tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24338064.post2616017174564233496..comments2024-02-11T19:28:27.997+11:00Comments on Personal Reflections: Federations, the EU and lessons for AustraliaJim Belshawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10075614280789984767noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24338064.post-65670219998421784772011-10-08T15:47:50.024+11:002011-10-08T15:47:50.024+11:00Interesting comment, Lorenzo. Really a constitutio...Interesting comment, Lorenzo. Really a constitution designed by a camel!Jim Belshawhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10075614280789984767noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24338064.post-28500669967355429722011-10-08T09:08:11.310+11:002011-10-08T09:08:11.310+11:00Nice post. The refusal of the EU to learn from the...Nice post. The refusal of the EU to learn from the experience of other federations (and I agree entirely: Australia, Canada, the US, India, Malaysia, all provide useful lessons) is one of its striking features.<br /><br />Said refusal was particularly noticeable in the <a href="http://www.unizar.es/euroconstitucion/Treaties/Treaty_Const.htm" rel="nofollow">EU Constitution</a>-drafting exercise. The attempt to “lock in” a whole set of policies (PART III: THE POLICIES AND FUNCTIONING OF THE UNION of the draft Constitution was 247 pages!) was so utterly antithetical to how the constitutions of functioning federations worked but also so utterly typical of what is wrong with the “actually existing” European project.Lorenzohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00305933404442191098noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24338064.post-7010164603371866482011-10-07T16:33:25.873+11:002011-10-07T16:33:25.873+11:00Hi kvd. At your prompting, I put up a link at SL. ...Hi kvd. At your prompting, I put up a link at SL. <br /><br />I agree with the point in your second para. I know that I can get a tad boring on some of these things, but I really do think it important to try to articulate principles and issues. A bit of history helps too!<br /><br />Thanks on your last point.Jim Belshawhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10075614280789984767noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24338064.post-16287156608302624002011-10-07T15:02:36.371+11:002011-10-07T15:02:36.371+11:00Very clear post Jim - thank you. I assume you'...Very clear post Jim - thank you. I assume you'll drop a link over at SL? <br /><br />Some part of that discussion started because of my own small thought that federation per se was not a bad thing; after all that is what we in Aus did over 100 years ago. Yet the thrust now sometimes seems to be that this is a root cause of present woes, rather than just one more factor to consider in any resolution.<br /><br />Also, your views on where we ourselves might be headed are very interesting, quite intriguing in fact. Thanks!<br /><br />kvdAnonymousnoreply@blogger.com