Looking for humorous lies of the day? I can help.
Please consider EU Chief Negotiator Blames Brexit on ‘Nostalgia for the Past’.
- In an interview with the New York Review of Books, Barnier identified “typically British” causes for the vote to leave, saying one was “the hope for a return to a powerful global Britain, nostalgia for the past”.
- He also warned Tory leadership hopefuls that Theresa May’s withdrawal agreement was the only option for leaving the EU.
- Speaking about anti-EU sentiment across the continent, he said: “People on the ground feel lost, that they have been abandoned; they feel their cultural identity is in danger … we have to respect these local identities. “The more the economy is global, the more people need to be reassured that their roots will be respected.”
- “If the UK wants to leave in an orderly manner, this treaty is the only option,” Barnier said. “If the choice is to leave without a deal – fine. If the choice is to stay in the EU – also fine.”
- He also repeated negotiations on Britain’s future relationship with the EU could start immediately once the agreement was signed. “We are ready, we are waiting,” he said.
- The two-times EU commissioner and former French foreign minister, is increasingly seen as the next president of European commission. “That’s not a question for today,” Barnier said.
- Talking about the EU, he stressed the importance of Europe speaking with one voice to increase its clout in the world: “The fact that we speak with one voice on issues of trade or competition makes us a global actor. Otherwise, Europe would turn into a museum.”
- Speaking of his political heritage on the French centre right, Barnier recalled that Charles de Gaulle had once said merging all the peoples of Europe would be like making a purée de marrons (chestnut puree). “That doesn’t sound very appealing, so we cannot merge all the nations.”
Lies and Contradictions
- Point 1 contradicts point 8: Barnier blasts the UK for the nostalgia of doing things its own way while stating “We cannot merge all the nations.” Which is it?
- Point 7 contradicts point 8: This contradiction is even more obvious. Barnier simultaneously wants Europe to speak with one voice while also stating the obvious “We cannot merge all the nations.”
- Point 3 contradicts points 1 and 7. It is also a lie. You cannot “respect local identities” while demanding “Europe speak with one voice.”
- Points 2 and 4 are lies. No deal can be very orderly. The only way it won’t be is if the EU insists on making it disorderly.
- Point 5 is a lie. Barnier specifically stated he would use the Irish backstop as a means of “permanently” applying pressure on the UK.
- Point 6. I accept Barnier’s statement, at least in regard to not fitting in with the rest of the discussion. However, the statement isn’t very clear. Does he want the job? The answer is yes, or he would have explicitly stated so.
Lie Caught on Tape
Of all the lies, point 5 is a standout.
Barnier admitting using the Irish backstop as a means to permanently trap the UK.
I have clips of Barnier on video: Let’s Discuss Brexit (and How the EU Bragged, on Film, About Screwing the UK)
Yes, Barnier used the word “permanent“.
Mike “Mish” Shedlock
Mish, Read Rerum Novum, a Papal Bull from the 1870s. It will settle your feverish heart and give you an understanding how the EU works.
It is the EU that needs Britain not the other way around. The recent elections in the Euro-zone should bring little comfort to those supporting a stronger Europe. Huge gains were made by forces seeking more power for the populist agenda. In short, this is a boost for the rights of their individual nations to have more say in how they are governed. Currently, problems in Italy and Spain pose the greatest threat to the EU.
Economists in Milan and London fear that because Italy is so much bigger than Greece and one of the “Big Three” economies underpinning the Euro-zone the scale of such a crisis would be difficult to contain. Flipping attention back towards Spain, immigrants continue to flow in from Northern Africa. while the national government is in disarray and the Catalan Separatists continues to gain strength. The article below details some of the issues facing the Euro-zone.
the EU has become a failed, superfluous, megalomaniac circus, a hide out for failed national politicians to get overpaid and indulge in EU legalized corruption ! As a belgian, to strengthen my rather extreme point of view, I merely have to watch, read and hear our Guy Verhofstadt , as a prime minister he literally sold out Belgium for cheap to multinationals and other shady organisations to cover up budget deficits….and to get rich in the process ! FCK the EU and all its parasitic freeloaders! We ve got enough of them on national levels, to have them on a european scale is really adding insult to injury !
