Doubling down on the arrogance, EU Bureaucrats give themselves a pay raise of 8.5% while a 'price cap' and 'electricity subsidies throughout Europe' are mulled: guess who's going to foot *that* bill…
Maybe the entire EUrocracy can apply for furniture carrying jobs on cruise ships (y'know, chairs, rearrangement, Titanic). If you have an energy shortage, then capping energy prices (or otherwise manipulating abstract symbols) will not make energy magically appear. Under such circumstances, broadly speaking, you have two choices: (1) let prices skyrocket, so that the rich can get as much as they want, while the poor freeze to death, or (2) ration so that everyone is cold and poor, but (hopefully) no-one literally freezes to death. Minor details may vary, but in broad strokes, it's either (1) or (2).
BTW, I don't take all this talk of an energy power grab by the EU terribly seriously. If push comes to shove, individual countries will fend for themselves, ignoring the EUrocrats.
I'm with you on the furniture issue, and I wouldn't underestimate the incompetence and sheer lust for money and 'power'.
The two choices you outline are also correct, I think, yet I do hold the current EU moves (see today's posting) for highly problematic, yet, that see, we shall soon find out if your 'btw' notion is correct. I tend to agree, but I'd add that the EU will fight tooth and nail to keep these 'new' powers they arrogated themselves.
A most excellent end in calling out the ignorant whose main focus is to be entertained. Well that's about to change! I wouldn't be so nice! Well here one time: Wake up dear citizens!
So given that it's +28 outside, beware, here be dragons:
As stated before, the choice facing us is either to join the stillborn united states of Europe, or classic style nationalism as in the 19th century, or ... what?
One thing I've studied as a layman is the Moslem Brotherhood and how they work: in chaos, offer the surety of islam. Charity, aid, active conversion and alliances with up-and-coming politicians likely to acquiesce to demands to remain in power until no longer needed, are the methods of choice until armed insurrection becomes realistic/necessary.
I fear they will use this time of disaster to offer a new path to the youth of western, secularised Europe.
Maybe the entire EUrocracy can apply for furniture carrying jobs on cruise ships (y'know, chairs, rearrangement, Titanic). If you have an energy shortage, then capping energy prices (or otherwise manipulating abstract symbols) will not make energy magically appear. Under such circumstances, broadly speaking, you have two choices: (1) let prices skyrocket, so that the rich can get as much as they want, while the poor freeze to death, or (2) ration so that everyone is cold and poor, but (hopefully) no-one literally freezes to death. Minor details may vary, but in broad strokes, it's either (1) or (2).
BTW, I don't take all this talk of an energy power grab by the EU terribly seriously. If push comes to shove, individual countries will fend for themselves, ignoring the EUrocrats.
I'm with you on the furniture issue, and I wouldn't underestimate the incompetence and sheer lust for money and 'power'.
The two choices you outline are also correct, I think, yet I do hold the current EU moves (see today's posting) for highly problematic, yet, that see, we shall soon find out if your 'btw' notion is correct. I tend to agree, but I'd add that the EU will fight tooth and nail to keep these 'new' powers they arrogated themselves.
A most excellent end in calling out the ignorant whose main focus is to be entertained. Well that's about to change! I wouldn't be so nice! Well here one time: Wake up dear citizens!
So given that it's +28 outside, beware, here be dragons:
As stated before, the choice facing us is either to join the stillborn united states of Europe, or classic style nationalism as in the 19th century, or ... what?
One thing I've studied as a layman is the Moslem Brotherhood and how they work: in chaos, offer the surety of islam. Charity, aid, active conversion and alliances with up-and-coming politicians likely to acquiesce to demands to remain in power until no longer needed, are the methods of choice until armed insurrection becomes realistic/necessary.
I fear they will use this time of disaster to offer a new path to the youth of western, secularised Europe.