BBO Discussion Forums: EU Brexit thread - BBO Discussion Forums

The next few weeks will re-emphasise one of the flaws of the EU --- their slow, ponderous nature of responding to events.

As I mentioned in my posts, those who posted or wanted to remain seem to discuss the issue in terms of money and with a lack of passion or sense of duty or loyalty to Brussels.

You have mentioned this "duty to Brussels" several times. You seem to have it backwards -- it was they who had a duty to us.

OK Fair enough, thanks for clarifying. I understand that many, posters included, feel that saying you owe a duty to your country or in this case the European Union is irrelevant or archaic.

This is a quote many decades old:

"... ask not what your country can do for you — ask what you can do for your country....."

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As far as the duty the EU has to you as a citizen, you are the best judge whether the EU has meet that obligation.

Ummm.... the EU is not a country. And Juncker is no Jack Kennedy.

The political center has lost its power to persuade and its essential means of connection to the people it seeks to represent. Instead, we are seeing a convergence of the far left and far right. The right attacks immigrants while the left rails at bankers, but the spirit of insurgency, the venting of anger at those in power and the addiction to simple, demagogic answers to complex problems are the same for both extremes. Underlying it all is a shared hostility to globalization.

Britain and Europe now face a protracted period of economic and political uncertainty, as the British government tries to negotiate a future outside the single market where half of Britain’s goods and services are traded. These new arrangements — to be clear about the scale of the challenge — must be negotiated with all the other 27 countries, their individual parliaments and the European Parliament. Some governments may be cooperative; others won’t want to make leaving easy for Britain, in order to discourage similar movements.

Britain is a strong country, with a resilient people and energy and creativity in abundance. I don’t doubt Britons’ capacity to come through, whatever the cost. But the stress on the United Kingdom is already apparent.

Voters in Scotland chose by a large margin to remain in Europe, with the result that there are renewed calls for another referendum on Scottish independence. Northern Ireland has benefited from virtually open borders with the Republic of Ireland. That freedom is at risk because the North’s border with the South now becomes the European Union’s border, a potential threat to the Northern Ireland peace process.

If the people — usually a repository of common sense and practicality — do something that appears neither sensible nor practical, then it forces a period of long and hard reflection. My own politics is waking to this new political landscape. The same dangerous impulses are visible, too, in American politics, but the challenges of globalization cannot be met by isolationism or shutting borders.

The center must regain its political traction, rediscover its capacity to analyze the problems we all face and find solutions that rise above the populist anger. If we do not succeed in beating back the far left and far right before they take the nations of Europe on this reckless experiment, it will end the way such rash action always does in history: at best, in disillusion; at worst, in rancorous division. The center must hold.

I believe these four gentlement voted for leave.

I have seen a number of claims that the referendum is not, in fact, binding.

Rather, an act of parliament is required to invoke article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty and that hasn't happened yet.

I have seen a number of claims that the referendum is not, in fact, binding.

Rather, an act of parliament is required to invoke article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty and that hasn't happened yet.
(I've also seen suggestions that this might be a good time for a general election)

 shyams, on 2016-June-23, 18:26, said:

This is it. Labour leaders are pointing fingers are each other for the debacle. They are lining up on TV to blame everyone, including their own colleagues.
What a bunch of idiots!

3. Many UK politicians have gone on record to tell all EU citizens in the UK that nothing will change. If I were to guess (and I have no idea whether I'll be right), EU nationals not in minimum wage jobs (i.e. most EU nationals) in the UK will find their lives and livelihood unaffected. You may have to fill a few documents and spend a couple of hours, but your life and your residence status will probably not change.

I bet you have never applied for a VISA or permanent residency in a country that you want to live in/stay in.

It is always a bit of a nerve-wracking process.

For example: ...
If something like that could happen to me after Brexit then I don't think I want to stay in the country.