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http://www.iol.ie/~saoirse/current/saoirse.htm Saoirse Irish Freedom October 10, 2002 NO to NATO. . . NO to NATO . . . NO to NICE “THE people of the 26 Counties had shouted 'stop' to the ever-tightening EU grip in June 2001 when they voted down the Nice Treaty by 54% to 46% -- yet this decisive rejection has been ignored by the establishment politicians,” said Ruairé Ó Brádaigh, President of Republican Sinn Féin, at a press conference in Dublin on September 24, to launch the organisation's campaign for a ‘No’ vote in the Nice referendum on October 19 next. Republican Sinn Féin called on the people to repeat this rejection of EU militarisation, centralisation and domination by the larger states: The centralisation of power through the abolition of the veto power of member-states in 30 different areas removes a vital protection for Irish interests. Nice involves domination by the larger states, Germany, France, Britain and Italy by a decisive shift away from equality among the member-states. The four large states will have their voting power trebled while the remainder will have theirs doubled. Nice is another step undermining neutrality and towards the creation of a nuclear-armed superstate, a new European Empire. It consolidates progress towards and creation of a European Army Rapid Reaction Force which can operate 2,500 miles beyond the borders of the EU. Republican Sinn Féin does not oppose new members joining the EU. Five can do so immediately. Others can join individually as happened down the years. But we oppose building a union dominated and militarised by the large states before the new members are admitted. “It is time to teach those politicians a lesson,” Ó Brádaigh said, “and to show them that the building of a European superstate at the expense of smaller nations is not the way to go in the long-term.” The Republican Movement's view of the Europe of the future has always been a “Europe of peoples and not of the existing states,” many of which are multi-national in character, James Connolly advocated a “free federation of free peoples” for Europe and it was in keeping with this concept that the Movement had approached the European ideal down the decades. “Deeper EU integration” is the catchphrase of Germany, Britain, France and Italy and it is past time to halt this process. Denmark had secured a Protocol when it rejected Maastricht, releasing it from EU military commitments, Britain was absolved from the Social Chapter of Maastricht and with several other states was not part of the Euro common currency. Far from asserting its independence following the people's rejection of Nice, the 26-County State had got merely a non-binding “declaration”. The proposed constitutional amendment did not provide for a referendum before neutrality was finally abandoned. Observer status at the Western European Union, a pillar of the NATO alliance; membership of the Partnership for Peace without the guaranteed referendum, the Rapid Reaction Force, US war-planes at Shannon Airport and other moves clearly indicated that neutrality was being gradually sliced away. This is not what the people of Ireland want. It is time to say “No” once more and bring the arrogance of the Establishment to a halt. Republican Sinn Féin is distributing tens of thousands of leaflets and displaying posters as part of its ongoing "No to Nice" campaign. __________________________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Faith Hill - Exclusive Performances, Videos & More http://faith.yahoo.com --------------------------- ANTI-NATO INFORMATION LIST ==^================================================================ This email was sent to: archive@jab.org EASY UNSUBSCRIBE click here: http://topica.com/u/?a84x2u.bacIlu Or send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] T O P I C A -- Register now to manage your mail! http://www.topica.com/partner/tag02/register ==^================================================================
