Irish reject treaty on EU changes

European leaders were scrambling yesterday to find a new path to a more powerful and manageable European Union after Irish voters rejected a treaty meant to bolster the alliance's government.

[FLDZC]

A slight majority, amounting to a couple of million voted against the Lisbon Treaty. In addition to the reasons cited in the article (anti-abortion, etc.), which affects 500 million Europeans who voted for the treaty, the "No" vote of many Irish mothers was because they didn't want to risk sending their sons off to fight on foreign soil (e.g. Afganistan, Iraq, etc.).
This is understandable selfish maternal behavior. Ireland, however, has profited immensely from the European Union and, like other members, should pay the price. Why should German, French, Spanish, Italian,etc. young men be sent to war zones and the Irish be excused?

[BurntSalad]

FLDZC wrote:

A slight majority, amounting to a couple of million voted against the Lisbon Treaty. In addition to the reasons cited in the article (anti-abortion, etc.), which affects 500 million Europeans who voted for the treaty, the "No" vote of many Irish mothers was because they didn't want to risk sending their sons off to fight on foreign soil (e.g. Afganistan, Iraq, etc.).
This is understandable selfish maternal behavior. Ireland, however, has profited immensely from the European Union and, like other members, should pay the price. Why should German, French, Spanish, Italian,etc. young men be sent to war zones and the Irish be excused?

Oh my God. First of all, the majority was roughly 100,000. Secondly, the treaty would not force Irish men and women to fight other people's wars. Those countries CHOOSE to send their citizens into warzones.
You also seem to forget that some of us voted "yes". And anyway, it seems that you're from France, a country which rejected the EU constitution.

[Ranman52]

WWBD?(What Would Bono Do?

LMAO!!

[fedefa]

lol what a stupid post. more bullshit "you owe us a yes vote" fascist shit.

[eurocrat]

The intentional gaming of the Lisbon treaty by the Irish government is quite similar to its gaming of the Nice treaty (which lead to Ireland being awarded multiple and undeserved advantages).

The EU is determined to force Ireland out of the Union if such behavior continues. This would guarantee Ireland's economic annihilation given its utter dependence on the EU market and EU assistance.

[McGoo]

FLDZC wrote:

A slight majority, amounting to a couple of million voted against the Lisbon Treaty. In addition to the reasons cited in the article (anti-abortion, etc.), which affects 500 million Europeans who voted for the treaty, the "No" vote of many Irish mothers was because they didn't want to risk sending their sons off to fight on foreign soil (e.g. Afganistan, Iraq, etc.).
This is understandable selfish maternal behavior. Ireland, however, has profited immensely from the European Union and, like other members, should pay the price. Why should German, French, Spanish, Italian,etc. young men be sent to war zones and the Irish be excused?

I think the real tragedy is not that Ireland voted no, but that no one else got to vote at all