Little over a week to go now and the opinion polls seem to show “leave” pulling slightly ahead.
Of course, the polls can get it wrong (the last UK general election being a case in point.) It’s possible that the actual result will be a clear vote to stay in the EU.
But equally the infamous Brexit COULD REALLY BE ABOUT TO HAPPEN!
This is going to be interesting.
Here’s what British scientist and YouTube personality Phil Mason, aka Thunderf00t, has to say about the Brexit:
There are some interesting (and often very passionate views) on both sides of this debate we’re having. For some people the issue of sovereignty is most important.
(I am not entirely certain myself.)
This is not the European Union, this is a German Fourth Reich. Socialists and liberals destroyed all European values and hopes for the future. Europe is overrun with people from Africa and Asia (as Britons certainly know very well). This is just the beginning and it never ends. A frustration of ordinary people is enormous, only they remain concerns and fear of an uncertain future. My voice is gone!
Unfortunately your concerns about being replaced in our own lands will almost certainly see you labelled a ‘racist’ or some other such thing.
Your comments are spot on.
The US or Canada do not belong to the EU yet they are “overrun” by millions of Latinos, Asians. The UK do not belong to the Schengen Area, yet even if they leave the EU tomorrow, there will still be millions of people wanting to go there. Rich and developped countries attracts poor people, big news! Your life was certainly better under communism with closed borders. 
Ours too, maybe, since the biggest mistake was to open EU’s Eastern borders. 15 countries was okay.
Yes, it’s quite a tough thing to say, but I think you’re right: if the EU consisted of just the bigger countries, France, Germany, UK, and so on, we would probably not be having this debate at all right now.
I do think the EU over-expanded to a crazy extent. If (still a big “IF”) we do vote to come out, it will immediately increase the demand for a vote to leave in Denmark, Finland, and maybe Holland as well.
If Britain AND one or more oither countries came out, I think the whole thing would then crumble. According to the BBC there was a recent opinion poll indicating that even in Germany (supposedly the most pro-EU nation) 1 in 3 people would vote to leave the EU if they could.
Just a small note, Slovakia is not a rich country. The minimum wage in Slovakia is € 2.50 per hour. Refugee crisis is the responsibility of countries that for decades plundered their colonies and bombed Iraq, Libya, Syria… By the way, the collapse of communism is not the merit of your country. The UK and France betrayed Czechoslovakia and sold it to Hitler at Munich, then it’s left to Stalin.
I agree. As far as I am concerned the politicians responsible for this ghastly mess should be jailed for war crimes.
The collapse of Communism isn’t anyone’s merit - it just happened. The UK and France may (depending on interpretation) have betrayed Czechoslovakia to Hitler - but they also made a massive sacrifice in order to help defeat Hitler.
Under this point of view the members of the EU can continue fighting eachother. We can also insert a disunity for all the negatives that have been happening until now. There are the small and big countries, the Northern and the Southern countries, the rich and the poor and the countries which in the second World War belonged to the opposite alliances.
But the initial idea for the EU had been based exactly to this endless hostility, which had an enormous cost firstly in blood and then in economic consequences.
If one country abandons the Union, the Union will be able to survive. But the unity is a status which requires a constant effort. Europe is our own family and the majority of the real problems lies on the lack of the intergration. So, we are in the middle of the journey and we owe to remain united.
The Greek people have suffered far more than most in the name of “unity” (a.k.a. EU preservationism) wouldn’t you say??
I know Slovakia isn’t a rich country, that’s why migrants don’t want to stay there. Of course you’re going to give me the example of a family who decided to stay but the fact is they all want to go to Germany, the UK or Scandinavian countries. Not to Macedonia, Hungary or Slovakia.
Some Western countries do share a responsibility in the refugee crisis (however in Syria most massive bombings are conducted by Bashar and Russia), but there will always be people wanting to go from poor countries to rich ones. Again, nobody’s bombing Mexico or Eastern Asian countries. But we know that everything happening in the world is due to colonialism or Western imperialism.
@ Athens
Oddly enough, the countries that most favour the EU are the ones who have suffered the most over the last years. I’m neither saying that all of what has happened in Greece, Italy, Spain and Portugal was the sole responsibility of the EU, nor that you’re crazy or stupid or anything, but it’s something I’ve noticed while living in Spain and Portugal and that I don’t quite get.
I agree with you on the role of the EU on stabilising the continent. Last month took place Battle of Verdun’s anniversary and on such occasions you realise that EU’s biggest achievement is that it has brought peace in Europe. (BTW for those learning French, the Apocalypse series with Apocalyspe WW1 Apocalypse WW2 and Apocalypse Verdun are great if you like History)
The problem is that the EU don’t want to just be a European UN. It also wants to be a political and economical structure. Most French (myself included) don’t reject the EU in itself, but we reject this EU. If peace is the only concern for some countries, there is NATO. I’m not sure we’re meant to be united in every aspect. What do a Southern French guy like me share with a Latvian? Maybe Napoleon once stepped on their land but apart from that, nothing. At least I don’t feel like we do. Not that I hate them or wish them harm but what’s the point in ever-expansion? When do we stop? When we reach the Urals? Vietnam? We all have strong historical, linguistic, cultural differences.
