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Comment Re:Yes to Brexit (Score 1) 396

Free movement works well enough in the states. The difference between some states is not far off the differences in the EU. It just needs to be worked out, not abandoned.

I suspect that the effects are quite a bit different due to the lower being less "socialist" in areas such as health, education and out of work benefits. Reducing benefits for migrants is one of the things the UK is trying to agree as a condition for remaining but it goes against the idea of all "EU citizens" being equal.

Comment Re:Yes to Brexit (Score 2) 396

Pray tell, explain how Germany is responsible for Greece's insolvency, other than not being happy to continue to pay for it?

Greece had problems before it joined but it does now have the additional problem that because it is part of the same currency union as Germany its currency is valued higher than it would otherwise have been, given the state of its economy which hampers both exports and investments. Germany on the other hand is in the opposite situation, relative to how its currency would be judged on its own.

Comment Re:Yes to Brexit (Score 1) 396

The biggest mistake the EU ever made was listening to the Americans (what a surprise) to let in all the ex soviet satellite states. The dire situation we have in EU today is a consequence among many others of that stupid and short sighted policy.

This was partly also a British thing as we thought the more countries were included, the more it would slow down any attempts at integration. I don't think it's worked out quite as planned...

Comment Re:Yes to Brexit (Score 1) 396

"The economy of the UK isn't that strong."

Compared to what? We've got the 2nd largest european economy after germany (we overtook france recently) and one of the highest employment rates in europe, so I'd be interested to hear what your definition of "strong" is.

There have also been some stories in the mainstream media recently about how UK productivity is 30% lower than for the equivalent worker in Germany. One of the comments was that the current rate of immigration and depression of wages for manual workers meant that capital investment was currently less attractive. The hopeful scenario if we left the EU would be that capital investment increases hence per-capita productivity and hopefully living standards.

Comment Re:Yes to Brexit (Score 1) 396

The UK is actively blaming all kind of issues on short sightedly on the EU, like immigration problems. But last weeks report of an alltime high immigration of 350k/year points out almost half of the immigrants are non EU citizens (over which each country has full control on how to deal with them).

Except in cases where they invoke the Human Rights Act to prevent deportation.

Comment Re:Yes to Brexit (Score 1) 396

If the UK was actually more interested in ties with the rest of Europe than its ties with the US, I'd agree.

I think you're correct but for other reasons than the one you suggest.

The UK is closer culturally to Australia, Canada, New Zealand and to a lesser extent the US than a lot of places in Europe. This is also particularly true legally where we're probably the only EU country (except Malta?) to use Common Law.

There were economic reasons for joining the EEC when we did but I wonder if things would have gone smoother had we pursued a union of equals with our former Dominions.

Comment Re:Yes to Brexit (Score 1) 396

Most rational people recognize Britain should be part of the EU.

The polls vary but generally they seem to be quite close. You did also say rational people but I think in a similar way to the Scottish independence referendum this is an issue which is as much about how people feel as the economic arguments.

Comment Re:Yes to Brexit (Score 3, Interesting) 396

3) Since it depends upon the eurozone for at least half of it's exports. The toll barriers resulting from a Brexit would induce British business to move significant portions of their production into the common market area.

Britain is one of the few countries within the EU that exports more to countries outside it than to ones in it, albeit by a small margin. One of the arguments for leaving is that the regulations required by the EU (which may have protectionist origins) make it harder to compete outside of it with faster growing world economies.

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