RE: EU constitution & a simple basis for debate

I disagree.
In France there has been a very thorough dissection of the articles of
the constitution. Just read the past issues of Le monde. Le monde has
also put the articles on line plus it has explained them in plain
French. It is incorrect to assume ignorance in this case and it shows
lack of knowledge about the depth of the debate in France.It was in
Spain, where 46% of voters have bothered to vote - 76% in favor of the
constitution, that very few people knew what they were voting about.
I have been reading the Italian Press in the last weeks and still I have
not seen one clear article addressing the substance of the document,
they are all full of grand politics.
Regards,

joseph halevi

-----Original Message-----
From: viktor zolotenko [mailto:zolotenko_at_yahoo.com]
Sent: Monday, 6 June 2005 2:15 PM
To: Joseph Halevi; trond andresen; Marc Lavoie; she_forum_at_itk.ntnu.no
Cc: shaun310_at_coombs.anu.edu.au; Political Economy
Subject: EU constitution & a simple basis for debate

dear people,

i have read your comments with interest.

the key issue is that there can be no informed debate
by any one about the EU constitution=CON, or any other
constitution/charter/etc, that is 500 hundred pages long. i doubt that
many people have read the constitution. thus, talk of "informed debate"
is a nonsense.

first, all terms must be defined and agreed to in some practical sense.

second, an example of how things will improve in the
EU must be spelled out for each key principle on which
the constitution has been based.

third, people need to be informed what are the
implications of the CON means for them.

general comment

it is apparent that the CON has been written by a
bunch of legal 'fat-cats'. this will almost certainly
exclude the vast majority of people from informed
debate.

talk of capitalism/communism etc lacks meaning.

the key questions are:

how will governance improve as a result of the CON?

who will control interpretation & enforcement of the
rules?

how will the CON take into account 'errors'?

etc...

u lot seem buried under the usual well meaning social
dogma. what about conflict between the EU CON &
domestic policy?

i think it makes far more sense to adapt the existing
rules to get a COMMON basis of the core guiding basis
ideas that drive the evolution of the CON.

test in schools etc to make things as simple as
possible & focus on the most important things first.

at no stage has there been a simple coherent basis for
debate i.e., things are a dog's breakfast!

cheers,

dr victor kacala.

ps govern=manage="laws" to form a basis for policy
formulation that takes into account doubt & errors.

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Received on 06-06-05