DUBLIN (Reuters) – Irish voters went to the polls on Thursday to determine the fate of the European Union’s reform treaty in a referendum that could easily go either way.

There’s been a lot of talk about this treaty here at the moment. Some say yes its a good thing, others that it isn’t. I already know what way I’m going to vote later on. All the literature that has been handed out or come through my mailbox is vague in the extreme, at least from the ‘Yes’ side anyway. They say that the E.U. has been good to Ireland so we should do what they want, that because large scale business’s say its a good thing that we should think that way too. Most of their promises are in the humanitatian area and merely promise that we will send more troops to every warzone in the world. They promise to make it more democratic by basing the member votes not on the country but on the population. This means that Ireland will get 1 vote while France or Germany might get 10. Yes they have bigger populations but the wants and needs of those countries are not the wants and needs of Ireland all the time. If we are to vote against them we will lose every time whether we have a point or not. Whats democratic about that?

The ‘Yes’ vote also will mean a unified E.U. army. Is this needed? Perhaps, it is a dangerous world out there after all. Is it wanted? I would say no to be honest. Super states have a tendency to create war rather than stop them.

On the other hand the ‘No’ vote has clearly made it known that should the treaty go through then the health and education sectors in this country will be privatised. That is a terrible idea. Soon you would have a situation that you do in America. Only the rich would be able to go to college without crippling themselves financially for the next 10 or so years and everyone else will either have to take un-employment which the country could not cope with, if it followed the American model then the youth would join the army. Again this is just speculation but a possible future none the less.

The quoted article can be read in full here.

I know what way I’m going to vote. I just hope that regardless of who wins that in the end, the people and the country do.