Of course, since last Friday…

I don’t give a tinker’s cuss for parliamentary sovereignty, I believe in the sovereignty of the people.

The canard of ‘representative democracy’ is only ever produced when it is clear that the Parliament is defying the people’s will.

Unlike many who oppose the EU, I don’t do it from a wish from a wish to return to the past, but rather from the desire to live in a truly democratic, sovereign country.

The argument in this specific case for a referendum in my country is based on a promise from each of the main three parties to hold a referendum. It was upon this basis that they were elected. The political class has stolen our referendum, (for this reason I hope the Irish vote no). If politicians show contempt for the people, they become, not representatives of democracy, but a barrier to democracy.

As for my use of the word propaganda, I don’t know what you’re wingeing about – especially as you go far further to blacken your opponents as “wilfully malicious disinformation activists”. At least with the latter, I am not expected to fund it through my taxes.

You seem to have your concepts topsy-turvy: The norm for legislation, including approval of international treaty commitments, is through parliaments in the world of democracies.

This is based on the principle of representative democracy.

If you are a supporter of some other form of democracy (direct?), please take a principled stand.

You are right, in that the European Commission makes a fair job of informing European citizens about the activities, decisions and legislation of the European Union. Admittedly, communicating in 23 official languages comes at a cost, but in principle the expense is necessary to give the EU citizens a chance to be informed.

Looking at the blogosphere, especially in English, I think that more of an information effort would be needed, in particular to counter the most glaring untruths spread by either gravely uninformed or wilfully malicious disinformation activists.

You seem to equate information with propaganda, which tells more about you than about the communication effort by the Commission.

The latter is usually correct as to the facts, although the general problem of corporate communications, gloss, is in evidence there, too.

This is one of the reasons for the need of scientific analysis and independent inquiry, of which there is a fair amount available for those who are ready to digest other things than gall.

I have sometimes wondered at people who trumpet the cause of ‘parliamentary sovereignty’, only to nullify the national parliaments with regard to EU treaty amendments.

“The Treaties and the European Court are our batmobile, getting us where we want to go, and our single market is our batarang.”

Holy cow! Is this the best you can do? The tone is not so much light-hearted, but pitched at the level of a five-year-old.

Jon,

your comment regarding passports not only shows a very selfish attitude, namely the good of this country should be secondary to your personal convenience as an ex-pat in Brussels, it also verges on hysterical. Are you suggesting that if the UK left the EU, all British citizens would be expelled from Belgium?

Ralf,

I love it when the Euro-federalists play the poor relation in terms of media and propaganda. Do you have any idea how much taxpayers money the EU spends to further their political goals? The problem is that the people remain unconvinced, hence the need to push the ratification process through national parliaments in France, the Netherlands and the UK.

Plus we can’t let the UK leave anyway – it would make my life as a UK citizen quite hellish. I would have to get a Belgian passport or something.