matthew_w100 wrote:eltonioni wrote:We'll see but that gloomy synopsis is really just another work of fantasy worked around a smattering of half truths which rely on the assumption that the negotiators on both sides are no brighter than a billy goat in a sheep fold.
You know what - I really do expect that in ten years and with a lot of effort by people who are actually quite bright we will have come up with something workable. However I have absolutely no faith that it will be *better* than we have now - not least because not even the most ardent Brexiteer will paint a picture for me of what "better" would look like. I only ever get "not bad, like it is now" which is a peculiarly negative response .
But just think how good it would have been if we'd put ten years and a lot of effort by people who are actually quite bright into making the EU work better.
Totally agree, especially with the last part. The problem is that the EU is en-route to somewhere that's not better, it's much, much worse. This is self evident to anyone who cares to look beyond the headlines and doesn't need any supporting statements, expert or otherwise.
We don't need a picture of better, we just need to imagine what's worse; increased German hegemony, increasingly poorer southern nations, Turkey, the EU Army, more democratic deficit, French political incompetence, and ever more citizen discontent at their reduced standard of living and opportunity.
The renegotiation a year ago clearly showed that the EU wasn't interested in reform in any meaningful way, and it's activities since confirm it. So what to do? Wait and watch as it falls apart, or make a decision to protect the UK's interests which might have the happy benefit of jolting the EU into action? But no, even now the EU institution is solely focussed on protecting the institution instead of citizens. If the EU stripped back to serve citizens and business instead of itself I'd be all for it but as it is we're better off spending the next ten years on the outside and focussed on the UK while the EU expensively, facistically, and maybe violently falls apart at the expense of citizens.
It's a classic case of fiddling while Rome burns and it does surprise me that so many apparently unaffiliated people seem to have either been bamboozled by so much superficial pro EU reasoning, or don't care enough to make changes. The EU needs its feet holding to the fire, not the UK, and yep that might be painful for those doing the holding too.
Middle East Peace Expert. Military strategist. Former economist and epidemiologist.
Not always entirely serious.
-Still learning -