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  another backwater illustrating the benefits of socialism

Spain gives up Guinea, so a new ruler introduces "scientific socialism';

"Macias had been vice-president of the autonomous government [of Spanish Guinea] under Spain and also counselor of public works. He had a reputation for incorruptibility unusual among African states and won the first elections in 1968 after registering a protest against the new Spanish administered constitution. The Cuban regime devoted some attention to Spanish Guinea as early as 1962, and Macias was later protected by a Cuban guard. His self-image was messianic in the extreme; he preferred to quote Hitler almost as much as Lenin. His power base lay among the more numerous Fangs of Rio Muñi, while the regime's massive violence was primarily directed against the rival Bubis of Fernando Poo. Of this unhappy little land's original population of 350,000, it has been estimated that as many as 50,000, mostly Bubis, were killed outright (with hundreds executed by the hand of Macias himself) and another 40,000 enslaved on state-owned plantations, while up to 100,000 either fled the country or were driven out. Towards the end, Macias was said to be drinking a pint of human blood a day, according to an eyewitness report cited in the International Herald Tribune, Jan. 28, 1980. As one investigation concluded: "At the time of independence from Spain in 1968, Equatorial Guinea was potentially one of the wealthiest countries of the African continent ... It had a promising tourist industry, with fine hotels, nightclubs, and casinos. Thanks to its rich volcanic soil, the country shipped almost 40,000 metric tons a year of the world's best cocoa to Europe and America...[over the course of Macias rule from 1968 to 1979] cocoa production dropped to 5,000 metric tons a year, and of 98,000 acres of plantation land in 1968, all but 7,400 acres have reverted to jungle. Apart from killing about a fifth of the population, the dictator also forced more than 100,000 people to go abroad." New York Times, Sept. 12, 1982."
[The Franco Regime 1936-1975, p.535]

	The Franco Regime 1936-1975 by Stanley G Payne Published six years earlier than Paul Preston's rather amateurish book, The Franco Regime is far better written and far more objective. What is almost shocking is that it is listed neither in Preston's bibliography nor the book's index. This is best general survey of the Franco regime, in English, that I know. I would argue with Stanley Payne's summary on the last few pages. The author suffers from the widespread inclination to take politicians' words at their face value, instead of putting prime attention on what they actually do. My various reading of Franco is that he was a consummate politician, seeking always to keep the Spanish nation calm and to build them a better future. And that is what Franco actually achieved during his long, pragmatic reign (originating in 1936 until his death in 1975). By the 1950s, the Spanish economy was growing faster than any other advanced nation, with the exception of Japan. Franco brought Spain from backward, third world conditions to being the tenth biggest economy in the world., despite being widely shunned and blocked by most other governments.
	University of Wisconsin Press First edition, 1987, hbk , 640 pages, plus bibliography, index etc. ISBN: 0299110702 amazon.com amazon.co.uk 2011, pbk ISBN-10: 0299110745 ISBN-13: 978-0299110741 £36.90 [amazon.co.uk] {advert} amazon.com	Kindle edition Amazon Media EU S.à r.l. ASIN: B009NZHEY8 $17.99 [amazon.com] {advert}

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Franco was not a Fascist

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is the dynamic euro-duo ignoring david cameron and the uk?

Deconstructing a Guardian article.

“In an attempt to show it has an open-minded approach, Britain sent letters to the other 26 EU members asking for their thoughts on the impact of EU laws in areas ranging from the single market to the environment." "But France and Germany, who form the EU's 'big three' with the UK, have decided to steer clear of the review because they see it as driven by British politics. A French diplomat said: 'This is a British domestic political exercise. We have therefore decided we would not participate.' ”

So good to see that French and German refusal to respond isn’t driven by politics.

“It is understood that only a few EU countries have replied to the letters. These include Italy, run until recently by Mario Monti's technocratic government, and Sweden, whose centre-right prime minister, Fredrik Reinfeldt, is Cameron's closest ally in the EU.”

