Cranky Bastard

WSJ.com - Marianne Unfaithful: "The French, the Dutch, and other Europeans have lost patience with political systems that seem increasingly remote and political elites that seem increasingly disdainful of the interests and values of the people they claim to represent. If the French voted 'non,' because they sensed that the EU Constitution would aggravate those problems, then they voted very shrewdly. Indeed, only a political system as seemingly remote and disdainful as the EU has become could have produced a document like the EU Constitution: interminably long, confusingly organized, obscure in its effects, and in many crucial spots almost deceptive in its purposes. It seems almost too heavy-handedly symbolic that while the U.S. Constitution opens with the resounding words, 'We the People of the United States,' the first words of the EU Constitution are: 'His Majesty the King of the Belgians . . .'"

The very conservative talking heads that have had so much fun at the Frenchies expense seem to now admit their intelligence. Sour 'Kraut said a similar bit yesterday on Brit Hume's show. While they are anti-American, they also seem to be anti-outright socialist. They might like some socialism in their societies, but putting all of the power of Europe in the hands of Schroeder and Chirac seemed more than they could bear. It is also interesting, as Krauthammer noted yesterday, that the English did not have to be the cold water on the EU, but rather it was the French and will likely also be the Dutch today. By the time the vote comes around to the English sometime next year, the verdict will long be understood. I don't know enough about any of this to have an opinion to espouse here now, but I find nearly all of it interesting.