Dutch Depression

or?

Image sources: EU flag, no EU flag

• Right to life, liberty and security of person
• Right to a fair trial in civil and criminal matters
• Respect for private and family life, home and correspondence
• Freedom of thought, conscience and religion
• Freedom of expression
• Freedom of peaceful assembly and association
• Right to have a sentence reviewed by a higher tribunal
• Right to marry and found a family
• Equality of rights and responsibilities of spouses in marriage
• Right to peaceful enjoyment of possessions
• Right to education
• Certain rights concerning elections
• Liberty of movement and freedom to choose where to live

The above uplifting list is said to apply to human beings; it comes from the Human Rights Charter from the European Convention on Human Rights.

The source of this information also includes the following;

Four new rights were added by the Treaty on European Union (TEU) of 1993: the right of
EU citizens to vote and to stand as a candidate in municipal and European elections in the
Member State of residence; the right to petition the European Parliament and to apply to the
European Ombudsman; and the right to protection in third countries by the diplomatic and
consular authorities of any Member State. Article F of the TEU also stated that the Union:

… shall respect fundamental rights, as guaranteed by the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms … and as they result from the constitutional traditions common to the Member States, as general principles of Community law.

Bearing in mind these no doubt sincere and noble sentiments, consider this story from the International Herald Tribune today.

Here is the fundamental problem with so-called Western Liberal Democracies. They are, partly through idealism and largely through "political correctness", incapable of defending the very ideals they claim to stand for.

Meanwhile the EU legislators and their opposite numbers in the member states' governments have plenty of time to order us about in all the minutiae of our lives. If you have read my profile, you can no doubt imagine my views on the nannying about smoking - and with regard to the EU I am very angry indeed that it was EU legislation that has caused the reduction in quality of cigarettes: even my favourite Balkan Sobranies are no longer available.

Meanwhile for years in succession, the EU's auditors have refused to sign off the accounts.

Bloody useless.

Until the next time