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Could the downvoters please explain the downvoting? Are you arguing that there is no scenario under which Brexit could make Britain a more attractive place for

Could the downvoters please explain the downvoting? Are you arguing that there is no scenario under which Brexit could make Britain a more attractive place for business than the EU or Germany?

JamesLefrere 7y ago
I’m not OP, but I would argue that. There’s no realistic scenario in which leaving the single market makes Britain a more attractive place for (most) businesses.
- agent008t 7y ago
  A combination of: 1. Extremely easy and friendly immigration policies for world’s top talent - better than in the US 2. Legal ability to easily hire and fire people 3. Legal ability to run a business out of your garage 4. Lower taxes - income, corporate, capital gains - than in the US 5. Free trade, even if unilateral, as the US is involved in tariffs and trade wars All of this combined, given that the UK is English speaking, could lead to the UK overtaking Silicon Valley in terms of startups. Most of the world’s top talent would, all else being equal, prefer to live around Cambridge than in Palo Alto.
  - mellosouls 7y ago
    1. Plenty of home grown top talent. Nothing wrong with recruiting further afield, but it's often used to low ball wages and rights. 2. Workers rights. 3. I've no idea why you think people don't run businesses from their homes already. 4. Depends on the government of the time, and why do you think racing to the bottom on public funding is a good thing? 5. We already have free trade. Try getting in tariff battles with no strength outside the EU. Tbh all those points seem dubious at best.
    - agent008t 7y ago
      I mostly agree with this: http://www.paulgraham.com/america.html http://www.paulgraham.com/america.html And I think an argument could be made that being more competitive on all those points would be easier outside the EU. I suspect you would disagree with Paul's essay/the goals he outlined, and that's fine. My point is that if you did agree with his essay, you might see that Brexit could also open opportunities.
      - mellosouls 7y ago
        Thanks for the link, I'll read it later. I wouldn't dispute there are potential benefits to Brexit, I'm saying there are no obvious winning arguments, and clear counters to all of yours. Also by purely framing it in terms of business, you are in danger of making two errors: 1. Assuming all business has the same needs, and all business owners have the same perspective. 2. Much more importantly, business is just one factor of the national life affected by the split, and - as pointed out -has a natural tension with other issues like rights and standards that you haven't addressed.
mellosouls 7y ago
I didn't downvote you (I posted the parent to your response) but your comment read to me as coming from a perspective skewed through Brexiteer-tinted glasses, which both Remainers and neutrals wanting objectivity might find frustrating. I can believe there might be positive aspects for business, but pretty much all of them involve a deterioration in workers and other rights (human, animal) and standards. And generally speaking, while agility and flexibility are likely to follow from becoming newly small and skinny, I don't see how that helps when in the trading ring with very big, very strong heavyweights.
pinkfoot 7y ago
Here is how you approach this: in which scenarios would Canada become a more attractive place for business if it left the USMCA (ex NAFTA) RELATIVE to the USA or Mexico.

Could the downvoters please explain the downvoting? Are you arguing that there is no scenario under which Brexit could make Britain a more attractive place for business than the EU or Germany?

JamesLefrere 7y ago

I’m not OP, but I would argue that. There’s no realistic scenario in which leaving the single market makes Britain a more attractive place for (most) businesses.

agent008t 7y ago
A combination of: 1. Extremely easy and friendly immigration policies for world’s top talent - better than in the US 2. Legal ability to easily hire and fire people 3. Legal ability to run a business out of your garage 4. Lower taxes - income, corporate, capital gains - than in the US 5. Free trade, even if unilateral, as the US is involved in tariffs and trade wars All of this combined, given that the UK is English speaking, could lead to the UK overtaking Silicon Valley in terms of startups. Most of the world’s top talent would, all else being equal, prefer to live around Cambridge than in Palo Alto.
- mellosouls 7y ago
  1. Plenty of home grown top talent. Nothing wrong with recruiting further afield, but it's often used to low ball wages and rights. 2. Workers rights. 3. I've no idea why you think people don't run businesses from their homes already. 4. Depends on the government of the time, and why do you think racing to the bottom on public funding is a good thing? 5. We already have free trade. Try getting in tariff battles with no strength outside the EU. Tbh all those points seem dubious at best.
  - agent008t 7y ago
    I mostly agree with this: http://www.paulgraham.com/america.html http://www.paulgraham.com/america.html And I think an argument could be made that being more competitive on all those points would be easier outside the EU. I suspect you would disagree with Paul's essay/the goals he outlined, and that's fine. My point is that if you did agree with his essay, you might see that Brexit could also open opportunities.
    - mellosouls 7y ago
      Thanks for the link, I'll read it later. I wouldn't dispute there are potential benefits to Brexit, I'm saying there are no obvious winning arguments, and clear counters to all of yours. Also by purely framing it in terms of business, you are in danger of making two errors: 1. Assuming all business has the same needs, and all business owners have the same perspective. 2. Much more importantly, business is just one factor of the national life affected by the split, and - as pointed out -has a natural tension with other issues like rights and standards that you haven't addressed.

mellosouls 7y ago

I didn't downvote you (I posted the parent to your response) but your comment read to me as coming from a perspective skewed through Brexiteer-tinted glasses, which both Remainers and neutrals wanting objectivity might find frustrating. I can believe there might be positive aspects for business, but pretty much all of them involve a deterioration in workers and other rights (human, animal) and standards. And generally speaking, while agility and flexibility are likely to follow from becoming newly small and skinny, I don't see how that helps when in the trading ring with very big, very strong heavyweights.

pinkfoot 7y ago

Here is how you approach this: in which scenarios would Canada become a more attractive place for business if it left the USMCA (ex NAFTA) RELATIVE to the USA or Mexico.