But only the unimportant ones, eh? Only France and Germany count. This ‘article’ is so daft, you could be forgiven for believing it came from the Trotskyists at the Groaniad! Ohhhh, I see it did!!

“The boycott by France and Germany, which went to the trouble of co-ordinating their positions at senior levels, will disappoint Cameron, who set great store by the decision of Merkel to give a guarded welcome to his EU speech.”

And there was me thinking his concern was UK politics! I’m getting confused now.

“Berlin's decision to ignore the British 'balance of competences' review follows a clear private warning from Merkel that, if re-elected in September, she would grant little of substance to Cameron in his demands for a renegotiation of the terms of Britain's EU membership before the UK's referendum, which the prime minister has said would be held by 2017 at the latest. Hollande has been publicly dismissive of Cameron's speech.“

Oh dear, I feel so ‘isolated’.

“The Tories plan to use the review to help them decide on which areas to renegotiate. Cameron showed the importance of the exercise in his speech announcing the referendum in January when he said: 'Our balance of competences review [will] give us an informed and objective analysis of where the EU helps and where it hampers.' ”

Oh dear, I bet David Cameron is ‘devastated’ and ‘humiliated’. Now he’ll have the British people against him when the referendum comes. Everyone will vote Labour to stop a referendum And even if Cameron has a referendum, everyone will vote for Germany and France.

“Whitehall sources are putting a brave face on the Franco-German snub. One senior figure said: 'It is shrug your shoulders time. We are not put-out.'”

“The Franco-German decision shows how Britain has become increasingly isolated in Europe after the prime minister's speech in January." Increasingly, Britain is seen by the majority of the other EU ....”

Is that the majority of Germany and France? Reading the Groaniad will rot your neurons.

“... as a party-pooper, ....”

Who is at this party? Cyprus? Greece? Ireland? Italy? Serbia? Portugal?
I see EUSSR unemployment is now reported as going over 12%. Is it a party with no beer?

“... who constantly grumbles about the quality of the egg sandwiches and other trivialities. Cameron's approach is typical public school/Bullingdon Club behaviour. He assumes that by writing a letter to the 26 other states, they will all fall at his feet and see his POV. ”

I’m sure he isn’t doing it to focus British minds on the problems with Europe as he prepares for a referendum. He must be doing it to forward that socialist project in Europe.

“They won't.”

Oh darn!

Socialists would prefer that David Cameron follow their non-methods of negotiation.

In a negotiation, if you are not prepared to walk away, you have no purpose in negotiating. You may just as well roll over every time you are under pressure. This is the way Tony Blair, Gordon Brown the Clown, Eds Balls and Miliband ‘negotiated’.

Thank heavens there is now a real government ruling Britain. This is a negotiation as far as the Conservatives are concerned. As far as Miliband and Co. are concerned, it is sell-out, sell-out, sell out. For Nigel Farage, it is get out of the EU and forget about negotiation.

Effectively, Miliband and Farage are in the same boat. Neither of them intend to negotiate or consider Britain’s interests.

Meanwhile, this article gives a flavour of the consequences of socialism on EU countries.

a socialist starts in on france with a wrecking ball

“...when one wages class war, it is usually the poorest people in society that end up getting hurt the most...”
—
“ The numbers are dramatic. In 2011, 56 percent of US investors regarded France as an attractive place to do business. As reported by France 24 on Saturday, the same survey now shows that that figure has plunged to just 22 percent. Since the US investors' response to such absurdities as the 75 percent tax rate on income over one million euros...”

A conservative asks, “How can we bake more cake?”
A socialist asks,“How can we grab more cake?”

[Gerard Depardieu, the French actor, popular hero and icon, has just moved 70 miles, across the border to Belgium, amongst other things, to escape French income tax.]

latest pretendy euro ‘stability’ fund downgraded

“Moody's has cut the triple-A rating of the European Stability Mechanism (ESM) euro rescue fund by one notch and given it a negative outlook.

“It follows a downgrade earlier this month of key ESM-backer France.

“Moody's also cut rating of the mechanism's predecessor, the European Financial Stability Facility (EFSF).”

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