MvdV>> They have always been a PITA with their demands for special MvdV>> privileges. They have never been a loyal member "for better or MvdV>> worse". If they stay, it will go on and on and we will have MvdV>> another round of a referendum and negotiations for even more MvdV>> special privilegs in a couple of years. Just let them go.
DR> That is so full of errors that it isn't worth replying to. It's every DR> bit as bad as those mounting the Brexit campaign.
I know we don't see eye to eye om this matter. Keep in mind that I look at it from the other side of the North Sea.
DR> This referendum is going to be a farce just because the Great British DR> Public are being fed with half truths and personal opinions. Just like DR> your sentence above. Those leading the Brexit campaign are more DR> interested in political advancement for themselves.
No doubt about that. But what can you expact from politians?
DR> For what it's worth, my opinion is that we are going to be far worse DR> off if we leave. And I will not live long enough to see us recover.
No doubt that the UK will be worse off after leaving. Not only wil its economy suffer, it may even be the start of the desintegration of the UK. The Scotts want to stay and so they may want to leave the UK in order to remain part of the EU. There will be a "hard" border again between North Ireland and the republic of Ireland, which may trigger new hostilities in that area.
A Brexit will not be good for the rest of Europe either. Especially for The Netherlands. We do a lot of trade with the UK.
But... look at the alternative. From the POV this side of the North Sea. The UK has always been the bad boy in class. The UK has always been the jamming station when it comes to making progress. They do not want the Euro, they do not want Schengen, they do not want Europol, the list of what they do not want is long. From this side of the channel it looks that you guys want just the benefits of membership.
Yes, we the EU, will pay a price for getting rid of the bad boy in class. But if the bad boy stays, it won't be over. The UK will continue to demand special priviliges and they will continue to be the jamming station whenever the rest wants to take steps towards tighter integration.
For the EU it is a lose-lose situation. A Brexit is bad for the EU, but a Bremain may be worse. That is not just my opinion, lots of people here feel that way.
It is probably not what you want to hear, but there is lots of attention in the media here and voice of "if they want to go let them go" is not a whisper in the dark...
DR> P.S. Did you know that Michael Gove was a Fidonet sysop some DR> twenty-five years ago. He was in my net. He ran a bulletin Board DR> called MonuSci.
No, I didn't know that. I confess that I had to Google for his name...
Any chance we can get him back in Fidonet when his political career is finished? ;-)
