţeir biđluđu til erlendra ríkja um ađstođ viđ ađ hindra ţjóđaratkvćđi um Icesave-lögin. Ţetta sannađist ţegar Wikileaks birti leyniskjöl úr Bandaríska sendiráđinu:
Ţarna sannađist einnig ađ Steingrímur Sigfússon (Ministry of Finance) tók ţátt í landráđunum međ viđrćđum viđ sendiherra Bretlands um hvernig hćgt vćri ađ stöđva stjórnarskrárbundiđ ferli ţjóđaratkvćđisins. Hversu lengi ćtlar ţjóđin ađ greiđa ţessu fólki laun fyrir ađ blekkja sig og vinna gegn hagsmunum landsmanna ?>>><<< |