I have a bit of a weird opinion on this. I was very anti brexit. I make multiple trips to Europe every year, probably 4-5 at least. I benefit nothing from leaving the union. My passport is filling with stamps at an alarming rate.

But, to rejoin now after it is done. To rejoin with the basic requirements of a new state rejoining? I don't think it's as great an idea of remaining when we had the perks of an early joining larger state. Certainly you'll find a lot more resistance to replacing the pound with the Euro (I actually could care less, but I'm in the minority here) than there was to leaving on the original terms.

Also, I don't think Europe should have to put up with us (as a whole, the country I mean) whiners. Our bed has been made by the stupidly defined referendum, and the subsequent disastrous implementation and now, we should just suck it up and lie in it.

[–] madnificent@lemmy.world 15 points 1 year ago (1 children)

The sentiment I hear around me is that you have been lied to.

We have kept the lights on, like many of you asked, and we are looking forward to welcoming a new humorous generation.

Sure, it is not going to be under the same conditions. Things have moved around when you left. Empty voids have been filled. Regardless, I'd love for us to see the propaganda of the time for what it was, propaganda and lies, and to bring the actors and platforms responsible for willingly spreading lies to their knees.

Together we stand stronger in a strong Europe, and reuniting is a sign of Europe's resilience to external influences.

[–] r00ty@kbin.life 11 points 1 year ago

I wasn't lied to. Actually, the way this stuff was spread on social media was the whole cambridge analytica thing. I never saw ANY of the ads/sponsored posts etc. I was not the demographic, I guess. What I did see was weird opinions and people that never had a problem with the EU suddenly talking about sovereignty etc starting around a month before and getting much louder a week or so before. They targeted the advertising so tightly that those that weren't close to the middle or on the side of leaving already never ever saw an advert/sponsored post or any other advertising. It was spookily well executed.

I remember initially I was certain it would be a landslide remain. Around a week before I was very concerned it wouldn't be any more, just based on the shift of public sentiment.

[–] towerful@programming.dev 6 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Our laws are currently fairly inline with EU laws. It's less work to fully align them now than in 10 years, when the Tories have fully dismantled workers/privacy/consumer/human rights.

And I have no issue with the Euro. We still get to do our own artwork on the notes/coins.
We clearly need immigration to cover the jobs people don't want to do, despite the fact that the "they took our jobs" group would whine about work they personally don't want to do being done by others.
It would simplify and clear up our trade, just-in-time logistics for all manor of things, and likely put the UK in a better position as an "English speaking HQ of Europe" for companies.

Ultimately tho, theres going to be a decade of shit to wade through before any potential benefits of Brexit actually come around.
This was a huge talking point about Scottish Independence ("yeh, but you'd be fucked" "oh sure, but after 5-10 years we would be in a better position"). It's fair to say the same applies to brexit (although the benefits of brexit are a lot less apparent to me)

[–] r00ty@kbin.life 8 points 1 year ago (1 children)

All of the benefits (so far as I can tell) were always theoretical. We can make our own trade deals. Except, previously trade deals were made on our behalf as part of a trading bloc that included us, Germany, France, Italy, The nordics (mostly via the EEA) and the rest of Europe. How was there ever a serious expectation we'd get a better deal as a fraction of that bargaining power? So, a theoretical benefit that's extremely unlikely to pan out to our advantage.

Taking control of our borders? How has that worked out for us? Not too well so far it seems.

Yeah, it's crap. But I feel like some more of those brexit supporting business owners need to eat some more humble pie before we ever try to go back.

[–] towerful@programming.dev 5 points 1 year ago

I don't buy tunnocks, dyson, or go to a weatherspoon.
No doubt there are other companies I don't realise were pro-brexit.

I know the whole "ooh look at you and your personal boycott changing the world" bullshit. Fuck it, I'm still doing it. This is my hill of beans to die on.
It's like recycling, reducing consumption etc. Yeh, big companies are contributing more to climate change and they really are the ones that need to change. But I can't hate on them if I'm not trying to help the situation.

[–] bpm@lemmy.ml 1 points 1 year ago

I think the point I realised how out of step I am with most brexiters was when someone argued with me that now we're out of the EU "they can take all their bloody decimalised currency with them!"

I was completely flabbergasted that someone would still be mad about an objectively better system that's been the norm for over 50 years at this point.