In a week’s time we go to the polls in our referendum.

As usual the campaign has been a complete mess leaving the majority of people in total confusion.

To my mind, the treaty is quite simple.  We have two choices.

We vote yes we tie ourselves to a currency that is in it’s death throes.  If the currency by some miracle survives we have signed ourselves one step closer to fiscal unity which is the ultimate aim of Brussels.  With fiscal unity, we will lose all financial control.  Our income tax, VAT rates, corporation tax and every other fucking thumbscrew tax will be under the control of the faceless bureaucrats of Brussels and we will be left feeding off the crumbs from the table.  After less than a hundred years of independence we will once more be under the thumb of a foreign power.

If we vote no, then whatever may arise, at least we will have retained a good bit of our independence.  The only argument the yes side have is that we would have access to the European Stability Theory.  I call it a theory, as the is a major question mark as to whether it will work or not.  Certainly the markets haven’t shown much faith in the idea so far.

I watched the debate on TV3 the other night.  The no side was represented by Mary Lou McDonald and Declan Ganley.  Both are excellent speakers and whatever about their individual politics they can hold their own in a debate.  The yes side wheeled out Eamonn Gilmore and Nora What’shername from the fucking Dragon’s Den [What the fuck is it about the Dragon’s Den? First that cunt Gallagher running for president and now this?].  They were hopeless. Gilmore spent most of his time spluttering and rehashing the one scare-line, that the money will run out and the ATMs will be empty.  The Den Wan was completely out of her depth.

To date we have heard nothing from our Glorious Leader, Dame Enda.  He is trotting around the country on some kind of solo run and resolutely refuses to enter into a debate with anyone.  The only conclusion I can draw is that he knows he hasn’t got a prayer with the feeble arguments at his disposal.  Instead we get a spluttering Gilmore or Pat Rabbitte,  I get the distinct impression that Rabbitte has more than his share of doubts on the vote and is struggling to convince even himself that the vote should pass.

Probably the saddest note in the whole debacle is a headline in today’s Independent.  It sums up the whole attitude of the iPod, XFactor-generation that is being given the task of deciding our future.

“Forget the Fiscal Treaty – How will you vote on Jedward’s hair for Eurovision”

Truly, the country is fucked.