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Our difference seems to be that I don’t put much weight on your view that nationalism will dominate the discussion. Standard of living will. My hope is UK citiz
by thoughtstheseus 4y ago
Our difference seems to be that I don’t put much weight on your view that nationalism will dominate the discussion. Standard of living will. My hope is UK citizens make decisions to benefit themselves, their family, friends, and community.
The UK cannot maintain its current standard of living without a very large partnership of some sort. Once living standards get bad enough people will be open to non-traditional options.
The EU can’t offer much energy, national security, or manufacturing support these days and U.S. is the only other reasonable option. A partnership, statehood, or something similar with the U.S. would immediately position the UK as the most powerful and desirable region in Europe IMO.
It would also not be one state, more likely 4. England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. They would each get a voice in the USA Federal government. Opportunity of a generation IMO.
- sofixa 4y ago> The EU can’t offer much energy, national security, or manufacturing support these days and U.S. is the only other reasonable option. The UK literally relies on the EU energy market (and vice versa), with lots of imports and exports between the two. There isn't enough of it, but there's already a codependency there. National security is debatable, but as a part of the EU the UK would be leader among equals (big army and nukes), so cooperation would be on an equal footing. Manufacturing of what, specifically?
- thoughtstheseus 4y agoWe’ve seen the result of that reliance. UK’s non-subsidized energy prices have skyrocketed and it’s unclear what the remedy will be. If you know one please tell me. I’ve been to the UK and talked to power players there and the only plan I’ve heard is “temporary” deindustrialization to maintain consumer comforts. National security - the UK is THE leader in Europe. The EU seems unwilling to field a credible military deterrence. That’s not being equals IMO. Slowly that’s changing now… but the UK is already integrating its military industrial base with the U.S. so that ship has sailed. Manufacturing - I used that word as a catch-all for providing goods and services.
- Aeolun 4y agoYou think the the US would increase the British standard of living? There’s no way any Brit would go for anything the US has to peddle.
- daydream 4y agoWhat would the United States get out of this? Nothing.
- djohnston 4y agoTaxes?
- fy20 4y agoNationalism was the main reason why Brexit happened. The way it was sold to the people was by being more independent so the UK could limit immigration (well that didn't happen, and they could have actually done this before but chose not to) and so they didn't need to send money to the EU to build roads in foreign places the average UK pensioner would never dream of going (it's gone down from a net of around £8B to £1B).