The lack of confidence and respect that the mandarins of the European Union have for the citizens of their stillborn commonwealth is displayed by the hysteria that is gripping them, now that the people of France (and by the time you read this, maybe Holland, too) have rejected the EU's monstrosity known as the Constitution.

This Finnegan's Wake mess was so complex that many exercised their democratic rights be rightly rejecting something their "leaders" told them to approve, without deigning to explain the document itself.

Now these same elites are bemoaning the ignorance of their citizens (much as they disparaged Bush supporters) for voting in a way contrary to the elites' interests. For example, this column  in the Financial Times sees massive instability resulting from the referendum's failure and the prospect of free reign to the forces of nationalism.

Given Europe's history there may be nervousness regarding this prospect, but does it not also show that the current "leaders" have no feeling that the people of Europe themselves have learned from this tragic history?

Ed Lasky   6 1 05