@ rostasi: Yes, I read about that depressing news too, and have feared that Brexit could cause a recession. Pre-referendum, almost everybody guessed there would be a heavy price to pay for Brexit.
These days, I feel that as Brexit is happening anyway, I'd rather look for the benefits of it, especially as in financial markets they say that economies can talk themselves into recession; all those gloomy predictions can be self realizing. So I'm putting on a brave face in case some big investor dips into this thread before commiting to a business deal with the UK.
If we are lucky, these bad figures could just be the short, sharp, expected downturn in response to the "uncertainty" that everyone agrees is particulary damaging. Perhaps, as the worst predictions fail to materialize, and more people watch "Brexit, The Movie", confidence in, and the economy of, the UK will bounce back - or even exceed previous levels.
@Lilja: Thanks for taking the trouble to post your responses to that documentary; I'm interested in your opinions because you really understand what the EU is about.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Lilja
I guess my question is, why hasn't the UK left already? You are not "out at last", and haven't even started truly cutting the cords. The person who made that film showed every advantage of leaving the EU, such as knowing who your representatives are (and honestly, most people probably don't know who their local representatives are...much less the EU's. That showing the pictures bit that they do in the film has been repeated time and time again in many different countries with different political representatives...most just really don't care I think.
|
^ Yes, most people wish that "out" just meant "out", but unfortunately it's a very complicated business which'll take years. (Our entry took 7 years and, rather at random, I read that a non-EU trade agreement between just
two countries took 10 years to complete.) So we have to resign ourselves to watching a snail race. But some things have changed already; there was some EU meeting the other day from which the Brits were excluded.
Yes, perhaps the bit with the photos in the street was rather laboured, but there is a valid point; that EU rule-makers are all but annonymous.
Quote:
|
Admittedly, I have met a few people who are reps for Sweden in the EU and it is a pretty sweet job. But really, any type of political job is usually overpayed and full of nice kickbacks which makes one regret not working in politics). The film shows nothing about what could happen if you voted "leave" (which most did. And the people who pushed leave pretty much left all acountability when it went to hell on the British economy).
|
^ I agree, politicians look after themselves first, usually at the tax-payers expense; surely that is all the more reason to escape from the over-staffed bureaucratic maze that is the EU.
Quote:
I have to admit, the fish market scene did seem a bit fishy though  . What kind of fish market opens so late in the day? All that was left would have been the crap fish by the time the film guys showed up. And do you honestly think that the UK could keep pushing out so much fish withought some kind of regulation? Seems almost like overfishing which just ends up in waste..but that is just my opinion.
|
^
I didn't notice that about the time of day of the fish market! Maybe I'll re-watch it. I don't suppose the Brits are any different from any other fishermen, i.e. overfish if you can until someone stops you. My understanding is that the EU have regulated overfishing (good thing) but have also allowed other countries to fish in what were traditionally British territorial waters (not so good for the UK).
Quote:
Ok. So, you vote out of the EU. So leave it already. I am tired of hearing about the "negotiations"...
I am just glad Pokemon Go came out. Gives the world something fun to focus on
|
^ Yes, me too Lilja! in fact, I'm going to cut short this post, though I would just like to
i) thank you for your patience and interest in what the Brits are doing to the EU, and
ii) correct you on one point; that ordinary people in England have been very aware/worried about the EU for decades; every new development (Maastricht, the euro, the schegen area) has been viewed with suspicion, not just in parliament, but in the pubs too!