This EU Won't Work

Freedom of Movement (1)

December 16, 2016

A review, with quotations, of an analysis of the EU’s pet fundamental, by a legal expert. This blog: http://eulawanalysis.blogspot.my/2016/11/eu-free-movement-law-in-10-questions.html offers useful clarification on the contentious issue of freedom of movement of persons/labour (the two words are widely used indiscriminately but are obviously different. Treaties refer to ‘persons’ but in practice freedom is restricted mostly to workers … More Freedom of Movement (1)

Shorties-4

December 15, 2016

Uncertainty still rules One thing we know for certain – the future is uncertain. Economic forecasts are certainly unreliable, as we’ve pointed out before (in Economics and Economic Forecasts are wrong), and any uncertainties in the data dramatically disturb the mathematical models used to predict the outcomes of decisions. Likewise, extraneous events in our uncertain … More Shorties-4

How would you like your Brexit:

December 14, 2016

hard, soft or just right? Diane Abbott, Labour’s shadow Home Secretary, repeated a lie this week: “… the truth is you cannot have access to the Single Market without a measure of freedom of movement” (BBC, Andrew Marr Show, 11 Dec 2016). Let’s put that more generously, she is another who needs to mind her … More How would you like your Brexit:

Globalisation: Ins and Outs

December 9, 2016

The distribution of the benefits of globalisation is uneven, distorted. Those who favour globalisation are among the beneficiaries; they have paid too little attention to all those who have not benefited, and not just the losers. Finding ways to offset the damage to those who lose their jobs is important. Finding ways to spread the … More Globalisation: Ins and Outs

Back to Brexit Basics

December 7, 2016

The EU is based on a redundant ideology from which its leaders are unable, indeed unwilling, to free themselves. And the troubles and crises that result may well be terminal (see our EU Future topic area for more detailed discussions). Brexit is simply a symptom of the troubles and crises that the EU has brought … More Back to Brexit Basics

Press to Reject Brexit

December 5, 2016

Campaigners for and against Brexit have dropped any pretence at balanced discussion and base their arguments on unsupported opinion, half-truths, distortions, diversions and lies. We believe firmly that if the British people – and other Europeans – are to make sound decisions then they need to be offered rational arguments from which they can draw … More Press to Reject Brexit

Shorties-3

December 4, 2016

The Plot Thickens The EU, which sprang from the best of motives, nevertheless saw deviousness as imperative to the mission’s success. Not surprisingly, the Project was captured by those who revel in the success of their plots more than successful outcomes for the citizens they’re supposed to be acting for. An extreme example is the … More Shorties-3

The Butterfly Effect

December 3, 2016

A system of great complexity can be dramatically affected over time by small disturbances, as feedback loops plus second or higher-order effects combine to overwhelm expected behaviour. This is popularly known as the butterfly effect after the theory that a butterfly flapping its wings in the tropics can lead to storms elsewhere in the Globe. … More The Butterfly Effect

EU Still Converging

December 2, 2016

In October 2015 the EU Commission issued a COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, THE COUNCIL AND THE EUROPEAN CENTRAL BANK Its subtitle is: On steps towards Completing Economic and Monetary Union and the issue code is ‘Brussels, 21.10.2015 COM(2015) 600 Final’ It’s 17 pages long and contains an update to and continuation … More EU Still Converging

Panic Reactions

November 30, 2016

We have seen several right-wing – and a few left-wing – populist movements growing in EU member states. The rapid growth is alarming the EU’s mandarins who see rising popular resentment about trade, migration and budgets as threats to their project. What they don’t understand is why these “stupid populists” (Jean-Claude Juncker) are pressing them … More Panic Reactions

The EU is ill-designed: here's why