- Jul 10, 2003
- 27,747
I wasn't planning of doing so but OK, I'll play. Although I do think this belongs in the Brexit thread.
Firstly, we've not left Europe - we've left a political union called the EU. We're still part of Europe. You may not agree with us leaving nor agree that 'Brexit has been done' BUT we're no longer members of the EU.
There's been a number of posts about 'Brexiteers running away' - I obviously paraphrase. It's because most of us, and I'm slightly hesitant to speak for others, just wanted to leave an organisation that prevented us from controlling ALL our own affairs. We have left - job done. That includes who we let in to the country - not how many. As a member of the EU we couldn't properly control who came in. I don't care about the numbers - double or triple them for all I care, just make sure they are the right people to benefit our country and economy.
Equally, the world has moved towards a less conglomerate perspective - more nationalistic if you like - viewpoint. There is nothing wrong with that. Even the UK will break up shortly no doubt. But what that does is put power closer to the normal person. Centralisation is a crap idea - power locally is good. The EU is all about centralisation - ECB, decisions on legal issues, and while some will decry it as a lie, an EU army - controlled by the EU not individual nations - with NATO the individual nations control what their armed forces do. And before anyone slaps me down on that point, both Macron and Merkel ( although she's now gone ) have suggested that is the direction of travel.
Covid aside, it is still very easy to travel and live in the EU member states. I say that as someone that owns a house in France. Generally there has been no effect on most peoples lives.
That's fair enough that you have the independence that you wanted, but we still have to sort out the unimplementable Northern Ireland Protocol, the new raft of export regulations in a weeks time and we still have no import controls in place, so you can probably see why a large number of people don't think 'Brexit is done'.
And as for having no effect on people's lives, have you seen what it has done to our GDP, Fishing industry, Agriculture industry, Logistics, Anyone who exports, etc etc I think that there are large numbers of people who own and run businesses who have been catastrophically effected. I appreciate that working for a large organisation, any effect is likely to be delayed.
You have mentioned a couple of times now about the house you have recently inherited in France, have you had a chance to visit it yet ? (I agree that this would be best continued on the Brexit thread, so I've put it there )