It’s been 15 years today since the Norwegian public turned down an EU membership in the 1994 referendum, held on Monday 28 November. After a long and heated debate the nay-sayers drew the longest straw, winning 52.2 percent of the votes, on an 88.6 percent turnout.

As an (extremely) active member of the European [...]]]>

It’s been 15 years today since the Norwegian public turned down an EU membership in the 1994 referendum, held on Monday 28 November. After a long and heated debate the nay-sayers drew the longest straw, winning 52.2 percent of the votes, on an 88.6 percent turnout.

As an (extremely) active member of the European Movement at the time, I would be lying if I declared myself unaffected by the outcome, like the rest of the remaining 47,8 percent yes voters. The European Movement held a party in central Oslo that night that I attended, alongside other EU activists. Spurred by the Swedes’, the Finns’ and the Austrians’ loud and clear yes during their respective referendums that autumn, we expected nothing short of a landslide in favour of an EU membership.

The Norwegian EU polls at some point during Monday 28 November 1994.

Which made our defeat all the harder to accept, of course. I saw hardened politicians crying in corridors and hallways – or sitting face-in-hands on steps. Personally I found no comfort in the whopping 76 percent victory (the exact figure has escaped me over the years) in my own township, Oslo’s Nordstrand, at the time, where I personally set up a local European Movement chapter. For weeks on end I spent my days in silent apathy, until, being father of two little boys, Christmas brutally jerked me out of it.

So you see, today I just want to remain silent, even though I’m not entirely convinced that we deserve being accepted into the EU.

See also: A bitter-sweet celebration

We all remember how the Democrats used to scorn the Bush administration for Guantanamo and the CIA’s waterboarding practice – once it was publicly known. It turns out, however, that

A top aide to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi attended a CIA briefing in early 2003 in which it was made clear that waterboarding [...]]]>

We all remember how the Democrats used to scorn the Bush administration for Guantanamo and the CIA’s waterboarding practice – once it was publicly known. It turns out, however, that

A top aide to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi attended a CIA briefing in early 2003 in which it was made clear that waterboarding and other harsh techniques were being used in the interrogation of an alleged al-Qaeda operative, according to documents the CIA released to Congress on Thursday.

— The Washington Post

Pelosi herself denies any direct (wtf!?) knowledge of the CIA practice, but, still according to The Post

Michael Sheehy, a top Pelosi aide, was present for a classified briefing that included Rep. Jane Harman (D-Calif.), then the ranking minority member of the House intelligence committee, at which agency officials discussed the use of waterboarding on terrorism suspect Abu Zubaida.

Well waddayaknow… (the posting continues after video clip)

www.youtube.com/watch?v=SuYrp2tP1Wo

U.S. President Barack Obama (D).

“I can stand here today and say without equivocation or exception that the United States of America does not and will not torture,” president Barack Obama said on his visit to the CIA last April, followed by “Don’t be discouraged that we have to acknowledge potentially we’ve made some mistakes,” Obama told the CIA staff. “That’s how we learn. But the fact that we are willing to acknowledge them and then move forward, that is precisely why I am proud to be president of the United States, and that’s why you should be proud to be members of the CIA.” (The San Francisco Chronicle)

But if he – and other leading Democrats – were aware of CIA torture as early as 2003, 2002, maybe, the Democrat’s Bush criticism over both Guantanamo and the waterboarding practice definitely does sound a little hollow. To say the least.

You may also want to see this, by the way, recently released by Amnesty Int’l:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=09m798EcJxI

Scandinavian media coverage:

• – Demokratene var informert om vanntorturen – db.no
• And that’s it – so far

P.S. I apologise if the post appears a little under par, even by my standards, but coherent blogging interrupted by kids, constant domestic chores and work, as is the case with most of my blogging, I’m afraid, is something pretty damned close to impossible. Please bear with me.

Top photo: U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D)