“He also warned Tory leadership hopefuls that Theresa May’s withdrawal agreement was the only option for leaving the EU.”
That is simply false. No Deal Brexit is an option.
Scratch any oligarch. They all bleed power lust. Words are merely a means to the end of attaining it. Brussels is full of them and the majority of Brits see it. May is looking for a job because she couldn’t.
Mish, the contradictions and “lies” you point to are at the heart of every political union, even the U.S. The tradeoff of a political union is between the pros and cons of localism versus the pros and cons of existing within a larger political union.
In the U.S., the Federalist Papers arrive at our attempt to answer these questions. We didn’t do so well either. Just take a look at a century of contradictions and lies around regionalism and slavery here. In Europe the resolution is even more difficult with centuries of distinct histories and grievances.
Let’s keep our heads here. If the point is that Barnier is a bad actor, OK, granted. So what? Need I list the hypocrisies and lies by pro-Brexit British politicians? I am not sure of the reason for the amped up rhetoric of the post. It illuminates a certain attitude by the Continentals about the British, but nothing new there.
I usually enjoy your posts and often take away some new thought. But not this time, I am afraid.
The sure cure for the EU ankle biter is a stomp twist with a hob nail boot. After Brexit the Brits will buy American food. President Trump will tariff EU automobiles and machinery. Two million swarthy buggers will be escorted into the chunnel.
Not once does Barnier address the problems brought about by the EU nor the mass of corruption they have deliberately decided to ignore.
This conversation is an unfortunate mishmash with no logic and full of contradictions from Mr. Mish. There is no thought or depth in the analysis. It is a destructive cheap intellectual stunt. Very unfortunate indeed.
It’s not that bad.
Wouldn’t trust Barnier as far as I could kick him.
As one who knew him sai; you could see him looking through a window in a corridor but as you passed behind him you understood he wasn’t looking through but at his own reflection to check his hair.
He’ll do well as President.
I don’t get this Mish. I don’t see contradiction or prevarication in those statements. You’ve gone off the deep end on this one. You’ve turned the EU into a symbol of something and are fighting symbolic shadows.
It is a symbol of something and it wants to become that something.
The main reasons people voted for Brexit:
[1] Sick of influx of migrants — same politically incorrect sentiment driving the discontent vote across the EU.
[2] Sick of current economic regime — á les yellow vests — stick it to the status quo.
[3] Decades faux Brussels news conditioning by the tabloid press, silently fed by British (race) superiority and contempt for the continent (French!, Italians!, Greeks!).
[4] Delusional nostalgia for the time that Britannia ruled the seas.
3 & 4 are complete nonsense. Please talk to more Brits.
Indeed, I encounter more race superiority and denigration of southern Europe in the Germans I encounter. French certainly for race superiority too.
As for ruling the waves, that died as a setiment in the 70s.
What we do have is a healthy mistrust of the political class and especially the political class we cannot directly remove and who act behind closed doors.
Add to that a mistrust of those openly stating an ability to impose their will on others and desiring Empire building. Been there, done that, no desire to do it again.
€120Bn+ a year in corruption doesn’t help nor recent decision to ignore corruption up to so set limits as there’s too much of it!
Don’t forget the # of EU countries that don’t know freedom – were under communism, fascism, junta etc from Germany, France, Italy, Spain and eastern Europe.
They know no better from the 20th century.
They are willing to become subjects and have given away their citizenry and don’t even know the difference. Sheep.
This is nonsense Mish. The points are pretty clear:
One of the causes is a nostalgia for the past – or are you saying that no person in the U.K. who voted for Brexit at all had nostalgia play even a small role in their decision? (Note: I know several people in the U.K. who support Brexit and nostalgia, sort of a “Make Britain Great Again”, is a common emotion. Anti-German vitriol is also apparent.)
