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originally posted by: 83Liberty
I hate all this talk about Scotland leaving the UK if we vote to Leave the EU. Scotland will have another vote regardless if we Stay or Leave the EU and if the majority of Scottish people want to leave the UK, then they should be allowed that choice.
It speaks to one of the worst aspects of the debate about the EU: the conflation of the Brussels-based oligarchy with the continent of Europe; the mixing-up of the small, unaccountable cliques who peer down at Europe from their air-conditioned towers in Brussels with Europe itself.
The Stay campaign’s habit of conflating ‘Europe’ and ‘the EU’ means that those who are anti-EU can be easily depicted as anti-Europe, as xenophobic or nationalistic. These people’s political outlook — their dislike of the way Brussels can impose its writ on nation states — is reduced to a prejudiced outlook, a simple case of being anti-Europe. Their politics is pathologised, turned from opposition to a political system into opposition to a whole continent and its cultures and peoples.
This is why we so often see the term Europhobic. This word explicitly pathologises people’s dislike of the EU. It treats it almost as a mental illness: a phobia is an irrational fear.
This week, a writer for New Europe magazine listed ‘Europhobia’ alongside ‘xenophobia, nationalism, Islamophobia and racism’, as values that are ‘alien to our postwar European culture’.
See how casually criticism of the EU, opposition to the Brussels oligarchy, is reduced to a phobia, an ism, something which goes against the ideals of Europe itself.
We must challenge the cynical conflation of ‘Europe’ and ‘the EU’, and we must challenge the pathologisation of Brussels’ critics. Because, to my mind, the EU and Europe are not even remotely the same thing.
My argument for getting out of the EU is not a Little Englander one. It’s not because I think Britain is the best country in this continent. It’s not because I love the pound or the Queen. It’s because the EU is detrimental to the whole of Europe, and particularly to two incredibly important values that European peoples have in various ways been fighting for for hundreds of years: democracy and liberty. The EU is anti-democratic and illiberal.
That is entirely possible. And I dont think they have any choice but to do some writing off!
originally posted by: eletheia
Just want to put something out there ....
A few years ago Greece was in deep financial trouble and had to
take on the very punitive terms given them by the EU. Then came
the rumours that Greece was about to default its debt.
What happened next was the immigration crisis in Europe, and
money is being thrown at Greece and Turkey who as you all
know has been trying to get into the haloed club of the EU. for a
long time.
Mrs Merkel who somewhat instigated the whole situation when
she openly invited them all in, seems to have lost her voice and
is now openly admitting that she may have been a little hasty.
This situation could well have been deliberately instigated ... for
the resolution to be >>>>
# Greece gets its debt written off...
# UK leaves the EU ...
# And Turkey gets the place of the UK at the table ...
SORTED!!!
Its a good article! The plot thickens!
originally posted by: Morrad
Another article by Brendan O’Neill. He has really impressed me over the last couple of years. He cuts through bs and shows things as they truly are in my opinion. He spoke to the Brexit Society at Cambridge University at the beginning of March. This man needs to be leading the Brexit campaign.
He states that EU and Europe are being used interchangeably with even the BBC refusing to clarify the distinction. Being anti-EU is not the same as being anti-European and it is being used as a weapon to call Brexiters 'Europhobic'.
It speaks to one of the worst aspects of the debate about the EU: the conflation of the Brussels-based oligarchy with the continent of Europe; the mixing-up of the small, unaccountable cliques who peer down at Europe from their air-conditioned towers in Brussels with Europe itself.
The Stay campaign’s habit of conflating ‘Europe’ and ‘the EU’ means that those who are anti-EU can be easily depicted as anti-Europe, as xenophobic or nationalistic. These people’s political outlook — their dislike of the way Brussels can impose its writ on nation states — is reduced to a prejudiced outlook, a simple case of being anti-Europe. Their politics is pathologised, turned from opposition to a political system into opposition to a whole continent and its cultures and peoples.
This is why we so often see the term Europhobic. This word explicitly pathologises people’s dislike of the EU. It treats it almost as a mental illness: a phobia is an irrational fear.
This week, a writer for New Europe magazine listed ‘Europhobia’ alongside ‘xenophobia, nationalism, Islamophobia and racism’, as values that are ‘alien to our postwar European culture’.
See how casually criticism of the EU, opposition to the Brussels oligarchy, is reduced to a phobia, an ism, something which goes against the ideals of Europe itself.
We must challenge the cynical conflation of ‘Europe’ and ‘the EU’, and we must challenge the pathologisation of Brussels’ critics. Because, to my mind, the EU and Europe are not even remotely the same thing.
My argument for getting out of the EU is not a Little Englander one. It’s not because I think Britain is the best country in this continent. It’s not because I love the pound or the Queen. It’s because the EU is detrimental to the whole of Europe, and particularly to two incredibly important values that European peoples have in various ways been fighting for for hundreds of years: democracy and liberty. The EU is anti-democratic and illiberal.
Well worth reading if you have the time.
For Europe, against the EU
originally posted by: blupblup
The fact that the queen reportedly wants out is yet another reason that makes me want to stay.
originally posted by: blupblup
The fact that the queen reportedly wants out is yet another reason that makes me want to stay.
originally posted by: Morrad
Although I remain firmly in the Brexit camp, there is one thing that worries me. I don't think it will be plain sailing and here's why. If we do leave, we will become the nemesis of Brussel's Elite , in the sense that when (not if) we start to thrive outside the EU, other EU countries will potentially follow us. They will do anything in their power to make us fail in my opinion, not solely revenge but to deter other countries from doing the same thing. The more I read about Brussels's Elite, the more I believe they are capable of doing this.
originally posted by: eletheia
I only wish we had someone stronger at the helm than David Cameron (who has as much
go in him as a wet lettuce!!)
Let the revolution begin I say...I'd rather chance freedom and fail than not have the balls to try.