Brexit and the waning days of the United Kingdom

[Tamas]

I find it baffling that in the UK official government establishments and premises (besides the military) can be exempted from fulfilling something as basic as health regulations unless it's explicitly mentioned. Oh well.

In a different topic, here's apparently a slide that Barnier, the EU's chief negotiation, showed last week on possible future trade scenarios for the UK according to the different red lines that May mentioned:

This was a good idea, because I think a nice clean colourful picture like this is all the complexity David Davis can handle.

[The Minsky Moment]

So far the Brexit "negotiations" were basically the UK slowly accepting the EU's position. The EU will not allow much regulatory divergence if the UK intends to keep the border in Ireland open, so the softest of Brexits is inevitable.

No that is naive.  What is inevitable is a train wreck.  Brexit was sold on bullshit - that Britain could have its cake and eat it too - all the benefits of Europe with none of the obligations.  But that's OK because the Brexiteers know they can drag it out for years and ramp up the heat gradually enough the voters won't realized they've been boiled until after it's all over.  Ireland, however, can't be finessed.  Britain can escape EU jurisdiction or keep a soft border in Ireland but they cant do both.

[Valmy]

So nobody thought about Ireland during the Brexit referendum? After all those decades of murder and chaos? And people say terrorism works.

[The Larch]

So nobody thought about Ireland during the Brexit referendum? After all those decades of murder and chaos? And people say terrorism works.

Plenty of people voted without thinking too much at all.

[Josquius]

Any concerns were dismissed as project fear.

[Tamas]

Any concerns were dismissed as project fear.

Michael Gove just warned, allegedly, his fellow cabinet members not to repeat "project fear" i.e. avoid the pitfall of entering the trade negotiations with realistic expectations.

[Gups]

So nobody thought about Ireland during the Brexit referendum? After all those decades of murder and chaos? And people say terrorism works.

Plenty of people voted without thinking too much at all.

Yep. Not very different from any other time people vote.

[The Larch]

So nobody thought about Ireland during the Brexit referendum? After all those decades of murder and chaos? And people say terrorism works.

Plenty of people voted without thinking too much at all.

Yep. Not very different from any other time people vote.

Indeed. We overthink things here because that's our nature, but the overwhelming majority of voters in any election is going to cast their vote based on very flimsy arguments, if not directly going with their guts.

[Agelastus]

Wat.

https://youtu.be/Wfw4eSWs38A?t=652

To about 11:34...

[Josquius]

So nobody thought about Ireland during the Brexit referendum? After all those decades of murder and chaos? And people say terrorism works.

Plenty of people voted without thinking too much at all.

Yep. Not very different from any other time people vote.

Which is exactly why most countries have all these extra safeguards of electing a guy to write, vote and amend laws rather than just voting on vague nonsense.

[grumbler]

Which is exactly why most countries have all these extra safeguards of electing a guy to write, vote and amend laws rather than just voting on vague nonsense.

Except that the UK safeguard of electing people to write, vote and amend laws failed spectacularly when the safeguarders decided that they were, lemming-like, going to follow the stupid voters off the cliff.  It was Parliament that decided on Brexit, not the people.

[Zanza]

  At least they confirmed the navy blue passports now. I guess that makes it worth it.

[Richard Hakluyt]

At least they confirmed the navy blue passports now. I guess that makes it worth it.

I'm very pleased with that, mainly because I know it is very important to Tamas and whether he stays in the UK or not 

[Tamas]

At least they confirmed the navy blue passports now. I guess that makes it worth it.

I'm very pleased with that, mainly because I know it is very important to Tamas and whether he stays in the UK or not 

Yep. Moving here has finally paid off!

[Josquius]

If that's what this whole thing was about then I'm willing to change. Lets do it. No need for brexit if that's the key issue right?