D Wednesday, September 30, 2009 METRO 17 Armed acrobats: South Korean soldiers flip simultaneously as they demonstrate their martial arts skills during a rehearsal for the 61st anniversary of Armed Forces Day in Gyeryong yesterday Picture: AP The Big Picture Is it wise to reject? Costly: Leinster House lawn The European Union Institute for Security Studies (EUISS), the Unions foreign policy think-tank recently published a book to mark ten years of the European Security and Defence Policy. The books editor wrote of the EU needing a force of over 100,000 in a constant state of readiness, or 300,000, allowing for rotation. Another contributor [Dr Thomas Ries] wrote of less developed countries needing barrier operations, or operations to shield the global rich from the tensions and problems of the poor. This kind of thinking frightens me, especially since it comes from some of the Unions political elite. With the Lisbon Treaty introducing the appointment of an effective EU Foreign Minister and a European Council President, I worry about the loss of accountability and consider it wise to reject the Treaty. Colm Roddy, Dublin 13 How far will the Government push the common man before he will fight back? They talk about more cuts while Rody Molloy (with his wife in tow) is given a million, when in any other country he would be locked up for misappropriation of funds. They talk about cutting jobs and then they spend 250,000 on a new lawn. How many lower-paid civil servant would that save if the proposed cuts go ahead Mr McCarthy? Ten is the answer. Ten first or second-year Clerical Officers on a measly 24 to 25,000 a year not the average 50,000-a-year-civil- servant some people would have you believe stock the public offices up and down the country. Poorly Paid Civil Servant, by e-mail Dublins best-read letters page Metro Mail E-mail letters to mail@metroireland.ie with a name. Or text us. Text MAIL followed by comment and name to 53131. *Texts cost 30cent per message + standard network charges. SP. Oxygen8 Communications, Hospitality House, Cumberland Street South, D2. Customer service number 0818286606 talk to us Slap in the face: I am going to vote Yes to the Lisbon Treaty because I am fed up with the No posters being placed so low down. I have to walk around them so they dont smack me in the face. Pat, by e-mail Its getting old: How many times is RT News going to run an item on old people using the internet? I dont care! And can they stop saying so-called silver surfers like its funny, and they just made it up? We stopped using that phrase in the early 1990s, back when RT began reporting on the price of drinks at Club Tropicana. Norrin Radd, by e-mail Tickler: If you creep up behind a trout in a stream you can tickle its belly until it sleeps and then you whip it out of the water. Trout- tickling is an apt analogy for this Lisbon campaign: It seems like the whole country has been tickled into a stasis by the lies, rhetoric and psychological bullying of the Yes poachers. I just hope and pray we can wake up and make the leap before we find ourselves flipping around on the grassy bank! Sen Ascough, Co Wicklow In Brief Okay Natalie, lets put the issue of Lisbon and democracy to rest. The Lisbon Treaty will make the EU more transparent, open and democratic. Cir posters are deceptive in that they tell the truth, but not the full truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. They refer to one part of the voting process instead of the two elements that are needed for a vote to take place in the Council of Ministers. Heres how voting will really work if Lisbon is ratified: member states representing at least 65 per cent of the EU population must vote in favour. This is the part of the voting process that the poster refers to. But the poster ignores the other equally valid condition needed for a vote to take place! That is at least 55 per cent of Member States must vote in favour. Also four member states can form a blocking minority. That means that every state has one vote. So Germany = 1; Ireland = 1; even tiny Malta = 1. This ensures that the voices of small countries are still heard loud and clear. Lets look at the full picture, not half of it. Orla, Rush Sendusyour txt Dr Sen Marlow, how is voting No to Lisbon your only weapon? Will that stop the golden handshakes? Sounds to me like a case of biting off your nose to spite your face! Try and be a little more intelligent considering your title of Dr! Helen, Dublin This Government has treated us, the citizens, with the utmost contempt with the ODonoghue and Fs scandal. How can we trust them on Lisbon! We need a change. J Fair play to ye Brendan Roche, Ireland is a country not a county ye hit the nail on the head. Dont mind the Yes side saying that were better off in Europe, we will still be in it if we vote No! Kevin Barry Why is there always a smell of lemon disinfectant on the South Lotts end of Barrow St? Nose What is going on with bus drivers eight out of ten wont give change back? I have to ask every time and they look almost angry when they have to give me the slip! Jb txt MAIL to 53131* index.html2.html3.html4.html5.html6.html7.html8.html9.html10.html11.html12.html13.html14.html15.html16.html17.html18.html19.html20.html21.html22.html23.html