Congratulations:
The EU ruling on Apple’s Taxes and Ireland is not about Apple or taxes or Ireland.
- The EU, first of all, is shedding light the suffering of a nation that capitulated to the fait-accompli issued by the Eurocrats. That nation is Greece.
- The EU has just validated Brexit.
- The EU has justified those in Ireland who would follow Britain's lead if there was good cause and if they see a pathway to a better future.
- The EU has just campaigned for an Italian referendum to leave the EuroUnion--and supported same.
And the issue goes beyond the EU Ruling on Ireland and Apple and Taxes.
In my article, "This is Brexit", I suggested the formation of The Exit Nations.
Britain
Greece
Italy
Portugal
Spain.
I can now add Ireland.
Over the past six years, I have repeatedly warned that the EuroCrats’ pursuit of Austerity would lead to disaster and explained the inherent flaws in the plan.
I forecast the migrant crisis in Merkel's Big Lies? In lies number six and seven, I specified the scapegoating and vilification of migrants and the reactionary rise of the right. The strategies were intended to destabilise the target nation in Merkel's Economic Putsch.
My statement on Brexit was simple:
If Merkel knows that Britain can't leave the EuroUnion, then Britain can't negotiate reforms.
Remember, Cameron said repeatedly that he wanted Britain to remain in a reformed EuroUnion.
He would have had a better chance of success if he'd flown to Arizona, USA to look for the Lost Dutchman Mine.
I tweeted to Cameron, "Be Britain's next Wellington, not Britain's next Tsipras.
Britain voted to leave and Cameron showed an astounding lack of leadership by resigning. Witness Greece. The Greek people voted OXI. Tsipras met with the EuroCrats, Merkel issued a fait-accompli, Tsipras folded and returned to Greece with his tail between his legs.
Years ago I said, "The problem is not that Europe can't afford Greece. The problem is Europe can't afford Germany." And, that Greece should leave the EuroUnion. And I spelled it out. No one listened. My views were validated in the recent book reviews of books by Merritt, Galbraith, & Stiglitz in the New York Times Book Review and in a discussion Steve Liesman had with a guest on Squawk Box on CNBC.
(There is no proof that had I not been distracted by my cat, Zoe--who wanted her tummy rubbed--I would have heard what the guest had said.)
Then we have the paper written by Dr. Ken Rogoff, the purported architect of austerity. I recently read the article about the youngster majoring in economics who tried running Dr. Rogoff's numbers through the computer and failed to duplicate Rogoff's results. I was validated, but slow to catch a major detail.
Did Dr. Rogoff's paper go through Peer Review? There are some who may believe:
- If the paper did not receive peer review, the paper was worthless.
- If the paper did receive peer review, the peer review was worthless.
Nonetheless, Austerity was a failure. And the EuroCrats still clutch retentively to Austerity like a two-year old with his hands down his nappy fondling his own bowel movement..
In This is Brexit, the expedited manœuvre propounded to save the EuroUnion is this simple:
The leaders of the Exit Nations: Britain, Greece, Italy, Portugal, Spain, & now Ireland:
Meet
Read through "the rules"
Use a blue pencil to strike out any provision that encroaches on domestic issues and/or national sovereignty
Write up the ultimatum. Eg:
You have 15 days to agree to the demands.
If you do not agree to the demands in 15 days, we will immediately declare the provisions contained herein to be null & void, not in force, and unenforceable. We will form our own union.
If you need historic validation, consider the Colonial Rebellion of 1776.
There was no invoking of Rule 50.
There was no 2-year exit process.
There was no Meeting of The Empire Nations.
"Before you can leave the Empire, your exit must be approved unanimously by the colonies in the Empire Union: Canada, Australia, India, Hong Kong....et. al."
Read: This is Brexit.
This, of course, is metaphorical. However, it explains, why you don't talk about it. Why not?
I explained the reason in The Unspoken Understanding.
Einstein said, "The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results."
Slim Fairview said, "By extension, the argument can be made that the definition of sanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting the same results.
Meaning?
Europe has embraced austerity.
All austerity measures have failed to improve the European economy.
The US embraced economic stimulus.
The US economy improved.
The EuroCrats should embrace a successful strategy, not cling to a failed strategy.
Specially not one based on a paper that has purportedly been repudiated.
The frenzied declamations prior to the Brexit Vote served to affirm the validity of the Brexit vote. The more hysterical the predictions of disaster grew, the more desperate the EuroCrats appeared.
After the Brexit vote, the face saving arrogance: "...don't let the door hit you in the bum on the way out." made the EuroCrats look more ridiculous than they did by Britain's rebuff of the Union.
The EuroUnion can be saved. The European Economy can be improved. However, not by adhering to Merkelism: an economic paradigm based on the fear that someone, somewhere, is earning a living.
My next admonition.
To Prime Minister Matteo Renzi:
"Be Italy's next Garibaldi, not Italy's new Berlusconi."
Before Italy holds a referendum or an election, meet with Britain, Ireland, Greece, Portugal, Spain; Discuss the reforms; Write them up; and Issue the ultimatum.
If the EuroCrats refuse to accept them, let the EuroCrats bear the burden of the collapse of the European Economic Union.
Best of luck.
Warmest regards,
Slim.
Copyright © 2016 Bob Asken
All rights reserved.
