Originally Posted by thenetworkbabe:
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Europe''s problem is that its already grown, and there's little productivity growth, and a bigger, aging population, draining resources. The UK's chance was to become the biggest EU economy, with the biggest population in the EU, and to use the EU market as a secure economic base ,and to use Europe to reimnforce our diplomacy. Thanks to the Leave voters we will be reverting now to being an uncompetitive offshore Island, with a smaller, aging, population, stripped of its former secure market, that no one listens to internationally.”
Wow, it sounds like you really believe that. The EU doesn't give power, it usurps it. Any states unfortunate to still be in the EU in the next decade or so will have as much international clout as Iowa or South Dakota, i.e. - little to none. The French voice in international affairs has pretty much disappeared - it doesn't even control its own currency and it is well known that the EU uses Frances seat on the UN security council to exert its own influence rather than the exclusive French view.
The UK will probably grow faster once it is completely out of the EU and the customs union because it will have its own self interests at heart as well as the flexibility to implement policies that directly benefit British businesses, and attract overseas investment. Brexit will ultimately lead to a rebalancing of the British economy as well, because it currently is too focused on the financial services industry. You also underestimate the infrastructure that the City of London boasts. No European cities can touch it, and won't for decades - even if there was an exodus from London (which there won't be, because they're not just here because of our EU membership).
The EU was created to contain German strength. That is no way to base the future of a successful nation like Britain. Germany was destroyed twice in the last century, it sufffered with dictatorship. Italy and Spain likewise, France was occupied by German forces for years. Smaller EU countries such as Ireland, Portugal and Greece have long histories of having little control over their own affairs (i.e. - no currency or military independence). Eastern EU countries have fallen out of one overbearing empire in to another one. Britain doesn't need to be an EU state - it has always been a globally-focused country throughout its modern history. The EU is parochial, declining and, like all empires, will eventually collapse.
Do you think Canada, Australia, Singapore, Japan and South Korea should give up hope on their future even though they live on the doorstep of a massive market that they aren't members of? Even though they are amongst the richest nations of Earth? Britain, with its expertise in financial services, home to one of the worlds most significant super cities, world leading expertise in robotics, automotive and other advanced technologies, highly integrated diplomatic, intelligence and military network that dwarfs anything that any other country in Europe, or the aforementioned independent countries have.
It's ironic - remoaners go on about leavers trying to hark back to the days of the British Empire, when it is in fact them who think we need to be part of the EU (and, in their delusion, thinking we can lead it) so we can become a global superpower again. Yes - lets build the European empire along the entire western flank of a resurgent Russia and see how that goes down - lets see how many British troops are killed in Eastern Europe then.
I'd rather Britain concentrates on its strengths to build wealth for its citizens and be a welcoming place for people from all over the world to come to study in our leading academic institutions, work in high tech industries, and work to open up trade infrastructure around the planet. The EU, with its regional, parochial, power-hungry view can continue on with its own dillusions and see where it gets them.
here, mostly flaky, it has to be said.”
