faetal on 16/6/2016 at 10:15
The EU works great for the UK, we pay less than 2% of the tax budget and in return we get brought in on the massive economy, science funding, protections for workers, regional and national funding streams for all manner of bullshit the UK govt couldn't give a fuck about, food safety, (
https://www.foe.co.uk/blog/what-has-eu-done-uk-beaches) clean beaches, the longest period of peace in Europe's recent history, freedom to travel to any European country or live there (like I do) without having to fork out for costly and time-consuming visas.
That's just off the top of my head and only stuff which affects me so far. I don't have any say in how the UK is run either way, since manifesto pledges are not binding and are rarely stuck to, ditto election pledges - UK democracy is little more than reality TV with people choosing the person they think represents them
conceptually.
heywood on 16/6/2016 at 11:14
That seems to be the way democracy is working everywhere.
faetal on 16/6/2016 at 11:37
Pretty much. It's sort of a misnomer to refer to it as democracy really. Either way, it makes the "the EU isn't democratic" arguments seem like sentimental fluff rather than factual statements.
Nameless Voice on 16/6/2016 at 13:38
Reading this thread just makes me think of this.
[video=youtube;ExWfh6sGyso]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ExWfh6sGyso&hd=1[/video]
I don't know how much that applies to the UK, but it's certainly apt here in Ireland, where everything is at least part-funded by the EU. Forest parks? Wouldn't exist without the EU. Roads, education (which is almost-free in Ireland), healthcare, social initiatives - all supported and part-funded by the EU.
Tomi on 16/6/2016 at 16:42
A British pro-EU politician Jo Cox has been shot and stabbed today, and is now in critical condition in hospital. She was apparently attacked by a 50-something man who kept shouting "Britain First" while shooting Cox three times and then stabbing her multiple times while she was lying on the ground. What the hell. I hope that she survives.
EDIT: Unfortunately it's been announced that she didn't make it... This is very sad and tragic in many ways.
nickie on 16/6/2016 at 19:39
Quote Posted by Tomi
She was apparently attacked by a 50-something man
who kept shouting "Britain First" Where did you read that bit, Tomi? None of the witness reports I've read mention that.
Vivian on 16/6/2016 at 19:50
There's some reports of it here: (
https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2016/jun/16/labour-mp-jo-cox-shot-in-west-yorkshire)
And the dickheads in question have released a statement saying NOPE WASN'T US on their website (which I'm not linking to because they can fuck right off). I believe them, they're racist dicks but they're not (yet) up to assassination or anything. Beating up brown kids in alleys is more their vibe.
scumble on 16/6/2016 at 20:32
Well that's depressing. What the hell's going on when MPs are actually getting shot due to this sodding referendum?
Vae on 16/6/2016 at 20:42
Just like with Islamic terrorism, one's passionate beliefs can run deep and produce violent results, when an imagined outcome of the future justifies extreme actions.
nickie on 17/6/2016 at 06:57
Thanks, Vivian. My usual news-reading site has now been updated.
