Damn you, Cameron

[Kirov]

Pity we can't swear on this board, I really, really need to vent. I'm so, so pissed. [blasphemy], Cameron, you effing swat. You pig-loving vanker. You mewling [ladyparts]. First austerity measures, because if anyone needs more money, it's the City banks. No better way to drive people away from common policies. And then the referendum, which was supposed to be just a political move to appease anti-EU Tories. And now you've done it. Jesus Christ, you're more stupid than that guy from Cohens' Fargo.

Well, so I guess this is it. The EU can only take so much. Nice to be a part of it for a moment, but it seems good things never last. Whatever project it is scaled down to, I doubt Poland under its current government finds its way in.

How's the weather in southern Canada? I prefer warmer areas, but I guess you can't be too picky nowadays. Did T rump mention anything about invading Canada?

Cufk!

[Dale]

Conservatives have been pushed to the limit by socialist Govts in a number of countries and are revolting against the system.

See T rump.
See Brexit.
Australia on July 2? Maybe.

[Buster's Uncle]

...Without knowing more about the EU, Brexit seems like a bad idea, long-run, aside from generally not liking it on account of who's for it...

[Kirov]

...Without knowing more about the EU, Brexit seems like a bad idea, long-run, aside from generally not liking it on account of who's for it...

I hate being pompous, but I reckon the EU to be one of the best political projects in the history of civilization, for all its shortcomings and needs for reform (quite obvious now). But many people agree that Brexit will start the domino effect and spell the end of the EU as we know it. Great news for Putin, not so for the Brits, Continental Europe and the US as our main strategic partner. So there is that.

I don't think I've heard good international political news since 2008. I'm only half-joking about moving to Trudeau's Canada, there's only so much we can take here before it all falls down, and it's been a continuous barrage of blows for the past 8 years.

One day, people will invent a time machine and go back in time to dispose of young Cameron before it all started.

For Chrissake, David.

[Buster's Uncle]

You know, I come from a country born in revolution, separatism and the standard childhood political indoctrination that goes with it (and I was 11 for the Bicentennial) - but it still seems, on the face of it, a good and worthwhile, indeed wonderful, thing for peoples to unite and pull together.  -Pragmatically as well as idealistically...

-Religious kooks here hate the EU, BTW, seeing it as antichrist 666 stuff from Revelations and a sign of the End Times - the same kooks who go out and vote/campaign for ultra-right hate politics...

[Kirov]

Yeah, it's funny how the very people who talk so much about paradise will only bring you hell on earth if you let them. Unfortunately, since the 2008 recession they seem to enjoy a winning streak. The old "get screwed over by the rich, scapegoat the immigrants" holds as true as ever.

I know the story of the Limbaughs over your place about the EU. As you can imagine, it's as a smart opinion as everything else they spew. Still, the EU is a crucial partner in the US foreign policy, the only continent you don't really have to worry about and which provides substantial backing on many international forums. A weak EU is a blow to US policymakers, too.

[Spacy]

Let me prefix by admitting I don't know that much about the EU (from a political standpoint) and BREXIT. 

What exactly, did the EU do for Britain other than add another layer of bureaucracy?  Other than trade (which, was limited anyways as Britain chose to keep the Pound instead of switching to the euro, right?), which can also be separately negotiated as was done before the EU, what did the EU do?  What was it supposed to do?

These are the points that made it to my awareness:
EU provides unlimited support for refugees, and demands that refugees be allowed into various areas.  Big issues for the locals who see refugees flooding in, taking money and demanding services, instead of staying home and fixing their own screwed up countries.

EU provides trade within the EU, but high restrictions to those outside the EU (this was, I think, a big selling point as Britain generally has good relations with its former colonies like Australia, India, Canada, etc. - that will get better, and more global, trade deals now that the EU regulations are out?)

The EU wishes to protect the policies of countries like Greece, Ireland, Portugal and to a lesser extent Spain, where they have economic issues and it appears that the EU (not the countries, but the EU organization itself) misled others about the extent of their economic policies and their impacts in order to get them into the EU itself.  Greece was under the impression that the EU would back all their mismanagement and spending, and the EU left everybody else with the impression that the Greeks are OK... until they were not OK...  What sort of Due Diligence did the EU do before letting Greece in?

Do people trust the EU?  My sister-in-law lives in Germany, and from what she said people there make fun of the EU as an organization.

Is the EU democratic?  I heard that when it came time to ratify the EU constitution, it was voted down by the EU population.  Yet, Brussels said that it was going to implement it (or at least major parts of it) anyways?

Leaving the EU won't impact Britain in terms of NATO (which the EU isn't a part of), so defense doesn't appear to be an issue.

Other than trade (which the EU does with unified currency and open borders) what else is the EU supposed to do?  They don't build or maintain infrastructure.  They don't provide for a common defense.  I guess I just don't understand the purpose of it other than to remove local governments and implement a sort of federal government over all other states. 



As I said, I am not really in touch with a lot of the issues, and the ones I am in touch with I have no idea how true or important they really are.  Other than the short term uncertainty regarding what next (which is translating into a lot of lower stock prices for now), which I see dying away as plans come out and people figure out that the future isn't too scary, what is really wrong for leaving behind a system that doesn't seam to do much?

[Buster's Uncle]

-I gather Merkle's presidency -or what ever- has been unpopular on top of the deeply troubling idea of Germany dominating an all-Europe organization...

[Valka]

How's the weather in southern Canada? I prefer warmer areas, but I guess you can't be too picky nowadays. Did T rump mention anything about invading Canada?

[Sleezebag] wants a wall here, too... although if he gets in, I can think of a lot of people who build one just to keep him out.

If you want warm weather, southern British Columbia is your best bet. If you opt for anywhere near Vancouver, bring money. The housing and rents are insane.