European Politics

Euroscepticism is a plague that will eradicate all of the progressive and monumental steps of diplomacy established within Europe after World War 2.
 
There's too much misinformation, in addition to suspicion and genuine opposition, and a feeling among many that they don't know and can't sufficiently get to grips with either all the pros or the cons. I've a feeling the Government's decision to spend £9m on sending leaflets out to every home, supporting continued EU membership, will tip a lot of people over to vote 'out'.
 
The Remain campaign has been one riddled with frankly absurd decisions in an effort to combat the Leave campaign. The main component the Remain campaign is lacking is a competent leading figure to attack the fallacies thrown out by the Leave and to decrease the alienation of voters.

Honestly though, to throw some Travis theory at the wall, I wouldn't be surprised if the Eurosceptic groups are being funded by opposition to a European hegemony, which would include the CIA.
 
I honestly don't think they'd need to, if there was such a wish. Euroscepticism has been in full flow ever since the Maastricht Treaty, a combination of existing suspicion and conservatism among public and politicians, and media playing on those fears for popularity/ratings. Plus there's the opposing conspiracy theory that the EU is being foisted on us by a corrupt elite, and that prominent but widely disliked Eurosceptics are put there to somehow fool people into voting 'in'.

The hunt for hidden agendas is getting in the way of reasoned consideration and debate. I'd like to think that in the absence of a clear understanding of all the pros and cons, people will leave things as they are. It's looking like the opposite, though, that if in doubt, we're best off leaving, is the conclusion a lot are coming to.
 
Brigantium said:
, that if in doubt, we're best off leaving, is the conclusion a lot are coming to.
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And that conclusion will not only damage the Union significantly, but Britain itself even more. Trade negotiations will be far more arduous and we will lose the free movement of goods, services and capital which we currently have as a luxury due to our EU membership.

I'm in full support of a European federal state being established, as it helps eradicated the majority of the flaws that the EU currently faces, such as the over-spending of nations such as Greece and Italy, the complications brought about by free movement of people in the information era, among others. There's a reason that despite the American Civil War happening only recently before it, that the US grew into a superpower during the 1865-1918 era.
 
http://www.politico.eu/article/german-comedian-jan-bohmermanunder-investigation-for-mocking-erdogan/

It's a poem!

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BERLIN – A comedian who recited a defamatory poem about Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on German television is under criminal investigation along with his program directors, a German prosecutor said Thursday.

Jan Böhmermann called the Turkish president a “pervert,” “zoophile,” and a “goat-f—-er” in a poem read during the March 31 edition of his weekly late-night show “Neo Magazin Royale,” broadcast by German public broadcaster ZDF.

The ZDF program comes two weeks after another German public television network, NDR, aired a satirical song mocking the Turkish president’s authoritarian style, which triggered a diplomatic spat between Ankara and Berlin. Turkish authorities protested with the Germans and demanded they delete the video posted on NDR’s website.

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According to legal experts, it’s possible that only once this is done, and after the investigation is completed, could authorities charge Böhmermann and other ZDF staff with “defaming a representative of a foreign state.”

If convicted, they could face up to five years in jail.

Merkel told Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu in a phone call Sunday that the poem was “intentionally offensive,” her spokesperson confirmed on Wednesday.

That same day, an internal review at the German foreign ministry concluded that a judicial investigation of the recent program is likely. However, Sawsan Chebli, a spokesperson for the foreign ministry, insisted that investigating the events does not imply that Böhmermann and the program directors had committed a crime.
 
I wasn't aware of these laws. Defamation is almost entirely under civil law here, except for Criminal Libel, which would be something like malicious false accusations leading to a person being the victim of violence.
 
RTC said:
I'm assuming it's a cultural clash then in that case, because I can think of plenty of times where a political leader has been on the receiving end of far worse abuse, and no further charges were pressed.
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Not a cultural clash. Just that Erdoğan has very thin skin. Government prosecutes Twitter users for insulting the president nearly every day.
 
The Flash said:
Not a cultural clash. Just that Erdoğan has very thin skin. Government prosecutes Twitter users for insulting the president nearly every day.
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I know, but there genuinely seems to be a disconnect on what can and cannot be said about world leaders in different parts of Europe. This doesn't just apply to Erdogan.
 
RTC said:
I know, but there genuinely seems to be a disconnect on what can and cannot be said about world leaders in different parts of Europe. This doesn't just apply to Erdogan.
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How about as a private citizen, you can say what you want about those in politics/public figures.

If it were a government official calling him a goat fucker ... sure, fire them. Not because of what they said, but because they are shitty at their job


But this guy is a comedian
 
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The Flash said:
Jail sentence is stupid but they should receive a small fine. "Goatfucker" is really pushing it.
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I want to retract this statement. I thought "Goatfucker" had some sort of racial connotation to it but it looks like a normal insult after looking into it. Even a fine isn't necessary here.
 
Yeah, it's just a thing people might say. It's not seriously meant to indicate Erdogan fucks goats, it's the same as me saying "Stephen Harper was a regular motherfucker".
 
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