Airstrip One

More Important Than Blunkett

Anyone who proposes Identity Cards should have their privacy thoroughly violated, so I have no problem with the attention paid to Blunkett's corrupt little power trips. However, there is a far more important story out there, and that is Turkey's seeming slam dunk of acsession to the EU.

Now in the sense of balance I will prepare a score card.

Good Points

Turkey is almost a democracy (about as much as Israel and a bit more than Iran), that is if you don't ask the Kurds, Alevi or Islamicists.

Having a bigger EU will make it more integrated. Why look at the backwards steps for integration we've made sinve the EU went from nine members to 25. The Euro, the constitution, Amsterdam, Maastricht.

It will somehow be racist to say no.

Bad Points

The second (soon to be first) largest population will be a load of poor Muslims.

These poor Muslims sooner or later will be able to come over here and claim on welfare.

These poor Muslims will have fewer border checks just in case blowing yourself up becomes fashionable in Anatolia.

The average IQ is low so they'll always be poorer.

They're on the border with Armenia, Syria, Iraq, Iran, Azerbaijan.

Oh and they're in spitting distance of Israel and Russia.

They don't exactly have a tradition of liberty.