Wasting your money

Via Taking Liberties, the Taxpayers Alliance are highlighting the huge waste by the EU in a series of cinema adverts.



And what are they spending all this money on? Well, quite a lot of it goes towards stamping down hard on freedom of choice all over Europe.

The smoking ban in Greece is not effective, according to Greek officials, who said that they will launch a review of the law that was passed earlier this year, following complaints from non-smokers at home and pressure from the European Union.

The full article illustrates the dictatorial nature of the EU. The Greek people have delivered an overwhelming rejection of the EU-led anti-tobacco crusade, so the answer from Brussels is not to respect the will of the people ... but to crush it with all means at their disposal.

Remember that you pay for this.

Why UK smokers should fear the Lisbon Treaty

Here is a chilling quote via the Telegraph:

'Lisbon Treaty should mean single EU seat on IMF board'

Simon Johnson, a former IMF chief economist, said that the passing of the EU’s Lisbon Treaty, should accelerate moves towards a common European position in international economic institutions.

He said: “People say that the EU is not a country and only countries can have IMF seats, but that doesn’t really stand now that you’ve got Lisbon. The treaty makes the EU as much a single federal entity as some other IMF members.”

So soon? The disenfranchisement of the UK government has begun already. A mere three days after Vaclav Klaus signed away the last resistance to a Europe-wide legislature, and before the Lisbon Treaty goes 'live' on December 1st.

Talk of the EU as a single body dealing exclusively with the affairs of member states, without recourse to national parliaments, should be a worrying development for smokers considering the transparent EU stance on tobacco.

Put quite simply, they hate you, and would like you banned from everywhere.

Markos Kyprianou has called for an EU-wide ban on smoking in public places.

“It is time to bring the debate to the EU level”, the EU health commissioner said as he launched a consultation on policy options to tackle passive smoking.

But Dick, I hear you cry, what's the difference? We UK smokers are banned everywhere already. It's not as if there is anyone at Westminster who is willing to listen to us ... they are only interested in filling their pockets, and we haven't got any money to throw at them.

Yes, you'd be correct. On all counts. But, the EU have bigger plans which, until Lisbon, you had a chance to take up with your elected representative.

Brussels chiefs want to outlaw beer garden ciggie areas - and even extend the ban to open air concerts like this weekend's Glastonbury festival.

The European Commission says the current bar on smoking in enclosed public places does not go far enough. It says non-smokers in outdoor areas are still in danger from passive smoking.

It comes after a World Health Organisation report said workers such as waiters and door staff are exposed to dangerous levels of smoke outside pubs and restaurants. And the smoke can waft back inside buildings through open doors, windows and vents.

Note the words in bold above. The European Commission. The unelected European Commission.

Prior to Lisbon, you, business owners, and anyone else concerned about the loss of liberties when there is no valid reason for their being stripped away, could complain like crazy to their MP. They might not listen, but if they didn't, you had the option of voting against them at the next election.

There is no such luxury with the European Commission, as they are appointed, not elected. They are above democracy, rendering you irrelevant.

With the first moves in erasing the idea of a British nation, as a separate entity within Europe, already surfacing at the IMF, it's not going to be long before the steamroller of EU dictatorship fires up its engine and embarks on the flattening of the freedoms they have been planning on crushing for quite a long while.

And, legally, there is not a damn thing you can do about it.

And now for something completely different-Paul Kearns

Paul is just one of many talented people who have joined Freedom To Choose, musicians, writers, poets and plebs like myself, so lets hear it for Paul!

Brussels is "too clever or civilized"

Time to ditch those Belgian clichés, it would seem.

Remember the days when we used to snigger at that irrelevant, uninspiring land which was somewhere near France? When The Sun used to laughingly challenge their readers to name famous Belgians and come to the conclusion that most only knew two, one of which was the fictional Poirot?**

How things change once a government hell bent on the destruction of everything British get their teeth into closing down every avenue of enjoyment for its citizens. The Guardian is now extolling the virtues of Brussels as a city with a thriving hospitality industry. It's never been so cool.

Untouched by the EU anti-smoking directive, Brussels' cafe culture is buzzing. Here are some great local spots to grab a coffee, or something stronger

As one commenter to the Guardian's piece put it, "Still don't understand why in Brussels there's no smoking ban though...maybe they're too clever or civilized?"

It's a global recession, says Labour. And the smoking ban is universally popular. Considering the vibrancy of Brussels nightlife, one must come to the logical conclusion that both of these statements cannot simultaneously be true. In short, Labour are lying (yes, I know it's an obvious one, but there is a chance that a hermit crofter in the Outer Hebrides may not have noticed it yet).

If even the Guardian are talking up the benefits of not enduring an over-arching smoking ban as a partial reason for a burdgeoning interest in Belgian bars, when pubs in Britain are currently being read the last rites, Labour are in serious danger of having their life support system switched off themselves.

The only beef left-leaning Grauniad readers can find with the story is that the EU might be looked on as authoritarian by the implication that smoking bans are directly attributable to the unelected commissioners (hence the article headline being changed to correct the misconception at 4:47pm today) instead of being laid directly at the door of our weak and illiberal government.

Patronising goons like Patricia Hewitt and fatty Liam Donaldson can bang on about health costs as much as they like, but as this article shows, there is a reciprocal degradation in social welfare which is entirely ignored.

The unelected EU commissioners may well not have passed the legislation which is destroying the social fabric of British pubs, but why the need when we have a lardy unelected cock of our own to do it for them? Liam Donaldson hasn't gained a single vote from any of Britain's 44 million electorate, yet has pushed through the UK smoking ban and is now after your beer whilst his minions are going for your chocolate.

Belgium are too clever for such nonsense. Their objection to silly rules has resulted in a benefit to their country in city travel, at least, and a more relaxed and happy life for all of their population, not just some.

So the answer to the Sun question of naming famous Belgians can now be answered with "all 10 million of them".

** The other was Jean-Claude van Damme, if you were interested.