3 ms·

To be honest, I think it would have been hard a year ago to predict quite the turn that things have taken. The term "volatile" as a description of current UK/Eu

by rusk 7y ago

To be honest, I think it would have been hard a year ago to predict quite the turn that things have taken. The term "volatile" as a description of current UK/European relations is something of an understatement. Everybody understands that "Crazy Boris" is a negotiating strategy, and one that might even work, but it's purpose is to be disruptive to European trade, and disadvantage non pan-European operators across the board.

thu2111 7y ago
Boris isn't crazy. He has been sent clear instructions by his electorate that "because the EU says we must" is no longer a valid justification for the government to present. As such he wants to negotiate a close and friendly relationship that nonetheless allows divergence from the Commission's decisions when the UK government feels it represents a good cost/benefit tradeoff. This is really as far from crazy as you can get - it's just saying different people have different opinions and priorities, so the government should reflect that. The fact that this stance has been consistently painted by Europhiles as "crazy", "impossible", "racism" etc is one reason the UK is leaving. The variety of ways in which this simple desire for local government gets insulted and traduced indicates a severe problem with the EU and its associated belief systems.
- rusk 7y ago
  I didn’t say he was crazy ... dangerous maybe, but far from crazy. I’d urge you to read again but I seriously doubt you’d catch the nuance. These things don’t translate well into Russian.
  - dang 7y ago
    Please don't post in the flamewar style to HN. We've had to ask you this more than once before. Especially please keep personal and/or nationalistic slurs well away from here. https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html
  - thu2111 7y ago
    Honestly, I'm not sure such an offensive and stupid reply merits a response. You called him "Crazy Boris" in your post whilst implying he doesn't actually mean anything he says, so now it's "I didn't say he was crazy". You also changed your insult of choice to "dangerous". Then you imply that because I - like most voting Brits - don't think the Prime Minister is crazy OR dangerous, I must be Russian! Thus managing to insult me, most British people, Boris Johnson and Russian people all at once. Your toxicity is exactly why Trump won, why Brexit won, and why causes like that will continue to win - people like you are the worst advert for your views imaginable. Please keep this sort of nastiness towards your neighbours off HN.

by rusk 7y ago

thu2111 7y ago

Boris isn't crazy. He has been sent clear instructions by his electorate that "because the EU says we must" is no longer a valid justification for the government to present. As such he wants to negotiate a close and friendly relationship that nonetheless allows divergence from the Commission's decisions when the UK government feels it represents a good cost/benefit tradeoff. This is really as far from crazy as you can get - it's just saying different people have different opinions and priorities, so the government should reflect that. The fact that this stance has been consistently painted by Europhiles as "crazy", "impossible", "racism" etc is one reason the UK is leaving. The variety of ways in which this simple desire for local government gets insulted and traduced indicates a severe problem with the EU and its associated belief systems.

rusk 7y ago
I didn’t say he was crazy ... dangerous maybe, but far from crazy. I’d urge you to read again but I seriously doubt you’d catch the nuance. These things don’t translate well into Russian.
- dang 7y ago
  Please don't post in the flamewar style to HN. We've had to ask you this more than once before. Especially please keep personal and/or nationalistic slurs well away from here. https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html
- thu2111 7y ago
  Honestly, I'm not sure such an offensive and stupid reply merits a response. You called him "Crazy Boris" in your post whilst implying he doesn't actually mean anything he says, so now it's "I didn't say he was crazy". You also changed your insult of choice to "dangerous". Then you imply that because I - like most voting Brits - don't think the Prime Minister is crazy OR dangerous, I must be Russian! Thus managing to insult me, most British people, Boris Johnson and Russian people all at once. Your toxicity is exactly why Trump won, why Brexit won, and why causes like that will continue to win - people like you are the worst advert for your views imaginable. Please keep this sort of nastiness towards your neighbours off HN.