Who?? There was one man who used the term "Poor Man of Europe". Shiney, and that was a man who shrugged off any debt he owed the UK during WWII, and that was De Gaulle He made several anti-British speeches during our application to join the Common Market in 1963 which ended with him vetoing the application as he thought we had "a deep seated hostility towards European construction" and used that phrase when interviewed in Le Monde and Liberation newspapers in 1963 and again in 1965.
Just an observation - we were indeed called the 'Sick man of Europe' by deGaulle and it had much to do with incredibly poor industrial relations here in the UK, which had us endlessly strike-bound. People abroad looked upon those events as self inflicted injuries. Hence the 'Sick' tag. However, I voted to Leave the EU in 2015 having voted to Remain in the EEC in 1975. May I ask those who voted to Remain in 2015 if they agree with the actions of some Remainers who seem unable/unwilling to accept the decision, and are actively trying to preserve as much of the EU connection they can? My apologies if this has already been thrashed out - if so a pointer in the right direction would be appreciated.
Well, in 2016 I voted to remain and as far as I'm concerned democracy has spoken and must take its course even though in my opinion it is a dumb-assed decision taken for all the wrong reasons. As far as that goes I think that a large proportion of the rabble rousers for the leave vote would prefer to do that as well. However it has become pretty clear to all now that a hard Brexit is the only way that it is going.
My particular interest was this; on the day of the Referendum 2016 (apologies for putting 2015) I was sure Remain would win, even though it didn't fit with what I heard in three different localities spread almost 300miles apart. The lesson being don't believe the media or the polls. With that in mind I was keen to find out if people who are currently continuing to oppose Brexit are typical of Remain, or if the media etc are once again distorting the picture. Nothing more sinister than that - a genuine question. I am fast becoming a 'mediasceptic'!
No. I don't think they are. Most people I know that voted remain accept that democracy has happened. Some Remainers argued that the leave voters were inflated with protest votes, and a rerun would see a remain victory. I don't buy that. I voted remain but I was genuinely torn, seeing pros and cons for both sides. If I was asked to vote again, having seen the immature and spiteful, and even ignorant response from some of our European neighbours, I'd vote leave without question. So a rerun might even result in a greater majority for the leave side.
Personally I think that I am pretty typical of the majority that voted remain - I continue to be opposed to Brexit but I believe that retaining a proper democracy is worth more. Of course, that is easier to say now that I have been able to protect my future against the Brexit. Naturally the media has latched on to the vocal minority rather than the quiet majority.
There was a recent beeb article analysing the remain/leave camps - they came up with the conclusion that those who voted leave were of relatively low academic achievement and therefore didn't fully understand the impiications of leave. What a load of rubbish - academic achevement does not suddently endow someone with intelligence - it's merely an indication of a good memory. I voted leave and am educated to degree level (trumpet sounds in the distance) - I would still vote leave now.
I found this interesting viewing yesterday evening: This World - After Brexit: The Battle for Europe: As Britain prepares to begin withdrawing from the EU, BBC's Europe editor Katya Adler asks whether the Union can survive facing the biggest challenge in its 60-year history Source: BBC iPlayer
00000000000000000000000000001348longk, may I reiterate. The likes of the IMF, Bank of England, CBI, Labour Party even Merkel and Jungker are now backtracking on their scaremongering. David Cameron started off by saying we should leave, but as soon as those of us who know better, voted out, he resigned not just as PM, but from Parliament entirely. We now have countries queueing up to do business with us. We have companies pouring millions into updating, or improving, their involvement in the UK.
Well, it's a road well traveled ever since the BREXIT Referendum came into being, as that was what a lot of anti EU people were gloatingly prophesying. I think the main danger will come from inside. France, the Netherlands, Austria, Finland and Hungary, have for a long time been, over the years, quietly growing dissatisfied and disillusioned with the EU and the direction it wants to go. There's also a growing tendency towards Nationalism within the EU and globally. But we've seen the tactics that the EU uses against any members contemplating leaving for whatever reason or degree. We've seen Greece, Italy, Spain and even Portugal threatened with penalties because of the huge national debts that they've racked up with the EU holding the Euro "markers" of debt and putting pressure on them.
France, Germany and Italy were stupid enough to invite countries with poor economies to join the Union. Then it fell on the rest of us to bail these countries out.
There was some logic in their madness, even though the plan didn't really work. By nurturing the skint countries until they became less skint, whole new markets could be opened up. That was the plan. The stupid part was granting total freedom of movement. If I could earn 100 quid per month in Poland, or 2000 per month in the UK without any red tape, why would I go to Poland? The EU could have worked if it had been a union for trade. It was doomed the instant someone decided it was going to be more of a political union, trying to force many different cultures across many different geographic characteristics to be one nation, especially when someone members were still a bit sore about recent fights and actual genocide attempts, it could never be a good idea.
