Unfortunately your badly informed and are largely repeating old and false memes. Yes there is racism in the UK, like in every country but I bet I can find as much in any other EU country.
There is discontent by some at the number of eastern Europeans in Britain but do you know why there are so many? Because when those countries joined the existing members had the right to block movement of people from those countries for a period. Britain was the only large state [not sure about the smaller ones] who didn't take that option! Also we have a somewhat 'freer' job market which has advantages and disadvantages. As such a lot of poorer but well educated people came to Britain, worked hard and made their lives here. As has often happened in history having a core of people from a country tends to attract others because they know people from their own communities [often families] there. I don't know the figures but wouldn't be surprised if there are markedly more such migrants in the UK than in any other country.
Yes there are racists who oppose this, as well as right wing politicians who push that as the problem to distract from the real sources of social problems in this country. You get that in every country. Thing what happened in Germany a couple of years back when Merkel opened the borders to refugees from Syria? However there are a hell of a lot more of us who oppose such stupidity and bigotry. [Which frankly isn't helped when the country is continually being attacked by ignorant and inaccurate accusations from outside.]
The "esoteric details of trade regulation" are basically whether we're totally compliant with all EU rules and regulations as Brussels is trying to insist on or whether Britain can actually set some of its own rules. Yes some on the right will seek to push for a "race to the bottom" and like most other people in this country I will oppose that bitterly but that's only one option and the EU seeks to prevent us having any say on just about anything. Given it has agreed trade terms with many other countries it not impossible for it to agree something with Britain. The Canada option is one that would seem suitable but Brussels wants pretty much total control as well as continued subsides, control of our fisheries etc.
By ideological autocracy I meant the blind insistence on ever more centralised control reguardless of the desires of other people and the results. The classic case here is the Euro which because its being managed for the core states of Germany and France has caused serious problems in the southern nations - especially Spain, Italy and Greece. Those nations had serious economic problems beforehand and probably shouldn't have been allowed into the Euro - there was a suggestion that only about 4 nations actual met the formal criteria for membership including the UK but given the demand by the idealogs that the project went ahead and included as many as they could rope in that was ignored. However the problems of the southern nations after the 2008 crash were definitely worsened by the fact they were denied a lot of fiscal powers by the centralised control of the Euro.
I haven't heard anything really about the 'metric martyrs' for probably a decade. It always seemed a stupid issue. I saw no problem with people using the old 'imperial' measures, especially for older people who were more familiar with it and from what was said at the time neither did anyone on the continent, including in Brussels at the time. It seemed to be solely idealogs in Britain demanding that such people be punished for no logical reason because they were so obsessed with total conformity with the EEC/EC/EU. For a long time while I had problems with Brussels I thought that relations with the ordinary population in Europe were good but given the extensive propaganda campaign against the UK unfortunately a lot of people are being deceived. Note - I'm not saying the UK is totally blameless. Never said that dispute some trolls on this site claiming so, There are idiots in all countries. However it is frustrating being demonised as some sort of right wing racists fanatic simply because I seek to correct inaccuracies.
That's also why I get fed up with the continued references to England when it was a decision by Britain. Its an attempt to weaken the UK by seeking to divide its members and make an easy hate target for the opponents of Brexit. Yes Scotland and N Ireland voted for the UK to stay in the EU - which is different to voting for them alone to stay in the EU. However a lot of people in those countries also voted to leave and a lot of those in N Ireland were probably driven by the desire to preserve the Good Friday Agreement which the EU has been threatening continually since the 2016 referendum. Again I'm not saying that either of them might vote to stay in the EU - although technically that isn't possible as officially the UK has left but if there was such a vote it would be unwise to assume either/both would make such a decision. Similarly Gibraltar voted overwhelmingly for the UK to stay in the EU but that was at least in part because a UK inside the EU is better able to defend against pressure from Spain for annexation. Again if there was a vote there on staying with the UK or being absorbed into Spain I suspect that would go strongly for the former option.
As I've said elsewhere, while I can see why Johnson is opposing it I think there is a basis for another Scottish referendum I think people who are assuming from the vote in 2016 that Scotland would go from independence could be in for a surprise if/when it happens.
I'm spend a while carefully trying to explain my point of view. Please actually read it and think about what I've said. Not asking you to accept everything but just to consider that its more than a simply binary "EU right, England wrong on everything" as many are claiming.
