Monday 28 January 2013

Government By Fax? EEA Member Iceland Says No

Contrary to the consistently clear... naked... lie from David Cameron (and he is aware his assertion is untrue) that Norway - and thus other EEA members - have "no say", Iceland demonstrates yet again that membership of the EEA does in fact mean having a say in Single Market rules.

As documented on this blog recently Iceland has been involved with one of biggest rejections of the EU there has ever been by an EEA member, one which centred around two legal arguments, over the collapse of Icesave. This has been an ongoing legal battle until the judgement today.

The Telegragh reports:
After the collapse four years ago of Iceland's top lenders during the credit crunch, the British and Dutch governments stepped in to repay savers in the online "Icesave" account run by Landsbanki and wanted Iceland to pay them back directly.

Iceland did not comply, triggering a row between the governments and potentially complicating the island's bid to join the European Union.

But the court of the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) ruled that Iceland did not break depositor protection laws by refusing to return the money. 
In other words the EU said "you have 20 seconds to comply", Iceland, with a population of only around 313,000, said with success:

"no"

The assertion that Norway et al is governed by fax is looking more ridiculous by the day. I wonder if the Telegraph editorial team will even take note of its own report...?

Iceland says no, files its fax in the bin, and tells EU member states that it does not comply...

6 comments:

  1. it is driving me around the bend that the media and politicians are still trying to spread the "government by fax line".

    Its almost as though they think if they repeat it often enough, it will happen. A little like a Scottish idiot who endlessly told himself he had ended boom and bust, and ended up believing it.

    We need to find a platform to break through these lies, other wise the same thing will happen and we are stuck again

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  2. @Jim It does make one despair I completely agree...

    That's why I try to keep going - trying to keep repeating the truth often enough etc sadly it sometimes turns into a war of attrition...which is not good for one's mental health.

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  3. Thanks to this article,TBF, I have a knock out punch for my sixth form debates when the Dark Side raises this point -as they surely will.

    That they keep repeating the phrase shows that they have not had an original idea since it was coined (around 1994 I think, when faxes were quite common)

    It is just the same with "3 million jobs" although the author of the report which they claimed in support described that assertion as "pure Goebbels" back in 2000.

    Going a little further back they repeated over and over again that those opposed to the EU were simply nasty people who hated foreigners.

    So it is truly the Goebbels technique of the oft-repeated lie and their spin doctors must be telling them that it is effective- thanks to brain-dead reporting by the MSM.
    Edward

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  4. Iceland have always had the cojones. I know a lady from there and she reports it was a foregone conclusion. I think they just don't understand the concept of consequences.

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  5. I assumed the the court went in favour of Iceland as the EU is desperate to sign them up as a member. They have given huge amounts of money to Iceland by way of bribes.

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  6. "EU is desperate to sign them up as a member"

    Indeed they are. And the Icelandic political class would love to do it, too.

    Fortunately so far, the people have been too sensible.

    It remains to be seen whether they will be ignored and over-ridden just like all the other peoples.

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