UK / EU folks: Thoughts on the upcoming "Br-Exit" referendum?

[culturejam]

http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-32810887

I don't have a dog in this fight, but I have some opinions anyway. 

Britain has seemingly only somewhat embraced EU membership, so it seems to me like exiting would be a natural course of action. Surely there will be some economic downsides in certain sectors, but also probably some bumps in others.

So to our UK brothers, what's your view on this? And other EU state members, what say you on this topic?

[Scruffie]

Can't I have one place to avoid this kinda thing!

[culturejam]

Can't I have one place to avoid this kinda thing!

Sorry!

I just haven't run across anyone to discuss this with. I've brought this up a few times here, and the response is usually, "What the fuck is brexit?" 

[Scruffie]

It's an unrelenting topic here and my girlfriend of 4 years is German so it's an unpleasant subject for me...

I'd vote to stay regardless for what it's worth.

[darrenw6000]

The European project doesnt work, its on the verge of collapse anyway. Lets go our own way like all the other countries.

[culturejam]

my girlfriend of 4 years is German so it's an unpleasant subject for me...

Germans do seem big on "unification". 

[raulduke]

Diamond Dave and Boris are making it a sh*t throwing contest, pulling 'facts' and 'figures' straight out of their arses.

There is a lot of scaremongering from the remain side of the camp. They have also spent 10 million pounds of tax payers money to have 'stay' leaflets printed out. I would hardly call that a fair and unbiased use of public funds.

Therefore, because of all the above people are beginning to get a bit sick of it all.


Personally though, I think leaving is definitely a gamble, but it is one that might be worth taking.

As far as I can see we put more in than we get out.

IMO the EU is also in trouble financially, and I would imagine some of the more affluent EU countries that are fully tied in would leave in a heartbeat if given half a chance.

When you look at who is wanting to join in the near future, and why they would want to join, there seems to be more of a 'what can you do for us', rather than 'what we can do for you' theme.

I don't see Switzerland or Norway clambering to get their EU membership sorted anytime soon, put it that way...

[culturejam]

IMO the EU is also in trouble financially, and I would imagine some of the more affluent EU countries that are fully tied in would leave in a heartbeat if given half a chance.

When you look at who is wanting to join in the near future, and why they would want to join, there seems to be more of a 'what can you do for us', rather than 'what we can do for you' theme.

My concern is that if the "good" countries start pulling out, the Union will go tits-up. And then there will be a lot of financial crises in the "less good" states. And I don't much like the historical precedent that has followed from widespread Euro financial crashes.

[Scruffie]

There is a lot of scaremongering from the remain side of the camp.

From the current government yes and we all know how that went with the London elections but the entire leave camp seems to be based on fear from the outset... immigrants, 'loss of control', the boogeyman of the EU's future.

We do put in a lot of money but we get a lot of benefits economically that offset that and not to mention the health, environmental (air pollution, drinking and sea water quality, fossil fuel dependence) work (paid leave etc), travel, freedom (human rights) etc benefits. I certainly don't want the conservatives or any future government having any more control of that, or more to the point ability to get rid of that, than they already do.

It is also a far more democratic and transparent system than our own government, but that information tends to be withheld by our own media, look at the Eur-Lex.europa.eu and ec.Europa.eu websites.

There is no chance of Turkey joining any time soon if that's a fear, there's a set list of criteria that must be met and so far they simply don't so even if they did eventually join, it would no longer be the country it is today, not to mention we'd have the veto of that happening anyway.

We're not using the Euro its self too so we wouldn't face the same problem of its collapse as those using it, any more than leaving would cause anyway.

I don't understand the idea that we're somehow a special country, we're not, just stubborn.

Finally while I wouldn't for a second trust Dave, i'd look at all those supporting the remain side, scientists, economists, actors, writers, historians, comedians whatever and then look at the people who support leave and what there reasons are because I don't believe for a second any of them support leaving based on the public's best interests. Boris especially is a well paid writer of The Telegraph who has long derided the EU, along with the Murdoch empire, all of whom stand to gain and have more influence from the UK leaving the EU.

[darrenw6000]

for every £2 we put into the EU we get £1 back..that is fact

[Scruffie]

Yes, in cash, but as I just pointed out there is countless benefits to society and economy which offsets that greatly.

That money also wont go back in to our services, it'll go to the 'cause' of austerity.

[culturejam]

Yes, in cash, but as I just pointed out there is countless benefits to society and economy which offsets that greatly.

That money also wont go back in to our services, it'll go to the 'cause' of austerity.

Every $1 I put into my local school system gets me exactly $0 back in cash. 

[Scruffie]

Yes, in cash, but as I just pointed out there is countless benefits to society and economy which offsets that greatly.

That money also wont go back in to our services, it'll go to the 'cause' of austerity.

Every $1 I put into my local school system gets me exactly $0 back in cash. 

Yes and that's why your child wont be a moron 

[culturejam]

Yes and that's why your child wont be a moron 

I'm assuming you noted my sarcasm.

[Scruffie]

Yes and that's why your child wont be a moron 

I'm assuming you noted my sarcasm.

And you mine