Ivysaur
Grass dinosaur extraordinaire
- 21,042
- Posts
- 18
- Years
- Age 34
- He/him
- Madrid, Europe
- Seen Nov 30, 2024
231774
You make some good points, but I think you underestimate just how much of a voice the UK would have outside of the EU. I highly doubt we'd struggle to make our voice heard. I'm not really interested in what the EU has done for other countries or how it holds together, all I care about is what the UK gets out of staying in it, and whether that should be enough to justify staying in it. I'm still not sure yet what I think of it.
The US have already said they really aren't interested in free trade treaties with the UK alone, and that the "special relationship" would get put in the closet if the UK left the EU. Which is why Boris called Obama "half-Kenyan" and all.
And obviously, if the UK left the EU, that'd mean leaving the free trade area, because the current EU rules state that countries that want access to it need to accept free circulation of people as well as essentially all EU rules on trade plus pay some money to the EU budget. In other words, if the UK wanted to stay in the common market, the only thing you'd be giving up on is the ability to have a voice in policymaking while keeping all the EU laws anyway, which is asinine. And leaving the common market (and capital movement area) would surely be a problem for an island whose GDP comes from trading and from financial companies, which wouldn't be allowed to act as a central clearing area for Euro movements anymore. Frankfourt would probably be delighted.
At this point, it's a matter of ideology more than anything. Do you believe in the "British Empire that ruled the world" and think the only thing holding it back from becoming a superpower once more -without Polish plumbers- is being tied to the rest of the continent? Vote leave. Do you believe in free trade, free circulation of people -including university graduates and highly-qualified workers-, capitals -the City- and ideas, and a common history and spirit shared with the rest? Vote remain.
And, in case of doubt, remember that the people asking you to vote out are Boris, Putin and Le Pen. Just saying.