Thread: UK out of EU

Originally Posted by Phrank

The sky will not fall with Britain leaving...regardless of the carping and braying of the offended EU oligarchs, they have two years to negotiate exit terms.

Britain was never really that, "European" to begin with IMO...France is a bit of a basket case with Unions that are far too powerful, the Italians don't bother to pay much taxes, same with Greece, all are a huge drag on the EU, let alone if Turkey comes in, so leave it to the Germans to carry it all, it's what they want anyhow, and always planned to do.

OH SNAP!!!!!!!!

This is the biggest yawn to come along since I don't know 1993 ........ what was happening then?? Oh yeah the EU was formed. Seem to recall just as much gnashing of teeth about back then. If they don't want to be part of it then they don't. Everyone needs to get over it and get on with trying to solve more important issues facing all of us not some frat house whining.

Originally Posted by kelbro

I'm still waiting for the Obama/Clinton Klan to somehow try to blame this on Bush

Au Contraire. I'm waiting for the right to blame this on Obama.

I hope the masses in the UK really truly understood all the implications for what they have done.

Or the left to blame it on Bush. Tc

Originally Posted by thebigspendur

Au Contraire. I'm waiting for the right to blame this on Obama.

I hope the masses in the UK really truly understood all the implications for what they have done.

If only he hadn't opened his big mouth and stoked their nationalist flames. Thanks Obama.

Then again, maybe bush shouldn't have gotten them all wound up in his witch hunt for WMDS...Dammit Dubya!

I jest.

Surely the people have reasons for voting as they have Let Britain tend to Britain's affairs. Unlike some, I'll not be telling them which way they ought run their own sovereign nation. England was quite strong before the EU, with proper leadership and determination she can be without them as well.

If/when Scotland and Ireland hold their referendums I wish them the same good fortune with what ever their decision may be. No need to be bitter about how a people choose to govern themselves.

And while I'm happy to see Britain taking a stand, I do not bid the EU any ill sentiment either. Hopefully this will be a sharp wake up call and the ship will get turned around before other countries see fit to walk away.

Originally Posted by UKRob

Maybe we should not have turned our back on commonwealth countries like Canada, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa in the rush to embrace Europe. And maybe, those same countries will forgive us - and forge a new alliance once again.

Why do you think they would want such thing? I'd suspect they don't fancy themselves as props to some reincarnation of the British Empire for similar reasons that you aren't keen to be part of an European Empire if you're not calling the shots.

Personally I'm most curious on how much advantage UK can extract from the devalued pound. It's also a good time to profit from the volatility since so many people are so clueless how things work and let emotions overtake logic.

Originally Posted by kelbro

I'm still waiting for the Obama/Clinton Klan to somehow try to blame this on Bush

Pretty sure Trump beat them to the punch and blamed them for what happened.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EKu7TYWNxqA

Well maybe not quite that serious.

Bob

One aspect we have to remember for those of us not in Europe.

We have control of our borders, we have control of our financial policy, our trade agreements, everything that happens in our respective countries our governments that we elect control.

The UK has now decided, essentially, to return to a state we all currently experience - they have ditched the layer of control/government exerted by Brussels and the EU over virtually every aspect of the governance.

Can we imagine in Canada or the USA, having an unelected governance body dictating the "what and when's" of virtually every aspect of our society? Of course not. So perspective is important, the UK has simply returned to the state that most sovereign nations currently enjoy.

Additionally, it seems that British voters have concluded that modern capitalism, at least in the neoliberal form that's dominated over the past few decades, is a dud. It's created more wealth for the already wealthy - often fabulously so - but few of the "trickle-down" benefits that were promised. In fact, wide swathes of ordinary people in Western countries have experienced stagnating and declining living standards. It's too easy to blame this on anti-immigrant xenophobia, particularly when evidence suggests that mass immigration does work to undermine wages, as if offshoring isn't doing enough of this. In a democracy, you can't set up an economic system that works against the interests of a large proportion of the population without eventually facing a backlash. The Western corporate elites and their political enablers broke the economic system that once provided broadly high living standards. Now they'll have to fix it or face more Brexit-like movements in the future.

Originally Posted by Phrank

One aspect we have to remember for those of us not in Europe.

We have control of our borders, we have control of our financial policy, our trade agreements, everything that happens in our respective countries our governments that we elect control.

The UK has now decided, essentially, to return to a state we all currently experience - they have ditched the layer of control/government exerted by Brussels and the EU over virtually every aspect of the governance.

Can we imagine in Canada or the USA, having an unelected governance body dictating the "what and when's" of virtually every aspect of our society? Of course not. So perspective is important, the UK has simply returned to the state that most sovereign nations currently enjoy.

Additionally, it seems that British voters have concluded that modern capitalism, at least in the neoliberal form that's dominated over the past few decades, is a dud. It's created more wealth for the already wealthy - often fabulously so - but few of the "trickle-down" benefits that were promised. In fact, wide swathes of ordinary people in Western countries have experienced stagnating and declining living standards. It's too easy to blame this on anti-immigrant xenophobia, particularly when evidence suggests that mass immigration does work to undermine wages, as if offshoring isn't doing enough of this. In a democracy, you can't set up an economic system that works against the interests of a large proportion of the population without eventually facing a backlash. The Western corporate elites and their political enablers broke the economic system that once provided broadly high living standards. Now they'll have to fix it or face more Brexit-like movements in the future.

Well put from my pov. You do still have to remember that the extreme right have jumped on the bandwagon too so there is still a racist/xenophobia aspect to this too. You are right though in that it goes far deeper than just that.

Bob

Then of course there is this simple and rather older explanation for the EU and possible the truth behind Brexit.

As explained in simple terms, from the classic, "Yes, Minister", Why Britain Joined the European Union: