Europe

Well I'm bound and determined to say something about all this fuss that Cameron is stirring up over the European community. As an ex-diplomat who has served all over the continent, what is his problem? Of course Europe needs reform, of course rules need to be changed, of course each member state depending on their length of membership, have things they have agreed to that would rather have not. At the time they knew they would have to compromise. Later and in hindsight no doubt they regret some of those compromises.
I have no disagreement with trying to change and develop those agreements, change is inevitable and must develop with the prevailing political and social climate.  
No what I object to, is Cameron strutting around and making a big thing of Britain's membership as though he is some major statesman and that every other member country should take note of our views and treat him with some sort of elevated status! What arrogance, what nonsense, especially when Britain seems to want to ignore so many of the other problems that are facing Europe at this time. 
I try to remain neutral as a good diplomat should but I have to suggest that as always when the Tories have been in power for some time they always revert to type and become the strident voice of conservatism, that they have always been. It at their heart and core of the party. 
I say this not to suggest that the other parties are better. After all they won the election which means under our system the got the most votes. I do find it difficult to take when they purport to label themselves as the party of the people!
Okay I am an old radical and at my core is a streak of liberalism and fairness. In our society the have have more and the have not's are getting less and no one seems to care or be able to do anything about it? We are all apathetic these days, no one protests or demonstrates, there are no longer any public mass outcries of derision about any thing of any great import.
The young seem to be more interested in taking selfies and sharing them than taking any notice of what is going on in the country, let alone the world.
Sweeping generalizations, well yes maybe but not ones that is far off the mark.  
As for a referendum on our membership, who are we kidding, we have always for better or worse been inexorably linked to Europe. We fought against them formed alliances, defended one against the other and our history is more firmly intertwined than with any other part of the world. It would be folly to leave, irrespective of regulations we may not agree with and reform that is needed.
Enough.