Britain Sets Date for EU Referendum -- Brexit

taxme · June 27, 2016

Well, at least there's a silver lining...

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/the-world-s-wealthiest-people-lost-over-120-billion-after-brexit-vote-a7105221.html

Aw, the poor dear billionaires, what a pity.So they lost a few bucks. I am pretty sure that they will survive and I am sure that they have enough money around to keep themselves going until things get back to normal. If they are real decent people, chuckle, they will stick around and try to help weather the storm like the rest of the peons who will have to do also.

taxme · June 27, 2016

The young voters can blame only themselves; the turn-out in the 18-24 age-group was dismally low at 36%. I wonder how many youngsters who didn't bother to vote are now crying out loud how their future has been stolen.

All in all, the Brexit is a bigger blow to the remaining EU than it is for Britain. It is laughable to suggest that a major important country and the world's fifth largest economy couldn't handle on its own outside the EU when minnows such as Iceland, Norway and Switzerland are doing just fine.

It all comes to the exit-negotiations what kind of a deal will be reached between the EU and departing Britain. It would also be helpful to already know who's the next British PM who will lead the negotiations.

Britain will survive and everything will be alright. It's the wealthy who will lose some money out of it all. No big deal for them. It's just the doom and gloomers no losers that keep trying to make a mountain out of a mole hill. Iceland,Norway and Switzerland are doing just fine and so will Britain.

taxme · June 27, 2016

Get rid of humanity, or the vast majority of it. That'll be the real ticket.

But better someone else than me or mine of course.

You are right on. We all live in a world of "it's all about me and mine".The heck with the next guy or gal. When that attitude changes maybe then things will get better. There are too many one issue wonders out there that are only concerned about how that one issue affects them. Others issues are of no concern to them and they don't care.about it. We lall ive in a me - me generation.

Hudson Jones · June 27, 2016

Its a combination of the left and the right, both of which belong to the same paradigm going back to the Cold War and continuing under Blair (center left), Hollande (center left) etc.

The left and right act as two sides of the same coin leaving the Middle East in tatters have both have historically sought to exploit it.

Agreed with the last sentence. And I guess if we want to categorize Blair as left, then, yes, I agree.

Blanket statements (not that I'm pointing at you) like "the left believe this" or "the right believe this" don't really explain the sentiments. There are many who may consider themselves as leftist or rightist but most likely disagree with the left and right establishment policies which, in a lot of times, end up being the same.

G Huxley · June 27, 2016

He probably thinks Stalin was also a bleeding-heart progressive.

/facepalm.

Non sequitur.

Facepalm.

And bleeding-hearts without rationality are not progressives.

G Huxley · June 27, 2016

Agreed with the last sentence. And I guess if we want to categorize Blair as left, then, yes, I agree.

Blanket statements (not that I'm pointing at you) like "the left believe this" or "the right believe this" don't really explain the sentiments. There are many who may consider themselves as leftist or rightist but most likely disagree with the left and right establishment policies which, in a lot of times, end up being the same.

I chose to place Blair as center left, which I agree is questionable, but it doesn't really matter, a problem is viewing the political spectrum through the prism of economics, it prejudices our thinking towards economics, whereas economics is not the most important issue in politics and blinds us from more important issues. Neither the left, nor the right have a monopoly on corruption or destruction.

"Blanket statements (not that I'm pointing at you) like "the left believe this" or "the right believe this" don't really explain the sentiments. There are many who may consider themselves as leftist or rightist but most likely disagree with the left and right establishment policies which, in a lot of times, end up being the same."

Agree and I'm actually saying something similar, but in a different way. I am saying that those on the left and the right have both been responsible for the destruction in the Middle East, not that everyone on the left or right are responsible for the Middle East.

G Huxley · June 27, 2016

Tony Blair definitely wasn't a leftist nor did he have leniency towards left...

Even within his cabinet he was known for his rightwing policies that very much resembled Tories and little about his policies set him apart...I don't know where you get this that makes you think he was a lefty!!!

He was a left wing only in a Neoliberal sense, which is that his policies were built on classical liberalism, but globalized. Blair was a combination of left and right.

G Huxley · June 27, 2016

Get rid of humanity, or the vast majority of it. That'll be the real ticket.

But better someone else than me or mine of course.

How would you propose reducing the human population?

dre · June 27, 2016

Their problems do not stem from EU politics, or immigration policy or anything else like that... their problems stem from the economic and banking model within which they live. And THAT is pretty much the same in much of the western world whether within the EU or without.

...

Well not really the same. In the Euro most countries have accepted the common currency. That means that interest rates are no longer set by central banks controlled by elected national governments. So agrarian economies are forced to endure interest rates set for countries like France and Germany when their rates should in fact be much higher.

BC_chick · June 27, 2016

How would you propose reducing the human population?

Cannibalism?

G Huxley · June 27, 2016

Well that would at least be recycling.

Moonlight Graham · June 27, 2016

Why did those stock prices fall so much anyway? Ultimately, it's because shareholders believed that their stocks would become less valuable as companies lose ways of cutting jobs, acquiring cheap labor, outsourcing jobs, finding tax loopholes, and finding ways of shielding their wealth. Shareholders dumped their stocks yesterday for reasons that should make progressives cheer.

Investors lost faith in Britain for the same reason investors lost faith in Quebec when they had their referendum to leave Canada: uncertainty. Investors don't like economic uncertainty compared to stability. Investors have flocked to gold instead for a reason.