60
@IronBear
Unfortunately your badly informed and are largely repeating old and false memes. Yes there is racism in the UK, like in every country but I bet I can find as much in any other EU country.
There is discontent by some at the number of eastern Europeans in Britain but do you know why there are so many? Because when those countries joined the existing members had the right to block movement of people from those countries for a period. Britain was the only large state [not sure about the smaller ones] who didn't take that option! Also we have a somewhat 'freer' job market which has advantages and disadvantages. As such a lot of poorer but well educated people came to Britain, worked hard and made their lives here. As has often happened in history having a core of people from a country tends to attract others because they know people from their own communities [often families] there. I don't know the figures but wouldn't be surprised if there are markedly more such migrants in the UK than in any other country.
Yes there are racists who oppose this, as well as right wing politicians who push that as the problem to distract from the real sources of social problems in this country. You get that in every country. Thing what happened in Germany a couple of years back when Merkel opened the borders to refugees from Syria? However there are a hell of a lot more of us who oppose such stupidity and bigotry. [Which frankly isn't helped when the country is continually being attacked by ignorant and inaccurate accusations from outside.]
The "esoteric details of trade regulation" are basically whether we're totally compliant with all EU rules and regulations as Brussels is trying to insist on or whether Britain can actually set some of its own rules. Yes some on the right will seek to push for a "race to the bottom" and like most other people in this country I will oppose that bitterly but that's only one option and the EU seeks to prevent us having any say on just about anything. Given it has agreed trade terms with many other countries it not impossible for it to agree something with Britain. The Canada option is one that would seem suitable but Brussels wants pretty much total control as well as continued subsides, control of our fisheries etc.
By ideological autocracy I meant the blind insistence on ever more centralised control reguardless of the desires of other people and the results. The classic case here is the Euro which because its being managed for the core states of Germany and France has caused serious problems in the southern nations - especially Spain, Italy and Greece. Those nations had serious economic problems beforehand and probably shouldn't have been allowed into the Euro - there was a suggestion that only about 4 nations actual met the formal criteria for membership including the UK but given the demand by the idealogs that the project went ahead and included as many as they could rope in that was ignored. However the problems of the southern nations after the 2008 crash were definitely worsened by the fact they were denied a lot of fiscal powers by the centralised control of the Euro.
I haven't heard anything really about the 'metric martyrs' for probably a decade. It always seemed a stupid issue. I saw no problem with people using the old 'imperial' measures, especially for older people who were more familiar with it and from what was said at the time neither did anyone on the continent, including in Brussels at the time. It seemed to be solely idealogs in Britain demanding that such people be punished for no logical reason because they were so obsessed with total conformity with the EEC/EC/EU. For a long time while I had problems with Brussels I thought that relations with the ordinary population in Europe were good but given the extensive propaganda campaign against the UK unfortunately a lot of people are being deceived. Note - I'm not saying the UK is totally blameless. Never said that dispute some trolls on this site claiming so, There are idiots in all countries. However it is frustrating being demonised as some sort of right wing racists fanatic simply because I seek to correct inaccuracies.
That's also why I get fed up with the continued references to England when it was a decision by Britain. Its an attempt to weaken the UK by seeking to divide its members and make an easy hate target for the opponents of Brexit. Yes Scotland and N Ireland voted for the UK to stay in the EU - which is different to voting for them alone to stay in the EU. However a lot of people in those countries also voted to leave and a lot of those in N Ireland were probably driven by the desire to preserve the Good Friday Agreement which the EU has been threatening continually since the 2016 referendum. Again I'm not saying that either of them might vote to stay in the EU - although technically that isn't possible as officially the UK has left but if there was such a vote it would be unwise to assume either/both would make such a decision. Similarly Gibraltar voted overwhelmingly for the UK to stay in the EU but that was at least in part because a UK inside the EU is better able to defend against pressure from Spain for annexation. Again if there was a vote there on staying with the UK or being absorbed into Spain I suspect that would go strongly for the former option.
As I've said elsewhere, while I can see why Johnson is opposing it I think there is a basis for another Scottish referendum I think people who are assuming from the vote in 2016 that Scotland would go from independence could be in for a surprise if/when it happens.
I'm spend a while carefully trying to explain my point of view. Please actually read it and think about what I've said. Not asking you to accept everything but just to consider that its more than a simply binary "EU right, England wrong on everything" as many are claiming.