h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Yes, but the idea is to make it into a political tool, not only for political parties but for the people who can raise a certain amount of signatures to call for a referendum as well.

"amount of signatures to call for a referendum"

only with a local referendum....there is no offical law for general referendum

this EU referendum was not suported by Christian Democrates

Local? No national referendum. Someone last night, Wouter Bos PvdA suggested it. I think it's a good idea. Everyone always complaining they feel excluded from national politics, not being well informed, politicians speaking double-talk or incomprehensable language. It never stops this wincing and whining. Strange.

national referendum can be done...in EU referendum law was created by PvdA / SP/ D66 / VVD I think so CDA

Anyway, the replacement of pretty-boy-whats-his-name-of-D66 is working on it.

you mean Pechtold. I saw in him "Barend & van Dorp" he is not too bad. he has sense of humor too. I like his suport of Mayor of Maastricht about "weed". Euros 4 billion of weed trade would make lovely thing to tax, nice extra money for the Netherlands Co.

Hi Pheloxi, you have missed the point I am struggling to make here.

Was it not said that if one country fails to ratify the Constitution it would be dead.

Three countries have held public votes and of those two have said Non / Nee. A public vote is the true voice of the people, as opposed to the parliament deciding.

Back to the statement that if one country fails to ratify the consitution would be dead. Voters in two countries have rejected the constitution and yet the politicians are striving to find a way around this now.

You say I look too much to politicians. These are the people that have the power to make decisions that will affect our lives.

It was pointed out on the News here yesterday that the only true referendum on the EU constitution would be to have a simulataneous public vote in ALL member countries. As it stands the goal posts can be manipulated between votes and YES, as I have said before the French may be "given the chance" to vote again and get it right this time.

I agree that all countries should vote at once!

sadly not all countries have this posiblities and creating the laws would take time. time that could be used to explain the constitution better....

place the current treaties next to the constitutional treaty. show the improvements and new parts clearly.

set up team of people who can change political lingo into people's language.

this might happen after the no votes. it should have happened before.

it is nice proof of political sapiens vs the voting people!

Yes, it is odd. I don't understand it. It's

like I say politician are a different species of homo sapiens: politica(l) sapiens

would interesting to see if there is a politica(l) sapien and do they have something different in their DNA or one of their eyes is less round or something like that!

where can I find an antropological genetical neurologist?

one reason for me to vote yes!

good reason to be vote yes
I can buy cd/dvd for example a cd or dvd for GBP 9.99, which arives in my home without extra costs in stead of buying it in Dutch record store about GBP 20.25. I have go out for that too!

I saved this buying 3 cds/dvds

Gorillaz (cd/dvd):
- on the net GBP 9.99 (Euro 14.60)
- in a Dutch record shop GBP 20.25 (Euro 29.99)

Jean-Michel Jarre (2dvd/cd) :
- on the net GBP 17.99 (Euro 26.70)
- in a Dutch record shop cheapest GBP 25.00 (Euro 36.99)
- in a Dutch record shop expensive GBP 27.00 (Euro 39.99)

Dhol Founddation (cd) (not yet released):
- on the net GBP 11.99 (Euro 17.75)
- in a Dutch record shop GBP 15.50 (Euro 22.99)

I sin a Dutch record shopaved GBP 20.78 (Euro 30.70)

Politicians have also lost the ability to answer questions directly. It makes me wonder whether they are given lessons on how to avoid giving a direct answer and waffle for a sufficient length of time in order that the interviewer runs out of time

polirician did not loose it. they learned react like this, because of natrual selection their off spring had natural defence in themselves.

that is why I think a antropological genetical neurologcal study would be intresting.

I would agree with you there if there if we were looking at umpteen generations of politicians from the same family. Natural selection is a process that takes many generations over hundreds of years. People come into politics as a career as others become teachers, lawyers, policemen, artists ........... yes they learn skills to equip them to do their job but I don't think that you can trace a political gene as such.

Politicians are most probably extroverts who are not daunted by public speaking, but this does not mean to say that all extroverts are politicians!

Inbreeding. Sons and daughters of same class producing off-spring in same class, with same characteristics, same morals, same cheating and lying and hypocrisy.

Today I read in a dutch newspaper that the EU and the members of the EU parliament consider the vote of the dutch and french as irrelevant. It's decreed in a law that the ratification of the constitution will go on since it's degreed by law. Then I ask myself, why bother with referenda?

that is why I say we should exchange more between the European people.

I love watch British tv and humor. I would love see those funny plays around xmas. Gaudi building is another one I would like see.

I want to talk to people about it! I want to connect to and learn from fellow Europeans..

we are intresting creatures!

Krabatt, what you have read in the Dutch newspaper sums up why I am so against the direction that the EU is taking. The politicians (an unelected comissioners) decide what they want and then the people WILL like it.

Democracy? No that is verging upon dictatorship.

I supported the idea of the EEC, the Common Market as a group of trading nations, but not the EU as a political entity.

Yes, I feel today like a serf in Alexanders II's Russia.

The EU is in its empire building stage. As with other empires it will get too big and be unworkable eventually leading to possible rebellion amongst the citizens and eventual collapse of the whole edifice.

It is already a lumbering juggernaut when it comes to decision making as so many different countries are involved.

If you look at the number of votes in favour of the EU-constitution in the Netherlands most of them came from areas were the rich people are concentrated, cities and villages like Wageningen, Bloemendaal, Heemstede, Naarden en Laren. They can afford to lose a few bob like when the Euro was introduced. They have a more optimistic view in regard to the EU. For them it's clear the EU will benefit them in the long term.

In France you see the same, especially in the area of Pas de Calais where the rate of unemployment is very high in comparison with the rest of France, there the people voted in majority NO.
Let's face it, the economy of the EU isn't going that well, and with the NO voters the value of the Euro inflated. Meanwhile economists are optimistic that this will benefit the export of products from the EU, so in the long term this might be the answer to the high rate of unemployment within the EU.