My nephew asked me what my thoughts were on the stay/remain refferendum. This is a copy of the E=mail i sent him.
Some thoughts on the debate, EU Stay or Leave, plus some links you might find interesting.
As I said my views are still uncertain, one view is to vote leave to embarrass the government, who probably thought that they would have not won the election, at least not outright, so would not have needed to call a referendum.
My other view was not to have joined in the first place, remaining with EFTA, as the EEC which was to have been simply a trading club, [so we were told] and not as we found out later, a political union. As I said when we had a similar referendum in 1973 I voted to leave.
Then again is the EU just a sign that the world is evolving from individual kingdoms, to individual nation states. Then these large trading blocks evolve into a large trading and then political union? There are already several similar trading blocks in existence, plus there is also the World Trade Organisation [WTO] Maybe it is evolution to a single world government? I don’t know, but it might occur in your lifetime.
Anyway, moving on here are the links that I mentioned;
Europe: From WWII To Today's European Union
A potted history of Europe that you might find useful? As you watch it shows the devastation caused by the second world war. Also the cold war, how things could have gone badly wrong on many an occasion. Plus have a look at the state of the refugees in Europe after WW2. Ask yourself two questions 1] do they look more desperate then the refugees flooding into Europe and 2] Why are they not remaining in their own countries to help rebuild and change the system? After all the devastation in Syria, Iraq, Libya etc, bad as it is, was in is no way comparable with Europe in 1940-45. Plus some of those refugees are coming from countries that have no ongoing conflicts?
Dave Cameron’s views on stay, leave over the past 3 years?
Very changeable over the past three years.
Why To Vote Remain In The EU Referendum!
Why You Should Vote To Leave The EU
Two views from the same site, unusually they give a balanced view
Now French voters call for FREXIT after Germany face demands for EU referendum.
Could be reason why the pressure to keep us within the EU? If we vote to leave, will it be start of others doing the same? Leading to a break-up of the EU?
European Free Trade Association
A description of EFTA, in which the UK was a founding member.
How the European Parliament works
Be wary it is being sold by a MEP so she might be biased. Then again there are some links to other “How the EU works sites”.
The World Trade Organization (WTO)
Looking back at 20 years of multilateral trade
Both from the WTO, yes they are selling the WTO as a good thing, but it shows that even the EU are answerable to a higher authority? Is this the beginning of a World Political Union?
As I said it’s your decision, but at least you have a bit more information and other viewpoints.
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Four Horsemen - Feature Documentary - Official Version