4 ms·

I am a continental European and I have lived in the UK for some time. I always lived under the impression that the goal of the EU was to increase integration. I

by telmo 5y ago

I am a continental European and I have lived in the UK for some time. I always lived under the impression that the goal of the EU was to increase integration. I think the majority of continental Europeans feel the same and support this idea to some degree. I always felt that this was only news to the British. I also support brexit. I would prefer for the UK to be in the EU because it would make all of us stronger and closer, as I think we should be, but I have to accept that current UK culture is just not compatible with the European project. Good luck to my British friends, who I know see me as "foreigner". I don't see you as foreigner.

biztos 5y ago
> I think the majority of continental Europeans feel the same and support this idea to some degree. I guess that must be true of the political elite in the major (remaining) EU countries, or it wouldn't be the policy, right? But for, say, Hungary, where I have a lot of experience, I'm pretty sure basically nobody thinks "increasing integration" should be the goal. Well maybe some tiny minority who happen to work for the EU itself. The integration everyone cared about already happened, except for the currency integration which will never happen. (IMO good that it won't.) Now you have one side that would like to use the EU as a cudgel for rule-of-law questions but only without interrupting the flow of money; and another, more powerful side that uses the EU as a dog-whistle for nationalists as long as it doesn't interrupt the flow of money. I can't speak for "Europe" (neither can Brussels) but I know a lot of people in Germany who also think there has been quite enough integration already, thank you. Try ordering an espresso in Berlin without speaking English. (I neither supported nor opposed Brexit as I'm just a dirty foreigner in the EU either way, but I have sympathy for those who did so on principle.)
- pbhjpbhj 5y ago
  Why do you think we should not cooperate more towards the common goals of humanity?
  - jaywalk 5y ago
    We don't need any more banners on every website, thanks.
    - GreenWatermelon 5y ago
      Bad websites using dark patterns to circumvent laws aren't a good criticism of law. I'm so surprised that here in HN, I keep seeing comments complaining about "banners" disclosing the fact that every interaction with the website is monitored by probably every mega corp out there. If you don't like the banners, tell the websites not to collect your data for profit, rather than complain about knowing that they do.
- telmo 5y ago
  > the political elite I'm not sure what this means. > in the major (remaining) EU countries, or it wouldn't be the policy, right? It is not some policy, it is an international treaty signed by every current in the EU. This would be like saying that NATO is "a policy". By the way, the remaining countries are 27. 13 of those joined since the year 2000 and one left. > except for the currency integration which will never happen Yes it did. What a bizarre statement. > Try ordering an espresso in Berlin without speaking English. I live in Berlin. You can order anything in German anywhere. This is at best a gross exaggeration, at worse an outright lie. It was exactly this type of "fact" that was used to convince a lot of British people to commit brexit.

by telmo 5y ago

biztos 5y ago

> I think the majority of continental Europeans feel the same and support this idea to some degree. I guess that must be true of the political elite in the major (remaining) EU countries, or it wouldn't be the policy, right? But for, say, Hungary, where I have a lot of experience, I'm pretty sure basically nobody thinks "increasing integration" should be the goal. Well maybe some tiny minority who happen to work for the EU itself. The integration everyone cared about already happened, except for the currency integration which will never happen. (IMO good that it won't.) Now you have one side that would like to use the EU as a cudgel for rule-of-law questions but only without interrupting the flow of money; and another, more powerful side that uses the EU as a dog-whistle for nationalists as long as it doesn't interrupt the flow of money. I can't speak for "Europe" (neither can Brussels) but I know a lot of people in Germany who also think there has been quite enough integration already, thank you. Try ordering an espresso in Berlin without speaking English. (I neither supported nor opposed Brexit as I'm just a dirty foreigner in the EU either way, but I have sympathy for those who did so on principle.)

pbhjpbhj 5y ago
Why do you think we should not cooperate more towards the common goals of humanity?
- jaywalk 5y ago
  We don't need any more banners on every website, thanks.
  - GreenWatermelon 5y ago
    Bad websites using dark patterns to circumvent laws aren't a good criticism of law. I'm so surprised that here in HN, I keep seeing comments complaining about "banners" disclosing the fact that every interaction with the website is monitored by probably every mega corp out there. If you don't like the banners, tell the websites not to collect your data for profit, rather than complain about knowing that they do.
telmo 5y ago
> the political elite I'm not sure what this means. > in the major (remaining) EU countries, or it wouldn't be the policy, right? It is not some policy, it is an international treaty signed by every current in the EU. This would be like saying that NATO is "a policy". By the way, the remaining countries are 27. 13 of those joined since the year 2000 and one left. > except for the currency integration which will never happen Yes it did. What a bizarre statement. > Try ordering an espresso in Berlin without speaking English. I live in Berlin. You can order anything in German anywhere. This is at best a gross exaggeration, at worse an outright lie. It was exactly this type of "fact" that was used to convince a lot of British people to commit brexit.