Sir, - According to your front page for December 14th, the Taoiseach, Mr John Bruton, has called for the "inspiration of those who framed the original constitution of the US" to deal with the "vision" of a united Europe.
As an American living in Europe and with all due respect to the Taoiseach, may I state that John Bruton is no Patrick Henry, John Major is no Tom Paine, Jacques Chirac is no Marquis de Lafayette and Wim Kok is no Roosevelt. As for those eager Germans who may aspire to be the Washingtons, Franklins, Jeffersons and Madisons of a United States of Europe, even their, grandparents haven't been born yet, more's the pity!
Politically, the entire European project is a reactionary, backward looking, bureaucratic, clerical conspiracy. Friday, December 13th in Dublin will go down in history as another milestone of betrayal for European democracy. The euro if ever it does circulate (which I take leave to doubt), will join the lira, zloty, rouble and dinar as an example of a joke currency. It is destined to become Herr Kohl's poll tax.
The political verdict on the euro was already cast on the first day of the Dublin Summit when, in Liverpool in an European parliamentary by election, less than 12 per cent of the local electorate bothered to turn out to vote. In their apathy and indifference, what the electors of Liverpool were saying to Chancellor Kohl and his euro cohorts was: Ohne Mich, ohne Uns! - Yours, etc.,
B.Arch (USA),
Bishop's Park Road,
London SW6 6DY.