Apparently the Irish have been intimidated by current economic issues into voting away their sovereignty, reversing the courageous stand they took less than two years ago.

Ireland backs EU's Lisbon Treaty BBC News Saturday 3 October 2009

The pressure was enormous. Even our intelligent friend The Irish Savant was swayed.

Here at VDARE.com we follow Alexander Solzhenitsyn’s doctrine. Nations are the wealth of mankind. Why the Irish, having been such a bore for the English-speaking world for centuries because of their endless bitching about independence, should agree to be ruled by a gang of bureaucrats from Continental Europe, (with its dismal history), is mystifying.

But that is not the point of this blog. The point is that this is another triumph of the elite over the electorate. Being in the EU has always been pleasant for the European elites, who can access huge patronage from Brussels and play on a bigger stage. And in Ireland they made it plain that they would continue re-running this referendum until chance circumstances or fatigue gave them a victory. (The treaty itself has not been amended at all.) After that — no more votes.

Exactly how key social issues are decided in America — although here of course they also have the Trump card of the Supreme Court.

A bad day for freedom.