@stevep59 By "traditional markets" I assume you mean former British colonies?
Sure, the EU isn't innocent in that regard, but the UK'S economic relationship with those places has basically been the grandfather of all protectionism. It just doesn't feel like that to you because the UK has been always been on the benefitting side of those trade "deals".
But in the 1960's it was foreseeable that this era had passed. The UK had lost the Suez Canal to Egypt and Kenya gained its independence in spite of Britain's brutal efforts to keep it under control. And most of all, India had gained its independence after WW2 and was rapidly regaining it's power, and regaining its sovereignty meant that it had been establishing trade relationships with partners that hadn't bullied it for centuries.
I mean, you can keep saying otherwise all you want, but it sure seems to me that the British Empire was a sinking boat and the EEC/EU was the life raft that kept the UK afloat.
Oh, and all the people who have responded to your claims that I have seen so far did so with well thought-out and carefully phrased arguments - you casually dismissing them as "trolls" doesn't reflect well on you.
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@stevep59 By "traditional markets" I assume you mean former British colonies?
Sure, the EU isn't innocent in that regard, but the UK'S economic relationship with those places has basically been the grandfather of all protectionism. It just doesn't feel like that to you because the UK has been always been on the benefitting side of those trade "deals".
But in the 1960's it was foreseeable that this era had passed. The UK had lost the Suez Canal to Egypt and Kenya gained its independence in spite of Britain's brutal efforts to keep it under control. And most of all, India had gained its independence after WW2 and was rapidly regaining it's power, and regaining its sovereignty meant that it had been establishing trade relationships with partners that hadn't bullied it for centuries.
I mean, you can keep saying otherwise all you want, but it sure seems to me that the British Empire was a sinking boat and the EEC/EU was the life raft that kept the UK afloat.
Oh, and all the people who have responded to your claims that I have seen so far did so with well thought-out and carefully phrased arguments - you casually dismissing them as "trolls" doesn't reflect well on you.