Brexit and the waning days of the United Kingdom

[Valmy]

The UK could join with the US. There would be some historic symmetry to that...

Then we could tax them without representation!

[Sheilbh]

If only the EU were founded on placating us not the French, we could have a lovely Hanseactic Union.

[Valmy]

If only the EU were founded on placating us not the French, we could have a lovely Hanseactic Union.

A historically failed confederation is a lovely thing to replicate?

And France was not the only founder of the EU.

[Richard Hakluyt]

The French have their own chance to do a runner next year 

[Sheilbh]

And it'll end up with a union of just Germany and Greece

[Crazy_Ivan80]

I hope Brexit wins. De Gaulle never wanted them in.

I have been thinking during this process that 'wow De Gaulle was right again'.

The british were wrong not to join the original 6, the French where wrong to block the brits. Twice.
France should never be allowed to be a position where it can dominate (or even attempt to) the continent.

[Valmy]

The british were wrong not to join the original 6, the French where wrong to block the brits. Twice.
France should never be allowed to be a position where it can dominate (or even attempt to) the continent.

Was he? He had an odd and old fashioned way of looking at things but he sensed the British would never really want to be part of a European Confederation/Federation/Brotherhood of Nations blah blah. This issue is playing out here.

But as for France never being allowed to rule the continent like a Napoleonic Empire...I mean FFS which country do you think should be allowed? Talk about odd and old fashioned thinking.

[Tamas]

The british were wrong not to join the original 6, the French where wrong to block the brits. Twice.
France should never be allowed to be a position where it can dominate (or even attempt to) the continent.

Was he? He had an odd and old fashioned way of looking at things but he sensed the British would never really want to be part of a European Confederation/Federation/Brotherhood of Nations blah blah. This issue is playing out here.

But as for France never being allowed to rule the continent like a Napoleonic Empire...I mean FFS which country do you think should be allowed? Talk about odd and old fashioned thinking.

France is presently a hardly functioning socialist nightmare.

[Valmy]

France is presently a hardly functioning socialist nightmare.

Better than your hardly functioning fascist nightmare

But seriously that just means it is European. At least it can form a government consistently unlike lots of them.

But this strikes me as a non sequitor. What does that have to do with anything I said?

[Iormlund]

France is presently a hardly functioning socialist nightmare.

What is Venezuela, then?

[Richard Hakluyt]

The French are arguably more Eurosceptic than the Brits right now :

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/euroscepticism-on-the-rise-across-europe-as-analysis-finds-increasing-opposition-to-the-eu-in-france-a7069766.html

[Sheilbh]

Yeah and I think RH is right. Despite forty years of Anglo-Saxon chiding France keeps doing perfectly well enough.

[Valmy]

The French are arguably more Eurosceptic than the Brits right now :

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/euroscepticism-on-the-rise-across-europe-as-analysis-finds-increasing-opposition-to-the-eu-in-france-a7069766.html

Indeed. I think part of the problem is the national governments can now easily blame their own failures on the EU. Which is a nice change from the US being blamed.

[Sheilbh]

I think that's because of the referendum. Actually having a vote has forces the 50% of remainers to actually identify as pro-EU.

[Valmy]

Despite forty years of Anglo-Saxon chiding France keeps doing perfectly well enough.

Italy as well. Despite being a basket-case ready to collapse at any second it still keeps doing well