No deal Brexit is another option, unless it is illegal in some way, but I’ve no idea how they would stop Britain.
The impact of globalization on the working classes of the most advanced economies has been at best neutral, and often negative. I assume you’ve seen Christoph Lakner and Branko Milanovic’s “Elephant Chart” that neatly highlights this.
Obviously accurate, no deal Brexit is not seen as an orderly step even by most proponents.
The current deal is the first step to working out the trade deal between the U.K. and Europe – this is part of the deal May has been pushing, so all good here.
No comment.
One of the points of the E.U. is that it can negotiate better trade deals as a whole than as a bunch of separate countries – this is pretty simple economics, so no worries here.
Yup, nobody is expecting Italians to cheer for Holland’s national team. Seems obvious.
Mish, you are letting your emotions gin up controversy where there is none. I totally expect that the representatives of the remainder of the E.U. to screw the best deal they can out of the U.K. – I’d expect them to do the same to any third party – it is their job and responsibility. Getting wound up because they are going to use the tools at their disposal, including and especially the Irish border issue, is naive.
Many worries when UK imports food and FTAs that threaten French farmers are vetoed & services are seconded but where the UK has previously been strong.
Please research.
“One of the points of the E.U. is that it can negotiate better trade deals as a whole than as a bunch of separate countries – this is pretty simple economics, so no worries here.”
Nostalgia?
No. UK has adapted to multi-culturalism better than any other EU nation, has adapted to a new world role on a much smaller stage – at least the people have. The political class have not.
Lord Saatchi gave a presentation at the Royal United Services Institute that made it clear what the political class plan was.
As for Barnier as EU President, interesting, especially with Lagarde at the IMF. French ruling over?
Hi Caradoc:
My point is that nostalgia played a role for some people in their Brexit decision. I’m not saying everybody was yearning for Spitfires and Jon Pertwee as Dr Who, but nostalgia exists in all communities.
If you get chance, these are about 10 mins and provoke thought. Decentralization in particular.
Thanks – appreciated, I’ll watch them.
You may be interested in a recent article from Morgan Housel:
Yes, read it.
Hi Caradoc:
“Please research.”
I’ve had a long experience with the frustration of the rules that the E.U. imposed as my family is in the food/drinks business. On the other hand my uncle was one of the first (maybe even the first) U.K. citizen to bring a complaint to Brussels in the 1970’s when his business was blacklisted by a supplier because the supplier was selling their goods at a lower price for the export market (including the E.U.) then in the U.K. He promptly bought at the export price and undercut everybody else, so they cut off his supply. He took the case all the way through the courts in the U.K. and the E.U. and won. My uncle was on “The Money Program” discussing the case in the late 1970’s.
Everybody can always do more research, but please don’t think I’m not well versed in the upside and the downside of E.U. regulations. I’m also well versed in the upside and downside of U.K. regulations.
In addition, the U.S. is expecting to force the U.K. to accept food practices and formulations that the U.K. doesn’t want – there is always a piper to pay.
The answer is easy – labelling – and the consumer decides at the point of purchase. We do that already and refuse to buy vegetables from the Netherlands for various reasons.
Well said.
”
Point 3 contradicts points 1 and 7. It is also a lie. You cannot “respect local identities” while demanding “Europe speak with one voice.”
“
In progressive Newspeak, there as here, “respect local identities” only means the niggas are allowed to dress up in traditional costumes, and perform traditional dances at non threatening “multi-culti” festivals. All for the entertainment of the progressive rabble, of course. But only as long as they bend over, unconditionally, for progressive totalitarianism in all matters which matter. From guns, drugs, local laws and familial relations; to monetary, taxation and other issues which could threaten the leechocracy’s stranglehold on the fruits of their niggas’ labor.
