One Step Closer

Just freakin' fantastic:

The council of EU finance ministers said Athens must comply with austerity demands by March 16 or lose control over its own tax and spend policies altogether. It if fails to do so, the EU will itself impose cuts under the draconian Article 126.9 of the Lisbon Treaty in what would amount to economic suzerainty.

While the symbolic move to suspend Greece of its voting rights at one meeting makes no practical difference, it marks a constitutional watershed and represents a crushing loss of sovereignty.

"We certainly won't let them off the hook," said Austria's finance minister, Josef Proll, echoing views shared by colleagues in Northern Europe. Some German officials have called for Greece to be denied a vote in all EU matter until it emerges from "receivership".

This is the future of Europe. The path the EU has taken since its inception two decades ago has been one of authoritarianism and political usurpation. From Spanish courts being given the right to prosecute non-nationals (Americans) in the name on “international law” to the undemocratic passing of the Lisbon Treaty by most European governments and now to taking away Greek sovereignty, the foreshadowing couldn't be any clearer. Michelle and I took on the question of the US and EU months ago. We concluded:

If a constitution is not devised as a mechanism to preserve individual freedom and reign in the powers of government, then the creation of such a document serves no purpose. Constitutions should not be devised to band nations together to create a super-power rival to other powerful nations with the “power-elite” in control. Constitutions written with such motives lead to oppression and tyranny. If the EU wishes to follow the footsteps of America’s Founding Fathers, then the framers of the EU Constitution must recognize the importance of localized power, and adhere to the rights of the individual nations’ liberty.

I guess the EU doesn't want to follow in the footsteps of the Founders. It has plenty of its own history.

Michelle and I will keep up on this frightening issue.