"Congratulations Mr.Cameron you Appear to have De-Knopff-ed the Sovereign!" #Brexit #EUReferendum #BythonicIndependence #ClimateChange #Sustainability

Quote: "Introduction
        Within the European Union, farmers can obtain a subsidy for the cultivation of hemp and flax.  The basis for the subsidy was established in the early 1970’s to enable farmers a decent income from flax or hemp and to compete with world market prices.  Despite the subsidy, hemp cultivation only survived the 1970’s and 1980’s in France and Spain, with a planted area of about 6,000 hectares.  A renewed interest in hemp as a natural fibre source enabled the cultivation of hemp in the UK in 1993, followed by The Netherlands in 1994 and Germany in 1996.  The total area increased to about 12,000 hectares in 1996, and is expected to further increase.
        The EU regulations 1308/70, 619/71 and 1164/89 form the basis of the current subsidy practice.  These regulations are applicable for flax and hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) with GN-codes 5301 and 5302, which mean raw or processed, but not spun.  The practical workings of these regulations differ in each member country.

General conditions
        The subsidy is hectare-based and is only awarded when a number of conditions have been met.  First, the farmer may only use certified sowing seed of varieties listed in EU regulation 1164/89.  As of November 1996, the following varieties were listed:

• Carmagnola
• CS
• Delta-Llosa
• Delta-405
• Epsilon-68
• Fedora-19
• Fedrina-74
• Felina-34
• Ferimon
• Fibranova
• Fibrimon-24
• Fibrimon-56
• Futura-77
• Santhica-23

        The entire field must be sown and harvested, and normal agricultural practices need to be performed.  A field is considered harvested when the following operations have taken place.

• harvesting took place after seed formation i.e., the crop contained more of the mature than immature seeds,
• harvesting was aimed at the ending of the life cycle of the plant, and was aimed at the commercialization of the stems, in some cases without the seeds.
• conditions are met when the crop is mown at a maximum height of 20 cm or the crop is pulled up by the roots.

Practical workings
        In most countries, execution of the subsidy regulation is carried out by a department of the ministry of agriculture.   Obtaining the subsidy takes two steps.  First, the farmer needs to report the area, location and variety, using the proper forms before a certain date (in The Netherlands, before July 15th of the year sown).  He or she also has to send the certification labels belonging to the sowing seed to prove that at least 25 kg/ha of sowing seed of a proper variety has been used.  During the growing season, random controls on the field take place to verify the declared area and variety.  The authorities have to be informed about harvest date to establish control of the harvest circumstances, as stated in the general conditions.
        The second step is the actual application for payment of the subsidy.  These forms need to be sent after harvest and before December 31, and contain information on the area actually harvested, where the product is stored and, if applicable, to whom it has been sold.  Payment will be made if all forms are complete and received in time.  The regulation contains many sanctions when forms are received too late or when data appear to be incorrect.  Last season (1996), the support level was 774 ECU per hectare.

Discussion
        It is likely that without the subsidy for hemp and flax, at least the cultivation of hemp, and probably also flax, would have disappeared within the EU*.  Studies made in the early 1990’s have shown that hemp can be grown and processed on an economically and ecologically sound basis, provided investments and research are made on improved (large scale) harvesting and processing technology.  In the last two years, modern processing plants, as well as new harvest equipment have become operational or are in their final stages of development in the UK, the Netherlands and Germany.  In a few years, these plants will be able to pay farmers a higher price for their hemp straw due to reduced harvest and processing costs, which will make farmers less dependent on the subsidy.  However, it would mean a major setback for the developing hemp industry if the subsidy should be reduced significantly or disappear entirely within the next few years.
        At the moment, subsidy regulation for hemp and flax cannot guarantee that the harvest is actually used.  The cultivation of linseed, especially, has been abused by ‘subsidy hunting’ farmers.  Therefore, a further separation of hemp and flax in terms of separate regulations and financial support would be appropriate.  It should be obligatory for a farmer to sell hemp straw to a ‘certified processor’ where actual delivery and processing is controlled.   This could be easily established, since the EU probably contains less than a dozen facilities that can or do process hemp.
        In 1996, one problematic line was added to the general harvest conditions which must be fulfilled in order to become eligible for subsidy.  It specifies that the harvest should take place when more than half of the seeds are mature.  Prof. Bócsa wrote (1996): ‘this resolution cannot be justified by any rational scientific, legal or economic arguments’.  This author fully agrees.  This addition caused problems in the UK, Netherlands and Germany, since farmers could not start harvesting when the fibre crop was in full bloom in August or September, which is when a hemp crop intended for fibre production is normally harvested.  At this stage, the plants have reached their full length and fibre strength.  From this point on, hardly any fibre is formed, since the plants put their energy into seed production and male plants start dying, reducing crop quality.   Lignification also takes place, further reducing fibre quality.  Fortunately for the 1996 harvest, farmers did not actually have to wait until at least half of the seeds were mature, since they received a dispensation from Brussels, although considerable damage had already been done.

