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The UK was so broke in the 1970s they could barely keep their military budget up, most importantly an independent nuclear deterrent. Superpower status was a thi

The UK was so broke in the 1970s they could barely keep their military budget up, most importantly an independent nuclear deterrent. Superpower status was a thing of the past. With Brexit coming up its insightful to read up on post WW2 British history and how it got itself into the EU.

nextos 8y ago
Sadly, Brexit will bring some cuts to UK research. And to projects like EUROATOM, where UK is a major contributor and host. It seems we haven't learned much from history.
- UncleSlacky 8y ago
  The UK has a lot of previous form in that department - the TSR-2 (cancelled in favour of the F-111) and the Miles M.52 (blueprints given to the US and formed the basis of the Bell X-1 design) to name but two: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BAC_TSR-2 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BAC_TSR-2 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miles_M.52 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miles_M.52
imbokodo 8y ago
It costs money to intern Irish patriots without trial in your colony's concentration camps
- dang 8y ago
  Would you please not post ideological battle comments to HN? This is in the site guidelines: https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html. The problem isn't your views, it's that this sort of thing leads to flamewars that take over discussion completely if we let it. The idea on HN is: if you have a substantive point to make, make it thoughtfully; if you don't, please don't comment until you do.
RachelF 8y ago
Britain's first attempt to get into the EU was vetoed by de Gaulle; a strange was of repaying the UK's effort in getting France a permanent seat on the UN security council in 1945.
- achamayou 8y ago
  Twice in fact, in 63 and 67. His motivations, which he explained at length in a press conference that’s easy to find online were that the U.K. was only interested in a strictly limited free trade union, and wanted an extremely bespoke deal, excluding farming etc. That never really changed, although Britain eventually gave up most of these conditions, when they finally joined.
  - gonvaled 8y ago
    In hindsight, it is clear now that he was extremely prescient. What an accurate analisys of a major geopolitical event!
    - nolok 8y ago
      I'm pretty sure De Gaulle was a time traveller, because a lot of calls he made were that way; "okayish" when they were made but jump 20 years forward and suddenly it's clear as day. Sadly he was maybe a little too good at it, because now my country is frozen in an incessant quest to find a new De Gaulle; we can't accept the idea that politician - even president - are flawed and make mistakes, so we call all of them "bad", "wrong choice", ... That's why our president always have rock bottom public opinion.
  - Bric3d 8y ago
    And also that he viewed the UK as a pawn of the US.
    - ionised 8y ago
      Seems he was correct in this too.
mcintyre1994 8y ago
Do you have any good book recommendations on post WW2 British history and how we got into the EU? I'd like to read up on that!

nextos 8y ago

Sadly, Brexit will bring some cuts to UK research. And to projects like EUROATOM, where UK is a major contributor and host. It seems we haven't learned much from history.

UncleSlacky 8y ago
The UK has a lot of previous form in that department - the TSR-2 (cancelled in favour of the F-111) and the Miles M.52 (blueprints given to the US and formed the basis of the Bell X-1 design) to name but two: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BAC_TSR-2 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BAC_TSR-2 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miles_M.52 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miles_M.52

imbokodo 8y ago

It costs money to intern Irish patriots without trial in your colony's concentration camps

dang 8y ago
Would you please not post ideological battle comments to HN? This is in the site guidelines: https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html. The problem isn't your views, it's that this sort of thing leads to flamewars that take over discussion completely if we let it. The idea on HN is: if you have a substantive point to make, make it thoughtfully; if you don't, please don't comment until you do.

RachelF 8y ago

Britain's first attempt to get into the EU was vetoed by de Gaulle; a strange was of repaying the UK's effort in getting France a permanent seat on the UN security council in 1945.

achamayou 8y ago
Twice in fact, in 63 and 67. His motivations, which he explained at length in a press conference that’s easy to find online were that the U.K. was only interested in a strictly limited free trade union, and wanted an extremely bespoke deal, excluding farming etc. That never really changed, although Britain eventually gave up most of these conditions, when they finally joined.
- gonvaled 8y ago
  In hindsight, it is clear now that he was extremely prescient. What an accurate analisys of a major geopolitical event!
  - nolok 8y ago
    I'm pretty sure De Gaulle was a time traveller, because a lot of calls he made were that way; "okayish" when they were made but jump 20 years forward and suddenly it's clear as day. Sadly he was maybe a little too good at it, because now my country is frozen in an incessant quest to find a new De Gaulle; we can't accept the idea that politician - even president - are flawed and make mistakes, so we call all of them "bad", "wrong choice", ... That's why our president always have rock bottom public opinion.
- Bric3d 8y ago
  And also that he viewed the UK as a pawn of the US.
  - ionised 8y ago
    Seems he was correct in this too.

mcintyre1994 8y ago

Do you have any good book recommendations on post WW2 British history and how we got into the EU? I'd like to read up on that!