Europe

CIWFThe farm animal charity Compassion in World Farming (CIWF) bases its work on the premise that all animals are 'sentient beings'. This is not surprising but it does mean that organisations that legally recognise this fact should aim to avoid the maltreatment of farm animals. Amazingly, the European Union recognised animal sentience in the Treaty of Rome 1972. However, when one considers the plight of North Sea fish under the Common Fisheries Policy or the introduction of American style hog farms in Eastern Europe, the short, sad life of factory farmed chickens, force-fed geese and so on, one does wonder whether the bureaucrats ever read this section or whether this was translated correctly into 27 languages.

Indonesia is helping us. And there came a certain poor widow, and she threw in two mites, which make a farthing. And he called unto him his disciples, and saith unto them, Verily I say unto you,That this poor widow hath cast more in, than all they which have cast into the treasury.For all they did cast in of their abundance; but she of her want did cast in all that she had,even all her living.
St.Mark. Chapter 12. Verses 42-44

José Manuel Barroso the president of European Commission sometimes fondly calls his empire the Environmental Union. The EU likes to think that it is leading the world in Green issues.

huggable BrownWay back in 1978 the nation whistled and hummed the chorus line: "Gordon is a moron" from the song Jilted John. In those far off days there was no New Labour, back then we had punk new wave. The singer/songwriter Graham Fellows, as Jilted John performed one of the funniest songs in years. It was a tale of teenage angst, the girl was called Julie, went to number four in the charts and had several 'Top of the Pops' appearances. Oh how we laughed. Well, time moves on and now we have Gordon Brown to entertain us. Gordon is not having trouble with Julie but with the EU treaty/constitution. All of his new mates in the other EU countries have faced up to the fact that the 'new' tre/con, signed up to by his old mate Tony, is the same one that was rejected by the French and the Dutch.