Reference

• Bócsa, I.  1996.  Comments on a strange decision in Brussels.  Journal of the International Hemp Association 3(1): 46."
  Go to: http://www.druglibrary.net/olsen/HEMP/IHA/jiha4113.html *Bold italics mine.

"Sophie's Choice" (again) #Brexit #EUReferendum #VoteYes #VoteNo Montage

"Madam..... of-course we are barbarians ("it's funnier in ze german"), now vich leg shall ve be having???!!!!"

Quote: "For those of us who were conscious during the process of the "Sophie's Choice" of a referendum on electoral reform that the post Yugoslavian Conflict British electorate were encouraged to accept as a true expression of their democratic freedoms the notion that a "transcendent" N.A.T.O does not control the economic, political and social direction of our country is ludicrous (is it not Mr.Ashdown?)." Go to: "The European Omerta" http://gkhales.blogspot.co.uk/2013/02/the-european-ometa.html

"Either/or democracy is the dalliance of the totalitarian"

Quote; "Cameron's attempted bi-partisan stance has already had it's consequences for British democracy, quote: "Those forces within the European Union which are pushing for the federally administrated fascism of the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership ("TTIP"), and the "Nato-isation" of Eastern Europe have no interest in democracy such as that represented by the exercise of their rights of self-determination by the European Electorate (or anyone else come to that)! That any politician or any commentator should have considered that entering into a vote on independence for the Scottish People without first determining how Scotland (and the rest of the U.K), would cope economically and continue to trade with the rest of The World should the vote be "Yes" is clearly asinine. Or is it? Not if you depend for your power-base on anachronistic institutions which are anathema to the "modern" (community centred), democratic process it isn't! Perhaps Alex Salmond felt powerless against The Eurasian State but does this excuse his seeming lack of ability to go toe-to-toe with The Euro-fascists on the issue of currency union? Certainly the fire-breathing Euro-dragon has become a formidable and heavily armed opponent for any single postulant or squire." Go to; "The Omerta's Blind Spot?: http://gkhales.blogspot.co.uk/2014/09/the-omertas-blind-spot.html

Quote; ".....don't this (what otherwise -?-, would be a carpet-bagging), individual and the country he represents bear at least some measure of responsibility for The Wider Europe's current appalling problem in terms of immigration from the states that his country so enthusiastically encouraged all the other NATO members to bomb and/or invade? Yet no in the wondrous world of  "Unclo Samo" it is possible to consider electing a man who considers that simply sharing the faith of those one has so imprudently attacked be sufficient to deny one entry to ones fair land! So will european democracy be the first casualty in the war? No I don't think so I believe we are at the triage stage now and as Lee Camp ( @RedactedTonight ),  pointed out it is a "Black Parade" we are joining....

Quote; "...............pick & choose "Democracy" from the U.K Govt.! Right we don't want "The European Convention on Human Rights" so we'll discuss that but we do want "The European Arrest Warrant" so we won't discuss that (having openly declared that the E.U Arrest Warrant would indeed be discussed in The House)! We don't support the current E.U structure but we will collude in denying The Scots the chance to vote on an independence that won't break the bank! We now see this Real Politik in all our representational institutions from local government to the United Nations. Monetarism's Social Darwinism is becoming more evident, the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership being the vehicle by which the transatlantic neo-con agenda (now the driving philosophy of NATO), is being rammed through the European Body Politic to the borders of Mother Russia herself (and throughout Turkey and -by extension-, The Middle East as-well). How has Pallas Athena offended us so badly as to provoke us to perpetrate these obscenities? Well for one thing The European Union is too big ( http://research.calvin.edu/german-propaganda-archive/oder.htm ), as Schumacher intimated in "Small is Beautiful";  "a "Greater Europe" will represent an unsupported socio-economic structure and must collapse" (and now the NATO agenda has created the behemoth necessary for the demolition work)!"

