Independent countries
New Year but sadly old
Brexit tosh still being spread. Hey Ho... nothing new there is there? I am presently in hospital so forgive a non-100 per cent researched letter. A letter last week pontificated on our poor showing in the Covid figures. However further examination shows a different picture. Excess deaths over 2020 – 22 were 9.22 percent higher than average. This compares well with most EU and other countries including Italy (12.3 per cent), Spain (10 per cent) and the USA (15 per cent). These are Guardian figures so no friend of the Conservatives who admittedly did make many mistakes.
An interesting aspect of the EU is how often the gates clang shut between them. as national governments realise who voted for them. When Covid struck there were continentwide closures which implies a lack of confidence in their neighbours, doesn't it?
Surely this independence on the part of national governments was one of the founding reasons for the European Union ie the reduction of independent nationalism – obviously not.
The migrant crisis similarly caused huge closures all over the bloc as the "Union" battled the effects of "Merkel's" madness when she threw open Europe's gates to all and sundry. This goes on with France repeatedly closing the Italian border and the Balkans doing likewise. Great show of unity n'est pas.
Ukraine show once again how thin this union is. France implored an illegal invader to be allowed at the diplomatic top table (failed). Germany realised she had sold her soul (and power) for Russia's gas (enfeebled) and the rest of the bigger countries hid behind – you've guessed it – the Anglosphere. Only the smaller countries rallied i.e. Poland, the Balkans and the Baltic, all of whom now fear Russia.
It is remarkable how organisations set up to work together, how seldom it happens.
One other thing on migrants – given the shambles at Calais before Brexit, does anyone believe the French would make more effort if we were still in the EU.
Ridiculous! These are people who have already broken the EU'S own laws by not claiming in the first safe country they land in. French reaction was and will be "Profitez du voyage" (enjoy the journey) with a snide chuckle.