It’s just like in similarly dystopian America: Freedom of religion, as long as your “religion” is sufficiently watered down to amount to nothing more than a costume party. Heck, in all honesty, Europe is actually a bit less totalitarian in that regard; if more out of practical necessity than out of commitment to any higher-than-lowest-progressive-denominator idealism; simply by virtue of having been bullied by certain resident Muzzies into leaving increasing space for Sharia courts, rather than ones consisting solely of progressive ambulance chasers on the make.
Religion otherwise is antethetical to a democracy. Without mutual respect the is no peace. When religions can demonize all who disagree we all lose.
Then “we” should abstain from forcing the pagan religion of progressivism down others’ throats as well.
“When religions can demonize all who disagree we all lose.”
True. As amply demonstrated by the “religion” of progressivism.
‘as long as your “religion” is sufficiently watered down to amount to nothing more than a costume party.
No siree!
It is Freedom of Religion and also Freedom FROM all kinds of Religions!. Beliefs based religious edicts shouldn’t be forced upon others. WE are in LIVE & LET LIVE world, in the 21st century. Rolling back to medieval times is NOT an option!
The Constitution guarantees “Freedom of Religion”, and not “Freedom from Religion”, and for a good reason. “Freedom from Religion” means being free from ever being exposed to religion, essentially that there is a state religion, the state religion of atheism. Everyone should be free to follow their religion, whether that be Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, or atheism, or something else entirely. In the process of everyone following their own religion, people will be exposed to various alternatives, and then they can make their own choice.
I agree. But don’t forget the inflexibility of the conservative religious right. James Madison warned about religion’s involvement in the new US government, not because of the danger to government but the danger to religion because he recognized that society would inevitably change and religion inflexibly would not. He foresaw our current conundrum.
Here’s another lie:
I read the BBC article on this where they were trying to blame Brexit for the collapse rather than the EU. Funny thing was, after glossing over the ‘carbon tax’ levied by the EU to bring companies like this down, all of the other reasons they blamed on Brexit were clearly nothing at all to do with Brexit.
With any company collapse, there will never normally be one reason for failure. With British Steel though, that EU carbon tax clearly pushed them over the edge.
European bureaucrats have been getting away with these kinds of lies & contradictions for DECADES. Europeans are happy to be deceived & lied-to… it’s why the continent is failing… no one leads, everyone follows.
Europeans are anything but happy at being deceived & lied to. Hence Brexit, and the Britons’ seething fury at the politicians’ bobbing and weaving trying to keep the UK entrapped in an increasingly dysfunctional and artificial ‘union’.
Although to be fair, many Europeans, especially the British, truly did not understand the depth of political perfidy until the Freedom of Information Act began to surface previously private conversations about the intention of deliberately subjugating European nation states into a supranational behemoth that would RULE THE WORLD.
Endemic and tax payers money. Germans taxpayers must be smoking something. Financially repressed and picking up the bill. Whistle blowers not welcome.
“EU auditors have refused to sign off the EU’s annual accounts for nearly two decades because of widespread corruption.
Yet the commission blasted member states for “failing to tackle the problem head on”, claiming that some €120 billion is lost every year.
“We are not doing enough and this is true in all member states,” Ms Malmstrom told reporters without a hint of irony.
TUAEU spokesman Brian Denny said that the commission was ‘beyond satire’ as it covered up abuses in its own institutions while trying to discredit member states.
“This is a surreal tale that Franz Kafka would be proud of, the EU is attacking member states for corruption under a system it created itself particularly under EU public procurement rules,” he said.
Public procurement contracts demanded under EU competition rules are said to be the worst affected by corruption with up to a quarter of their value lost to corrupt practices.
Around 32 per cent of the companies who tendered public contracts say they lost the winning bid because of corruption, with construction and engineering firms the worst affected.
A report by TI earlier this month found that the commission had a poor record on banning corrupt companies that abuse EU funds.
It noted that in recent years the commission has banned only one company across all its spending programmes.”