After writing my original article on what seemed to be the end of the EU’s wrong headed and stupid quest to make it a crime to use imperial measures, I ran across some articles of other despicable laws and rulings by the EU which limit the freedom of its members, and seek to destroy their unique cultural identities, and prohibit their ability to encourage the development and improvement of businesses within their borders. In this article I will be delving deeper into some of the examples of how the EU has been bending over backwards to destroy self determination in its member nations, and to eliminate the rights and freedoms of Europeans everywhere.
The War on British Culture
In addition to misleading the world on their supposed lifting of a ban on imperial measures, the EU now wants to strip the queen from British Passports. Ostensibly, the EU claims that this is to ensure that non-UK citizens know they have access to UK embassies, but if that were true, why wouldn’t they just add a new page? Why would they need to utterly strip the UK passport of all things British? Does the EU really hate individuality and culture so much?
Preventing Greece from Investing in Business
As if outlawing culture weren’t enough, the EU also wants to make it illegal for governments to invest in their own economy. Even extremely capitalist societies such as the USA allow the government to help promote and aid businesses within their borders. We even allow it when the investment is pretty foolish. But self determination has no value in Europe. They would rather states sat by and watched their economies languish, evidently, as they’ve made it illegal for them to invest in them.
Now, I want to make it clear, I’m not advocating economic protectionism. There are good arguments about promoting free trade and competition that can be used against such practices. Ultimately, however, these issues have nothing to do with economic protectionism, and everything to do with self determination. The Greek people should decide for themselves whether or not they want their government endorsing such policies. It is their choice, not the EU’s. Besides, what does the EU know about free trade? The EU has been successfully sinking the Doha Development Round solely on the basis of subsidies for French farmers.
Big Brother Watches the German Post Office
Evidently it is enough for the EU to prevent governments from investing in businesses, they don’t want them to help out state postal services either. They’re currently investigating Deutches Post, Britain’s Royal Mail, the French La Poste, claiming they might currently be using government assistance to unfairly compete. In addition to the absurdity in claiming a government shouldn’t be able to support a postal system, they’ve also declared that all government run postal services need to be abolished by 2009. Yet another win for the enemies of self determination.
Restricting the Freedoms of Europeans on the Web
If affronts to self determination and economic decision aren’t enough, the EU provides yet another reason to join the growing numbers of Euroskeptics. They hate freedom too. Thats right, the EU plans to censor the internet. They claim it is to stop bomb making, but the facts are they want to eliminate the ability to not only visit certain websites, but also to ban certain search terms, like “genocide”. Restricting free speech, especially in the name of security theater, is an affront against human rights. That the EU seeks to threaten such rights is no surprise to members of ex-Soviet bloc countries. As the number of oh-so-recently petty dictatorships get added to the EU pile to join the already existing club of uber-nanny states, expect to see continued challenges to human rights and freedoms from the EU.
Final Thoughts
I’ve heard a lot of people try to dismiss Euroskepticism with comments such as “Well they joined the EU, its their fault”. Yes, many countries have made the mistake of joining the EU, but it doesn’t mean it is too late to get out. The Euroskeptic Movement is growing rapidly and gaining a lot of support. Just because you boarded a ship, doesn’t mean you have to stay on if it is sinking. Another tired argument comes from those who cry “The US has problems too! You can’t criticize,”. Yes, the US does have plenty of problems that really need to be fixed. I recognize these problems and press for change here, just as I urge citizens of EU member nations to recognize problems in the EU and press for change there. Our own faults don’t prevent us from critiquing others, so long as we recognize them. And pardon me if I have a bit more faith in a Union which has stood for 231 years than I do in a haphazard attempt at one which is younger than some of my teenage cousins.
-Angry Midwesterner
The 12 Angry Men Blog 
October 17, 2007 at 1:29 am
pam param 🙂
June 12, 2008 at 10:28 am
I am a mixed backgrounded European, the Eu flag means a lot to people like me.
Going independent work alienate people like me.
October 18, 2009 at 3:48 pm
I suspect the UK views itself as a union on par with the EU even though the former is a state in the latter.
March 23, 2011 at 12:54 pm
I am a mixed background European. I love Europe which is why I despise the EU.Come on people, how blind can you be? The EU is just a front for big business to control you. Its accounts haven’t been approved by its auditors for 16 years – if you ran a business that way you’d be thrown into prison for fraud. EU officials pay 8 percent tax and have 12 weeks holiday a year – do you? The officers of the EI’s police service, Europol, have immunity from prosecution!!! It’s the biggest, most successful con trick of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. And you’re still being fooled by it.