None of what you said is really a sure thing whatsoever. Britain can still negotiate "free-trade" deals and labour/migration agreements on a bilateral or multilateral basis with any EU country just like it does the rest of the world.

Moonlight Graham · June 27, 2016

How would you propose reducing the human population?

Give everybody a gun.

Big Guy · June 27, 2016

I am surprised by the number of posters who are convinced that the UK is going to leave the EU. That referendum was a vote on what the majority of those in the UK would like. It is not binding. The more time that goes on the more likely it is becoming that there will be a snap election, another government will take power and leaving the UK will be off the table.

It ain't over till the fat lady sings!

Derek 2.0 · June 27, 2016

I'm not wrong. A low dollar is better for almost anyone who sells any good, commodity or service to anyone outside of Canada, especially if they sell in US dollars. In nearly all cases, your profit increases automatically.

And who is our largest trading partner, and with said partner, do we currently have a trade deficit or surplus?

1) Low oil prices.

2) Liberal federal government.

3) NDP Alberta government.

We'd be in far worse shape right now if the dollar was high too.

Our economy's growth decreased with the reduced price in oil (as did the CDN dollar), evidence that commodity trading and our dollar are linked......and of course the decline in both started under a Federal Conservative and Alberta PC government........

Our dollar wouldn't be "too high" sans a dramatic increase in the price oil..........hmmmm.....almost like the price of oil, the Canadian economy and the dollar are directly correlated with each other..........

As to the United Kingdom, the Pound is free falling, in an economy that relies heavily on international services and to a lesser extent oil and petrochemical exports.......odd that nobody is suggesting a decreasing pound will be an economic boon to the UK.

eyeball · June 27, 2016

How would you propose reducing the human population?

Just keep going down the same road we're on - it's inevitable.

Derek 2.0 · June 27, 2016

Kicking the UK out of the trading block will hurt the remaining EU countries too because trade is a two way street. The existence of NAFTA shows that an agreement to allow the movement of skilled labour is all that is required and EU insistence on free movement of everyone is hard to justify.

Of course, the EU could react with the same emotionalism and irrationality that they use the UK of and refused to budge on their previous positions.

Absent a Free Trade deal and access to the UK market, the German economy will tank faster than the British........simply put, the UK is one of the biggest markets of German produced consumer goods, everything from cars, kitchen appliances to electronics.

Derek 2.0 · June 27, 2016

All in all, the Brexit is a bigger blow to the remaining EU than it is for Britain. It is laughable to suggest that a major important country and the world's fifth largest economy couldn't handle on its own outside the EU when minnows such as Iceland, Norway and Switzerland are doing just fine.

Exactly, likewise the suggestion that the UK will suddenly loose its centuries hold on the financial and international services industry.......why would a company like Lloyds pull-up stakes and move to a France when they make their money in North American, Middle Eastern and Asian markets? At the end of the day, the international language of business is English, not Spanish, French or German.....

Outside the EU, such British companies will be able to directly compete, internationally, unfettered from EU protectionist policies........

Wilber · June 28, 2016

Aw, the poor dear billionaires, what a pity.So they lost a few bucks. I am pretty sure that they will survive and I am sure that they have enough money around to keep themselves going until things get back to normal. If they are real decent people, chuckle, they will stick around and try to help weather the storm like the rest of the peons who will have to do also.

That's the kind of moronic attitude that results in these kinds of situations. The average investor and retiree is taking a much bigger hit than these billionaires. The billionaires can afford it. Those trying to live off their life's savings and investments can't. It was the so called peons who shot themselves in the foot, not the billionaires. They will come out of this just fine.

G Huxley · June 28, 2016

Give everybody a gun.

I don't see that lowering the overall population at all.

G Huxley · June 28, 2016

Just keep going down the same road we're on - it's inevitable.

Why not instead do something now to reduce the population, instead of waiting for us to wreck the rest of the biosphere first?

Edited June 28, 2016 by G Huxley

eyeball · June 28, 2016

Why not instead do something now to reduce the population, instead of waiting for us to wreck the rest of the biosphere first?

Good idea except most right wing conservatives won't have anything to do with it so....

Icebound · June 28, 2016

Exactly, likewise the suggestion that the UK will suddenly loose its centuries hold on the financial and international services industry.......why would a company like Lloyds pull-up stakes and move to a France when they make their money in North American, Middle Eastern and Asian markets? At the end of the day, the international language of business is English, not Spanish, French or German.....

Outside the EU, such British companies will be able to directly compete, internationally, unfettered from EU protectionist policies........

All of that may be true, but none of it will make a difference to the "little man", whose supposed dissatisfaction with the "elites" triggered this whole mess.

His problems stem from the fact that his take-home percentage of the GDP has grown smaller and smaller.... and it will continue to do that whether within or without the EU.... so long as the corporate structure funnels surpluses UP to compensation for executives and shareholders.... and not DOWN to increased wages.. No major party knows how to improve that.... and even if they do, they do not have the political will.

So whether the UK tanks, or rebounds, or stays the same.... the little guy will still be no better off.

And the immigration issue is a red herring. In a "separate" UK... if the economy proves to be that much better than the rest of Europe...then people will find a way to get there, just like they have into the United States.

If the UK really wants to curb their immigration, then just tank your economy and job market.... Maybe that's exactly what they have done. Mission accomplished!

...

G Huxley · June 28, 2016

Well right now in Canada the right are in a decline, and yet our current government are massively exploiting the tar sands and increasing the population even more than the previous conservative government.