Originally Posted by
HaylePie
Firstly, apologies for the tone of my previous to you (bad day!)
I do find it odd just how many Remainers are so in the dark about the inner workings of the EU. It is claimed that Leavers had no idea of what they were voting for but without an understanding of such things, and no manifesto as to what the EU is planning to be in 5 years, 10 etc, then what are you voting for? Too many people seem to be throwing their lot in with the EU to hit the Tories - frying pa/fire. Anyone who thinks that growing inequality, austerity etc just affects the UK needs to read more.
In a nutshell: The EU has clear fiscal rules (Stability and Growth Pact, SGP) designed to stop nations going off the rails economically thereby threatening the (primarily) Euro and undercutting each other; all 28 countries are signed up to it. Notable limits are on government deficit (3% of GDP) and debt (60% of GDP). McDonnell's planned borrowing for re-nationalisation breaks the 3% figure - the UK cannot be punished as heavily as others (certain protocols in place due to us having a bank of last resort and the £), but if we are in the EU then the rules are the rules. France and Germany have routinely broken many of the SGP rules with impunity. Others, notably Greece and Italy have been punished. Junker famously explained the lack of action against France's excess debt 'because they are France'.
Of course we could just ignore the rules (if we remain then I suggest we stop taking every EU rule and reg at face value, and certainly stop gold-plating them, and pick and choose). McDonnell's argument is that his borrowing is short-term, cheap and that it will result in a positive return over time but he may find himself handing over his homework for marking pdq.
The list of things Remainers have no idea of but still voted Remain amazes me. They tell me that WTO rules would spell the end for the UK economy but then cannot give a single detail. Their lack of knowledge includes major topics very much in the public domain: the murky decision-making via trilogues, the noses in the trough of MEPs which make Douglas Hogg's duckhouse look great value-for-money, the corrupt and unaccountable lobbying of MEPs, the dodgy tax-dealing of EU-members, the damage done to the environment caused and/or facilitated by the CAP, CFP, investments by the European Investment Bank (the shadiest bunch ever) and things such as Nord Stream 2 which also manages to deliver enormous geopolitical power to Putin. And this is just the big stuff. Madness. The list of Fails in the EU is too long for me. Stay and reform? What meaningful reform have we ever seen?
One shining beacon of light I would acknowledge is the EU Ombudsman, Emily O'Reilly. She (along with many Green MEPs) has worked tirelessly to open the EU up to be accountable to the people on just about every subject people should hold dear. She routinely takes the leadership to task and asks the difficult questions but she is, sadly, ignored.
Old ground for me here and I fear for our future if we don't leave.
Blimey - just started typing, didn't realise it was that long. Oh, in answer to the OP, Yes I think it is. But then again, it wasn't any sort of Exit that I would recognise.