animealexis | Lisbon 2 and Physics Stress

So Ireland has done what no other population in Europe had a chance to, and turned down the Lisbon Treaty. The No vote ended up with 53.3% to the Yes side's 46.6%. Two of my friends and I - probably the most politically minded of our group - got sorted in time to vote. I think LO was a little bit let down by the whole experience, she's been building it up in her mind for years (you have, L, I know you have); I think LM didn't really mind one way or the other because she got her vote in. She went down seperately to her parents. Mine, however, accompanied me down to vote themselves. They were more fussed than I was; my mam was ridiculously sentimental about it, wanted to take a picture of me putting the ballot in the box and everything. I refused, of course, what's the big deal? ... It did feel kind of cool to go in and vote, though. I'm glad that I had something to vote on in my first year - and not just any general election either, but an issue that would affect the whole of Europe.

Although, with every other government going ahead with ratification processes, it doesn't seem to be a very democratically minded Treaty. Of course, the fact that we were the only European country where the people got to decide themselves (we had to, thank God for Irish Constitutional Law) doesn't say much for the democratic nature of the Lisbon Treaty in the first place. I wonder just how many people across Europe would have voted No if they'd been given the choice? I know we elect our governments to speak for us, but when the issue is so big it demands a change in the fabric of the law, there is no WAY that a government decision should automatically put into place. That does not in any way reflect the will of the people.

I can't wait to see what this will do to Irish politics, though. There's chaos in Dáil Éireann, with Fine Gael blaming Fianna Fáil and FF trying to pass the buck onto another party. Brian Cowen has failed his first political trial as Taoiseach rather miserably, I feel. And with Sinn Féin being the party to back the winning vote, their stock would rise quite dramatically in politics. Gerry Adams is already declaring victory in a "David and Goliath" style referendum (and I think that's a direct quote), and the reflection of SF as being on the side of the people is going to shake the hierarchy of the Oireachtas violently. Here's praying that we're a bit more civilised than a Second Irish Civil War, huh?

In other news, my Physics exam (described quite vehemently be someone on boards.ie in an LBJesque "that bitch of an exam") is tomorrow. Oh dear Lord, somebody save me now. I've done about 16 hourse of Physics this weekend, and I guarantee you that I will go into the GPR tomorrow (where the exams are being held) and forget absolutely everything. Oh well, at least I don't need it to pass the LC! Though it would not be fun to have an E stamped right across the Certificate in August. Maybe I should drop down??

Only two more exams until freedom!!

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Ah, Physics. Last year, when I did the Leaving, Physics was the hardest exam I did. It threw so many foreign looking diagrams at me that I struggled to write in English. And when it came to Particle Physics, for example, I hadn't seen that many strange letters since the last time I wrote a personal ad. I did a load of study for it, though, and I got a B2 at Higher Level in the end.

I'm also triumphant at the victory of the 'No' vote. I reckon the majority of voters didn't know what it was actually, uh, 'Treatifying', and that could be why more people voted No. Simply because they didn't understand. Which makes sense, really. How could you allow something to be passed that you don't understand?

"I wonder just how many people across Europe would have voted No if they'd been given the choice? "
That's an excellent point. I'm just glad we got the chance to turn it all around, and I'm quite proud of the Irish people for not listening to the government, and pushing for further negotiations. I bet if the other EU countries hadn't just ratified it without putting it to the people, this Treaty would have been quashed earlier.

It's quite bad, though, that even now that the Irish people have voted No, every other European government is still going ahead with processes to ratify it. Isn't it absolutely wonderful, how much respect for the democratic principals of their member states the bigwigs in Brussels have?

I totally agree with you on the "not understanding" thing, though that's not why I voted No on it. You know the orange and white "Statement for the Information of Voters" pamphlet that came in the post? Look at Subsection 11, on the first page of information. It's basically saying that anything the European powers decide on that negates Ireland's Constitutional Laws will come into force anyway. And someone said on the radio that there was never any intention to affect Ireland's position on neutrality or abortion. Intention is not the same as power. Also, with Cowen himself admitting he didn't understand all of the Treaty, how did he expect the rest of Ireland to vote Yes? I don't know about you, but the majority of Irish people I know would hesitate to sign their name to something they didn't understand (And I hate generalisations, so you can take it that that's no exaggeration). It's just idiotic. :-) Sorry, I'm ranting. I apologise, I tend to do that a lot.

As for Physics, that blasted excuse for a LC subject, it wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be, thank God. One or two of the questions were a bit iffy (monochromatic light came up AGAIN, even though it's appeared twice and some of the other experiments haven't come up at all, stupid question) I don't think the Greek letters in Particle Physics were that bad, though. Their charges, on the other hand... Lucky you for getting a B2, I'll be happy if I can bring my grade up to a HC1.

Lisbon 2 and Physics Stress

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