God save the Queen!

[Grungey]

How y`all doin?
God save the queen, yessiree
When she wus younger, why I`d have slipped her some.
Not now though, but thet Fergie, her dorter, looks like a hole heep of fun.
Heered she ain backward at comin forward, ifen ya get ma drift
Y`all take care now.

[Whitey]

Fergie is pretty fine for her age. So is Charles ever going to get to be king?
I think Harry could be a good king, I'd like to be a knight or atleast an Earl.
Frank could be the info minister, Wholley could be the Royal Executioner, Sticks could be the Royal Music guy, Loz a Dutchess I suppose, or how about cloning Elvis? He was a good king.

[Tazzers]

A refusal to surrender? what an arrogant f•••er, the chunnel should be filled-in immediately to make it harder for the French ministers and generals to runaway next time they get invaded.

I don't know mate I have been having a recurring nightmare of late, it goes something like this:

Although the British government inpriciple is committed to Europe polls suggest that the vast majority of people in Britain (I say Britain advisedly because although there is a small difference in opinion in the polls conducted in England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales the outcome is essentially the same) are against closer political integration with Europe.

The governments in continental Europe with the exception of Denmark never even gave their people the choice. The exception again was the Mastrict (scuse spelling) treaty where a referendum was called in France and was norrowly given a 'Yes' return.

The only other governments who gave their people the choice were Norway, Sweden and as I have pointed out Denmark who all gave a categorrical 'No' return on the vote.

Currently in France there is growing opposition in both the far left and far right of the political spectrum to further political integration though for completely different reasons. In fact, even the orriginal 'Yes' return on the Mastricht treaty is being brought into question but I think that France is now 'IN' like it or not.

My nightmare is that too many powers are being handed over via the back door. There will be a referendum because if there isn't the government will be committing political suicide. However the more that powers are handed over without our consent, the deeper in we will be by the time the referendum is carried out. By the time we say no we may already be too far in for the no vote to be acceptable by the EU and this is when the trouble might start.

I don't know what may happen under these circumstances but the more I think about it the more I have to ask myself 1) Could we defend ourselves against a united EU military force? 2) Will people think it is worth fighting for? When I say fighting I mean just that. With all the powers that have already been handed over (against our will) how does the law stand with regard to our sovereignty in the event of a No vote in a referendum? Will we be forced to go to war with the EU to defend our democratic right to decide how we run our own country?

[Whitey]

If the EU continues to become a great power eventually we will clash with them. We studied this in school 2 semesters ago. The EU with its economic and military threat will eventually lead to a war. Weather it is served cold or hot is the question.

[Smilie-man'81]

Cant they just get along............didnt think so.

Going on what ive read recently the chance of an EU state is getting smaller and smaller. As it is its now thought that Britain wont join the Euro at least until 2009 and thats if points towards a yes.

[Frank S.]

The EU's future as some sort of superstate is actually pretty certain. It's also in China's interest, not to mention Russia.
It's actually speeding up, reports to the contrary notwithstanding.

[Whitey]

I like the EU flag, it looks so "Power Point" inspired. Russia and China? Frank you scaring me. I like Putins name sounds like poontin. Reminds me of somtin. China wouldn't want to fight us would they? Who'd they sell rubber dog turds too?

Really though I think the race for the oil fields in Iraq was a move inspired by the strengthening Euro and the EU. If they and Saddam had made an oil economic pact we'd be bankrupt. The first battle between us and the EU was fought in Iraq I think. I always liked the French from our history lessons. They cut heads off of corrupt officials, good food, nice dirty magazines, art and anti-establishment. What happened? I guess everyone in the end has got to do what is good for themselves. I just think we will fight the EU in the future. Which would be cool, Europe needs to be destroyed and rebuilt every 100 years or so, and we need women to work in our PX's.

[Frank S.]

It's kind of hard to avoid simplifications, and we're veering away from the topic, but your question as to "what happened" is actually asked by a lot of French folks.
They are just as dissociated as we are in the UK and US from their 'leaders'.
For the government, it's a tightrope: how do you maintain geopolitical aspirations while maintaining high standards of living for a population which expects it?
You sell a lot of weapons. And I do mean a lot of weapons. And you don't ask many questions. But you know full well you can't keep that up and maintain a facade of democratic humanitarianism.
And you very, very actively spy on your allies to save on R&D costs. The French are top-notch when it comes to industrial espionnage.

What the hell do they want? Peaceful prosperity. They tend to believe the US just wants prosperity. At any cost.
Where the divide is, is where some believe it can be achieved by playing second or third fiddle to the US while others believe France should lead Europe as the moral leader (a role encouraged by transatlanticists both here and in the US, read: Zbigniew Brzezinski) over Germany ( whose 'evil' past still resonates clearly with many of my generation), and 'lesser' nation-members.

The second group should be mindful of the roles Richelieu and the more obscure father Joseph played in international politics centuries ago. There hasn't been any true democratic movement for the betterment of humanity in France for many, many centuries, if ever. But they now as before have the crucial problem of defining first what it means to be French.

And... of having nuclear weapons.

[Whitey]

Well if the French think we are after prosperity at anycost they sure hit that on the head. Well that is what them Yankees want anyway, just go ask Bobby Lee. I liked the French as I said, and have said many times you can't hold people responsible for their leaders. I always thought we were kind of alike in some ways. We are like the UK in language, genetics, and conquest, but we got that rebelious French anti- the man attitude and thirst for fine things as well.

Ah, too bad. Crepes, wine and Edith are French things I like. You like Edith? She could sing.

[Sisyphus]

We studied this in school 2 semesters ago.

So you're in, or have just left, school, then?

[Whitey]

Sisy,
I'm still in school, University actually, but I just call it school. 90% of the professors are communist marxist brotherhood of man advocates, so there is a slant.

[Sticky Blue]

Whitey, are you on a one man crusade to rid the schools of these communist marxist tutors? Getting at them from the inside or just stopping them from making their views to the other students?

[Frank S.]

There are websites created by conservative students with the purpose of listing professors who exceed their mandate into preaching anti-government rhetoric.
One in particular is controversial in that it is financed by a Washington lobbyist.

[Whitey]

Sticky,
As an ex-serviceman it is hard to listen to a bunch of civilians who never served anyone but themselves rant about how the military is evil, and those in it are ignorant and poverty stricken. That non-citizens have more rights or should have more than citizens. That the State owes everyone a college degree at the expense of the poor and ignorant of course. That minorities deserve extra points and compensation for the horror and evil whites put them through. They actually denounce Washington and Franklin and hail Martin Luther King and Lincoln. My English Comp. book twists the Declaration of Independence with the Communist Manifesto and Letters From Birmingham Jail. That the freedom of speech is okay, but you can't say anything that might hurt feelings, Guns are tools of maniacs and child molesters, child molesters can be rehabilitated and because they make it through a state program they should be allowed to work at daycares. And students eat this crap up. You hear it day in and out if not in class from a political commissar you hear it from the student body. Sick.

[Sisyphus]

90% of the professors are communist marxist brotherhood of man advocates, so there is a slant.

Ah, how those long- lost, much-loved days of McArthyism must be missed, eh!