We should have built a strong, small EU if a union was what we wanted. Unfortunately there were geopolitical agendas and the EU and the US wanted (and still want) to isolate Russia, to push them further East still. I’m by no means Putin’s supporter but we need to be partners with him. We should have stopped obeying to the US, let Russia have its East, stop installing missiles at their doors and be normal neighbours. Alas, it’s not going to happen.
As Prinz says, Britain coming out will encourage others to do so. And there’s a serious risk of collapse. However, I see it as an opportunity. Either we start building something better (which I don’t believe possible, because it’s fine accusing Brussels all the time but what makes the EU are its members), or we all stay on our own. I’m sure we can be stronger economical and political partners out than in.
This referendum is not entirely surprising to me, since the UK has always been very independent. Unlike most EU countries, it doesn’t use the Euro and it isn’t in the Schengen area (this is for other people you already know this). I would say that if you voted that it shouldn’t continue its membership, I believe it would do fine on its own. Sort of like Texas, although Texas doesn’t get this referendum. (Although I live in America (pronounced Myrh-ih-ku, lol) but I am still an EU citizen.
The Greek people has been suffering a lot, not because of the European Institutions, but because of the internal inequality. European Authorities never said to implement so huge taxes, but asked us to reduce the deficit. Greek politiceans chose to not reduce the public expenditures and to increase extreamly the taxes. Note: In Greece we don’t have so good social state, as the UK and France have. Without money you die. So, the reducing of the expenditures regards the reducing of the public sector’s cost, which is not only huge, even during the crisis, but it works like an obstacle in any creative effort of the private sector. Why? Because of the bureaucracy and corruption.
We are still alive, thanks to the EU and the loans from the European Central Bank with a very low interest. We have been living this crisis under the protective wings of the Union! This is called solidarity! Otherwise we’ll had lived scenes of Argentina and Venezouela.
In the Greek case the enemy is a part of the Greek society, the most well-ensconced part of the population, which continue to live at the expense of the country, even after 6 years deep crisis (officially started in 2010) and 9 years of recession (since 2007). So good!
As for the Peace, it is the most important! But none Union can be survive without integration. We need common policy in all the areas and not only a Union of currency.
The people of the weak countries, like mine, choose to go to the biggest countries members, because these countries have rules and these rules are kept! The UK, France and even Germany represent the Western Civilisation much better of my country, which is deemed the cradle of this civilization.
It is not so wise to abandon the effort in the middle of the road. The EU and the Western Civilisation is what we have and is the most important, if you look what happens in other worlds, like the deep Islam or the deep state of Turkey, but not only.
Just five days remaining now. I think this has been the most brutal political campaign I can remember seeing in the 25 years or so that I have been following such things.
On the one hand the government has been blatantly lying to voters in an effort the scare them - for example, making threats about pensions which it would never carry out, and which it could not in any case get through parliament with a slender majority. They have even said that war and genocide could result from a vote to leave the EU - a suggestion which is entirely ludicrous in my view.
On the other hand, the leave camp has deployed anti-immigrant tactics which come very close to Far-Right or Neo-Nazi propaganda. And, of course, we’ve had a pro-EU MP brutally killed by a fruitcake with mental health issues and links to US white supremacists.
So far the only opinion poll done since the killing is now showing the leave side with a lead of 20% (although other polls from the last few days show a much tighter picture.)
I wonder what will happen next Thursday?
This idiot gave gave his name as “Death to traitors, freedom for Britain” in court.
Some professor in Liverpool who is an expert in EU law gave in interesting anti-Brexit talk. It’s worth a watch.
From what I understand, this individual had a long history of serious mental illness. That doesn’t (obviously) in any way excuse what he did. But I don’t see how he is relevant to the debate. If a nutcase shouting “stronger in Europe!” had killed Boris Johnson, that would be equally irrelevant, IMO.
Of course it changes nothing regarding the vote.
I am very saddened by the murder of Jo Cox. Such a beautiful person.
As a US citizen, I am also saddened to learn that this idiot Thomas Mair was a long-time supporter of, and no doubt inspired by, American neo-Nazi hate group National Alliance, who try to claim they’re just an “educational organization” and have "no connection” with Mair.
I am also very proud of the Southern Poverty Law Center who, independent of the US government, keep track of hate groups in the US and have tied Thomas Mair to this hate group as far back as 1999.
Southern Poverty Law Center web site:
I encourage you to click on and read their featured article on Mair and related articles, including the related story “Radicals React With Delight to Murder of British Lawmaker.” (Just click on HATEWATCH.)