Quote; ".... Why should not The Poles (who "don't like" The Germans and consistently produce the lowest turn out of any E.U nation in European elections), The Western Ukrainians (bye bye Crimea!), and the other recently assimilated Eastern European States* attend to their own business? Such would surely be both socially and financially better for all of us.
Take the debacle over the Shengen agreement. Really Mr.Major? Your country's citizens got nothing out of that, is Europe only for the businessmen then? It seems so (quote; "The free movement of persons was a core part of the original Treaty of Rome" go to: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schengen_Agreement ). One would think that it would be the job of our country's "liberal-left" to point out the "diminishment of persons" that not becoming signatories to The Shengen Agreement represented but noooo as so often where European politics is concerned there was a terrible silence in the "oppositional barn"."

Quote; "..."take Europe's foot off the gas" with regard to The Ukraine's integration into "The Wider European Adventure", however this will prove impossible without their embrace of the notion of an Eastern European Union to provide a "buffer" between Russia and The West (amongst other things and surely only a "first amongst equals" with regard to the other -now very pressing-, reasons why there should be two European socio-political, cultural and economic communities), but in order that such a union might come into being the parasite that is N.A.T.O must be removed from The European body politic (and hence -of course-, the international). Also see: http://gkhales.blogspot.co.uk/2013/12/breaking-silence-reprise-re-ukraine.html "

" Some might say that a constitutional monarchy is preferable to a bi-polar dictatorship (but not on Independence Day)"!

Slaying the Euro-Dragon #Brexit #VoteYes #VoteNo #EuropeanReferendum

("He may have the "common gene" but he is an uncommon judge of character!")

"What my dear is this man doing in my house?" Well that's an interesting question young man..some of it (and I stress "some of it"), goes like this.....this man has no right in your house or to tell you what to do...those who make up what could become "your people"  are about to make a decision driven (one way or another), by economics concerning whether they wish to remain in close proximity to our bloodied  former enemies or take their chances in (as "Mr.President" pointed out), an open boat on the North Atlantic! Call me picky but don't this (what otherwise -?-, would be a carpet-bagging), individual and the country he represents bear at least some measure of responsibility for The Wider Europe's current appalling problem in terms of immigration from the states that his country so enthusiastically encouraged all the other NATO members to bomb and/or invade? Yet no in the wondrous world of  "Unclo Samo" it is possible to consider electing a man who considers that simply sharing the faith of those one has so imprudently attacked be sufficient to deny one entry to ones fair land! So will European democracy be the first casualty in the war? No I don't think so I believe we are at the triage stage now and as Lee Camp ( @RedactedTonight ),  pointed out it is a "Black Parade" we are joining....

Quote: "Apart from attempting to co-opt the Liberals and undermine The House of Lords this Tory Party continue to gnaw away at the foundations of all Britain's human rights legislation and legal precedence from a position of extremely dubious mandate, they are however correct in the assumption that they are to a certain extent "untouchable" but only in the sense that Capone might have believed himself so, quote; "A series of talks about election fraud in the US, including the observation that unexpected swing results have been seen in the UK and Israel recently, prompting speculation that the practice is spreading from America (where it is fair to say that it is well documented with evidence).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?t=2856&v=hbBE3qZUgJc

Anyone seen any hint that GE15 is being investigated for possible rigging?" ...............

"More accurately "Algorithmic profiling of the demographics" (apologies), nm    Posted by Gerard [User Info] on May 9, 2015, 10:15 am" ...which accounts for all the "Al-Gore-isms"!

"Were the polls* bent Daddy?"

