this post was submitted on 12 Aug 2023
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Wow, 40% are happy with the UK staying outside the EU. That's a lot of people, especially given the continuous stream of newspaper articles crying how terrible and disasterous brexit has allegedly been.
Probably because rejoining now means it'll be on very different terms. Luxuries like keeping the Pound would go away
While the UK had a bunch of luxuries, keeping the pound wasn't one of them. Eurozone != EU
Every EU member is obliged to join the eurozone. The EU members who have not yet done so are still to meet the convergence criteria, with the only exception being Denmark who obtained a special exemption (along with the UK) during the negotiation of the original Maastricht treaty.
On the flipside, although Sweden is technically obliged to join the eurozone eventually, it has avoided doing so by intentionally not fulfilling the convergence criteria (by not joining ERM2). Most political parties in Sweden acknowledge it would be in everyone's best interest to join but a national referendum rejected the euro in 2003. The EU seems content to let them do whatever for the time being, so maybe the UK could chart a similar course if it were to rejoin, hypothetically.
Iโm convinced that a new Swedish vote today would have a different outcome. Lots has happened in 20 years. The SEK sucks right now as well.
I think if the EU could agree to allow national motifs on the obverse side of the banknotes as well it would become a no-brainer for sweden to adopt the euro, that feels like the major blocker for the average swede, we like our motifs.
And it just feels somewhat silly to not allow it anyways, surely if it's okay to have national motifs on the coins then it should be fine on bank notes? And it's in the spirit of the EU.
Honestly, an overwhelming percentage of that 40% are likely old racist people.
You forget not everyone bothers with the news.
Yep, reading facts gets in the way of good old fashioned jingoism!
Thing is, not all facts are true. And once you think you're being lied to, there's little chance of being convinced otherwise.
wat
Alternative facts!
Something someone claims as a fact could actually be a lie. Eg, "72% of statements people make on the internet are false" is false, but sounds like a fact to those unaware.
That seems to be contrary to the standard definition of "fact". Perhaps you meant to say:
Okay, to be pedantic, "not all things presented as fact are true"
Well that sure changes the message of your first comment..
A lot of people don't give a shit about anything but themselves.
It's easy to live in a posh Tory area and not feel the effects, or to be blissfully ignorant that some of the negatives in your life wouldn't be there if we had EU backing.
Just out of curiosity, what negatives do you see there being?
Off the top of my head:
Councils/areas that received EU funding that are now feeling the pinch, especially in areas like Wales.
The sheer number of job losses (see the Digby Jones Index for examples).
Reduced movement, and an inability to hire in some industries, with zero flexibility of movement elsewhere. While I'm all for trade deals with the US and Australia, they almost definitely won't be allowing British citizens an easier time to move.
Lots of these don't particularly affect people in the South East, and in many places that were both Labour and Brexit strongholds, poverty and underfunding are the norm anyway, so it's not like things getting "worse" are noticeable.
There was a great article a while back called "the sociology of Brexit". Sadly, I can't find it any more, but it explained the above far better than I could, and indicated why many that voted to leave the EU wouldn't change their mind, regardless of what happens.
None of these seem to be dependent on being a member of the EU, only dependent on a competent government making good financial and budgetary choices and good treaties.
To me these are problems which have been only revealed by brexit, not caused by it.
I'd say they're both. A competent government would ensure that we plug any gaps, and they would have already agreed trade deals with major nations that surpass what we already had with the EU in terms of free trade or movement. While I wouldn't want to see the UK become the new Mexico of the US, I can see lots of British people happily performing seasonal and manual work in the US, and open markets for students to study in both countries.
I'd strongly disagree when it comes to the top two points. They're just not possible when Britain is such a tiny country. We shot ourselves in the foot when we left, because we had zero leverage against the EU.
Logically then you're saying that as a member of the EU we got money handed to us, sourced ultimately from larger/richer nations like Germany.
For me, this is a reason to leave the EU, not be part of it.
They wanted to go, now they should have to live with it.
id rather international politics be based on whats beneficial as opposed to whatll punish people best
You monster
They are?