Please don't use Lisbon to punish the Government!

I know I promised the next post on Lisbon about the charter but that will come soon.

I have seen this in a few places urging people to vote no to Lisbon to "punish" the Government. We are all fed up with our creaking health services, our economic downward spiral (exageration??), Bertie's lies... etc etc. But Lisbon is more important then this.

Ireland has long been seen as pro-EU in the last EUROMBAROMETER (PDF), 74% of Irish people said they believed we had benifitted from the EU. That is third hightest in the EU! Only Luxembourg and the Netherlands have a higher positive response rate (We tie with Belgium).

Last year in May we had an opportunity to punish the Government, we did to an extent, but if people are having regrets now then they will have to wait for the 2009 Local and European Elections to vent this.

I for one am fed up with how Ireland is being run, but every party with the exceptions of the Sinn Fein and just over a a third of the Green Party oppose it. So if you vote NO you are punishing all the parties in favour.

I have respect for people who have read the treaty and find fauly with it and belive it is bad for Ireland, and I will gladly debate their points. But I will not accept this arguemnt.

Simiarly, I do agree with an argument which goes along the lines of "Vote Yes or we will have to leave the EU". No country can seccede from the EU easily until Lisbon is passed. so... thats a null and void arguement...

Right time to work on the Post on the Charter