Posted by Gerard [User Info] on May 16, 2015, 7:16 pm
I just got off the phone to my father (who is 80 today!), former President of The National Institute of Printing, former Liberal PPC for Tonbridge (N. or S ? - I was only a toddler-), former mathematics lecturer at The London College of Printing (both my father and grandfather were "in the print" as they say), in his day one of the top 3-4 commercial mathematicians in Europe, worked for ACAS, still an active Liberal and an acquaintance and colleague of  Mr.Patrick.Ashdown (& much else besides). During our telephone conversation I asked my father; "What did you think of the polls before the election? Surely they were...?" "...Bent son, twisted, mangled and a setup designed to manipulate the popular media" My father is not given to flights of fancy on subjects as serious as this.." .........

""U.K may be in death throws but what of "The Wider Europe"?

Posted by Gerard [User Info] on May 8, 2015, 2:00 pm
Cameron has an hooooge domestic 'eadache but it's not his health I worry about with regard to Europe. We must now have a referendum on E.U membership, Britain seems to need another shakedown but the storm-troopers must be purged following Kristallnacht so expect a Night of the Long Knives over Europe**, but how and where? It will be those in the U.S administration with most influence over NATO and those with the most economic clout in the European market place (and the "all-seeing-eyes" -those who are both-), who will be experiencing the sleepless nights and worrying about who they are going to blame and how they are going to set them up for burning down The Reichstag." All posts to MediaLens message board.

*I did say "Poles"...I'll put it down to a freudian slip ("all activities are just degenerate forms of bending" Bender Bending Rodriguez)!
**Ah! The benefits of hindsight..."Are All Our Polls Bent?" Go to: http://gkhales.blogspot.co.uk/2015/06/are-our-poles-all-bent.html

Will it really only be The Scottish Question that forces the British to consider the sticky subjects of institutional and electoral reform?

Quote: "is Europe only for the businessmen then? It seems so (quote; "The free movement of persons was a core part of the original Treaty of Rome" go to: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schengen_Agreement ). One would think that it would be the job of our country's liberal-left to point out the diminishment of person that not becoming signatories to The Shengen Agreement represented but noooo as so often where European politics is concerned there was a terrible silence in the oppositional barn." Go to: ""The European Arrest Warrant" Should be Applied to this Bunch!": http://gkhales.blogspot.co.uk/2014/11/the-european-arrest-warrant-should-be.html
 According to both our politicians and the Mainstream Media The British people are faced with a stark choice; either remain in The Greater Europe and go-down-with-the-ship or abandon the vessel completely and take our chances on the open sea! The trouble is a two-state-solution does not suit the monetarised NATO/Trans Atlantic Trade and Investment Partnership agenda that now drives European politics (one reason Cameron would really like to see us in rather than out of Europe**). Cameron's attempted bi-partisan stance has already had it's consequences for British democracy, quote: "Those forces within the European Union which are pushing for the federally administrated fascism of the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership ("TTIP"), and the "Nato-isation" of Eastern Europe have no interest in democracy such as that represented by the exercise of their rights of self-determination by the European Electorate (or anyone else come to that)! That any politician or any commentator should have considered that entering into a vote on independence for the Scottish People without first determining how Scotland (and the rest of the U.K), would cope economically and continue to trade with the rest of The World should the vote be "Yes" is clearly asinine. Or is it? Not if you depend for your power-base on anachronistic institutions which are anathema to the "modern" (community centred), democratic process it isn't! Perhaps Alex Salmond felt powerless against The Eurasian State but does this excuse his seeming lack of ability to go toe-to-toe with The Euro-fascists on the issue of currency union? Certainly the fire-breathing Euro-dragon has become a formidable and heavily armed opponent for any single postulant or squire." Go to; "The Omerta's Blind Spot?: http://gkhales.blogspot.co.uk/2014/09/the-omertas-blind-spot.html
 Racists and bigots who wish merely to demonise others and draw attention away from the true causes of the crisis that afflicts us can easily exploit such a polarised situation, this is why the rights of self-determination and the free movement of persons are essential to the health of European democracy.The Americans say: "it's the economy stupid" but is that because they are? The cultural, religious and ethnic problems which beset Europe in The Twentieth Century were to be ameliorated and the previous hurts repaired (eventually), by the integration (at least partially), of the formerly warring European States, surely it is therefore no lie to state that Europe has failed in its endeavours when war becomes the only solution (and -yet again-, and arm-of-business), as in the cases of both Yugoslavia and The Ukraine?