European Union: A Massive Expansion of Top-down Powers

by Soeren Kern • July 23, 2019 at 5:00 am

An examination of von der Leyen's main policy proposals reveals that she is calling for a massive expansion of top-down powers of the European Commission. Her proposals would substantially increase the role of Brussels in virtually all aspects of economic and social life in Europe — all at the expense of national sovereignty.
Von der Leyen warned that Brussels would overrule EU member states opposed to her tax overhaul... She called for a comprehensive "European Rule of Law Mechanism" to ensure the primacy of EU law over the national laws of EU member states. She warned that there would be financial consequences for member states that refuse to comply.... She called for a change in rules so that the EU could act even without the unanimous consent of EU member states.
"What you've seen from Ursula von der Leyen today is an attempt by the EU to take control of every single aspect of our lives. She wants to build a centralized, undemocratic, updated form of Communism that will render [obsolete] nation state parliaments, where the state controls everything, where nation state parliaments will cease to have any relevance at all." — Nigel Farage, European Parliament, July 16, 2019.

Former German Defense Minister Ursula von der Leyen, who has been narrowly confirmed as the next President of the European Commission, promises an ambitious left-leaning policy program on climate change, taxes, migration and the rule of law. (Photo by Sean Gallup/Getty Images)

Former German Defense Minister Ursula von der Leyen has been narrowly confirmed as the next President of the European Commission, the powerful administrative arm of the European Union.

In a secret ballot in the European Parliament on July 16, von der Leyen, a close ally of German Chancellor Angela Merkel, received 383 votes, only nine more than the 374 required — the lowest margin since the position of President was established in 1958. She will take over from Jean-Claude Junker in November 2019 for a five-year term.

Before the vote, von der Leyen promised an ambitious left-leaning policy program on climate change, taxes, migration and the rule of law. Many of her pledges — which would require transferring yet more national sovereignty to unelected bureaucrats in Brussels — appeared aimed at enticing support for her candidacy from Greens and Socialists in the European Parliament.

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Eat Iran's Lunch Before They Have Us for Dinner

by Tawfik Hamid • July 23, 2019 at 4:00 am

Diplomatic efforts notwithstanding, the free world must realize that the threat posed by a nuclear Iran would be different from any other nation obtaining such weapons.
At the very least, Iran, once it had both nuclear weapons and the means of delivering them, would not even have to use them: the threat to do so would be sufficient to blackmail other countries into doing whatever it asked. If it wanted to control the oilfields of Saudi Arabia or its holy cities, Mecca and Medina, how could Saudi Arabia resist?... What about the tempting oil fields of Abu Dhabi or Kuwait?
Since its revolution in 1979, Iran, often through its proxies such as Hezbollah, has dedicated its resources to expansion and terrorism -- not only in Yemen, but also in Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, and by funding Hamas in the Gaza Strip -- to create a geographical arc from Iran to the Mediterranean. Iran has also for years been expanding into South America, particularly Venezuela.

Iran's emergence as a nuclear weapons state, however, if it occurs, will not be merely an addition to the roster of nuclear powers -- it will be a terrifying game-changer. Pictured: A cruise missile is paraded in front of senior military officers in Iran, on April 15, 2015. (Image source: Tasnim/Wikimedia Commons)

Iran has crossed a new threshold in nuclear enrichment. This means that the nine nations in the world's nuclear weapons club soon might be forced to acknowledge a new member. Iran's emergence as a nuclear weapons state, however, if it occurs, will not be merely an addition to the roster of nuclear powers -- it will be a terrifying game-changer.

Iran has already reached uranium enrichment levels of around 4.5 percent, Behrouz Kamalvandi, spokesman for the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, told the semi-official Fars news agency. Mr. Kamalvandi warned that enrichment could reach 20 percent in the future. Inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency have confirmed Kamalvandi's assertions.

Iran's deputy foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, in an apparent attempt to increase pressure on ongoing diplomatic negotiations, said that Iran would exceed some other unspecified limit in 60 days.

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