The European Gravy Train
Apr 8th 2016 | 6:30 pm
#1
Thread Starter
Listen to the Music
Joined: Mar 2013
Posts: 7,424
From: Fraser Valley BC
The European Gravy Train
So the Danes in December rejected adopting EU rules on cross-border policing and this is a symptom of anti-EU feeling throughout the european community, so why is this?
We all know, or think we know, the extent that MEPs exploit their position to maximize their income but this pervades the system as a whole and has been going on for a long time.
As an engineer I experienced this in a small way some 20 years ago. I was in charge of an EU sponsored project. As an engineer I approached the problems from a practical viewpoint and realised quite quickly that the project aimed to develope a technology that had very little future and as such refused to spend money on it. I was taken to task for failing to realise that the actual objective of the project was not what was stated on the EU submission but was actually to be used as a mechanism to extract EU subsidy for other parts of my organisation that existed and this was required to support other projects.
As part of the project I was required to report to the EU commission on progress. I was amazed at the quality of the food supplied at the extremely well subsidized restaurant within the Berlaymont building in Bruxelles and whilst I enjoyed the food I did wonder why we had to pay more in the UK and why we didn't have wine on tap. I was also well pleased when a commissioner took us to one one of the more expensive restaurants in Bruxelles explaining that the EU would be footing the bill. I gathered that paying for the best was just something that was normal, and nobody questioned expenses, after all, the EU was paying.
Now I know that this is something that most will say, 'well that's what makes the world go around' but my experience is one small example of a system that was, is and will remain a self serving corruption to its core.
Deep down, we all know that it's a gravy train and until now we've not been able to express our disgust. Of course we may not be able to indulge in the vote ourselves, but this gut feeling and knowledge we have that corruption is gnawing at the heart of the european dream might very well resurrect, as it has with me, those memories of shocked extravagance so long ago.
We all know, or think we know, the extent that MEPs exploit their position to maximize their income but this pervades the system as a whole and has been going on for a long time.
As an engineer I experienced this in a small way some 20 years ago. I was in charge of an EU sponsored project. As an engineer I approached the problems from a practical viewpoint and realised quite quickly that the project aimed to develope a technology that had very little future and as such refused to spend money on it. I was taken to task for failing to realise that the actual objective of the project was not what was stated on the EU submission but was actually to be used as a mechanism to extract EU subsidy for other parts of my organisation that existed and this was required to support other projects.
As part of the project I was required to report to the EU commission on progress. I was amazed at the quality of the food supplied at the extremely well subsidized restaurant within the Berlaymont building in Bruxelles and whilst I enjoyed the food I did wonder why we had to pay more in the UK and why we didn't have wine on tap. I was also well pleased when a commissioner took us to one one of the more expensive restaurants in Bruxelles explaining that the EU would be footing the bill. I gathered that paying for the best was just something that was normal, and nobody questioned expenses, after all, the EU was paying.
Now I know that this is something that most will say, 'well that's what makes the world go around' but my experience is one small example of a system that was, is and will remain a self serving corruption to its core.
Deep down, we all know that it's a gravy train and until now we've not been able to express our disgust. Of course we may not be able to indulge in the vote ourselves, but this gut feeling and knowledge we have that corruption is gnawing at the heart of the european dream might very well resurrect, as it has with me, those memories of shocked extravagance so long ago.
