If UK leaves Europe … a warning??

[Guest]

Britain probably should leave the EU. In the short term there will be some negative ramifications but what it has become, the terms of membership are unacceptable. Its not so much that Britain is leaving the EU, more like the EU is leaving Britain.

 

In the medium to long term Britain will come back strong as we have so much going for us.

[tinfoilhat]

I think that the problem is centred around the two separate lesson that us and Europe took from WW2. On a basic level Europe learned that nationalism and self interest was bad, as it led to the destruction of many European countries.

 

The lesson that the UK learned from WW2 on that basic level was that nationalism and self interest was good, and it saved us from destruction.

 

I think that's spot on. I'd also argue that our own interpretations of the rules set by the EU need much to be desired. Everyone else has them, they just don't seem to rubber stamp the crap ones with the same gusto we do.

[MikeFrank]

I believe such acute levels of paranoia call for a clinical diagnosis and treatment

 

Why does the EU give the media grants? Really?!?

 

Could it simply be that it's a European institution with European cultural policies and a European budget to match, and that grants to national media organisations is just spending that budget?

 

You know, just like the British government has a Culture Secretary with a budget for national cultury things to spend on?

 

Perish the thought!

 

Here, think for yourself a bit, and maybe learn something. It's not as if I haven't already posted that link on here a squillion times before for the exact same reason. <sigh>. I bet you didn't know the Full Monty was subsidised by just such an EU grant.

 

Oh my word, did you actually READ the articles you link to? Or is that inconvenient? And by read I mean, critically assess the situation.

 

 

 

Agreed Alan.

 

You both seem to have missed the point... Ok lets say there is no sinister motive for them giving media outlets grants. They just do it for the good of mankind.... Is it fair that those receiving the grants will have a major role in the referendum by what they broadcast... its no coincidence that the media is pro EU.... if you can point me in the direction of one company who receives grants who will present both arguments fairly then I'll agree..

 

I'm talking about a balanced referendum and those who receive large sums of money shouldn't be promoting the EU when it benefits them greatly..

 

---------- Post added 08-06-2015 at 14:26 ----------

 

Britain probably should leave the EU. In the short term there will be some negative ramifications but what it has become, the terms of membership are unacceptable. Its not so much that Britain is leaving the EU, more like the EU is leaving Britain.

 

In the medium to long term Britain will come back strong as we have so much going for us.

 

If its a Yes vote it will only delay the inevitable.. the EU is doomed... ordinary people, all over Europe have had enough... just look at the rise of far right parties across Europe, the crisis in the Ukraine, Greece... the Euro disaster and many other issues...

 

It was a very good idea to start with when it was based on trade but political union is a disaster... If we voted on trade union alone there would be a massive yes vote...

 

There are benefits, which I am considering before I make my mind up... I just wish we could get hold of all the facts........

[chalga]

You both seem to have missed the point... Ok lets say there is no sinister motive for them giving media outlets grants. They just do it for the good of mankind.... Is it fair that those receiving the grants will have a major role in the referendum by what they broadcast... its no coincidence that the media is pro EU.... if you can point me in the direction of one company who receives grants who will present both arguments fairly then I'll agree..

 

I'm talking about a balanced referendum and those who receive large sums of money shouldn't be promoting the EU when it benefits them greatly..

 

 

I can't see what the problem is,the EU have been giving money to anti EU politicians and parties for years so that helps them promote anti EU policies and a platform to promote them from EU headquarters,are you saying that the BBC will not broadcast what Farage has to say on the referendum?..........why would they not give him a platform on the EU when they did on the general election televised debates,again where he was promoting anti EU policy?

[L00b]

You both seem to have missed the point...

We haven't missed the point, for the elementary reason that there is no point (to your paranoia about EU MEDIA grants).

if you can point me in the direction of one company who receives grants who will present both arguments fairly then I'll agree

The BBC (is not the only one, by far, but you asked for one example, so I chose one which you can verify daily, and easily so).

I'm talking about a balanced referendum and those who receive large sums of money shouldn't be promoting the EU when it benefits them greatly...

The BBC doesn't receive tons of EU money.

 

Most of its money comes from royalties on the programs which it produces (and broadcasts freely to the UK public) and sells to public and private broadcasters outside the UK.

 

It's not 'in hock' to the EU any more than it is in hock to the Tory Gvt. It produces newscasts in which both pro- and anti-EU claims by political parties are reported and public opinion pieces are shown (of all that I have seen, and I watch BBC news daily, always two sides), debates in which panels include pro- and anti-EU participants, and more.

 

I could point you to arte instead, if your French or German language is reasonably fluent, which gets significantly more EU grant money than the BBC and programs significantly more EU content (German, French, Danish, British, Greek <etc.> content, all subtitled and much of it probably too arty-farty for the average SF readership), but which runs topical (multinational) panels about the EU and produces EU-themed documentaries that are just as fair and balanced as the BBC. It's through this channel that my parents have been enjoying such British cultural delights as Yes Minister, Midsomer Murders and more (subtitled), the Swedish sensation 'Mördaren ljuger inte ensam' (known to us as Crimes of Passion), etc.

 

Bloody Europeans, watching our quality British programmes and sometimes sending us their own quality programmes. How every dare they!

Edited June 8, 2015 by L00b

[Alan Ladd]

Because they are the party of big business and big business loves a big population; the bigger the better.

 

---------- Post added 08-06-2015 at 13:41 ----------

 

 

Get used to this, cos there will be a lot more of it!

 

---------- Post added 08-06-2015 at 13:43 ----------

 

 

Do you seriously think that will ever happen?

 

We have to dream, to aim high, if Bismark or Napoleon the third were asked about the possibility of a united prosperous Europe with no militarily dominating country they would have been incapable of visualizing such a thing. We have achieved that.

 

We are already in open market talks with the US, if we could invent a method by which all the people of the world could feel enfranchised, that their voice singular and collective could be heard who is to say what we might achieve.

 

Social media may help us in this, certainly we have to come up with a better solution than one which leads to millions of people starving, being displaced and in desperation drowning in the Mediterranean.

[Harrystottle]

The biggest annoyance in this whole debate is the complete lack of understanding people have when it comes to the EU.

 

True, but this isn't an accident. We have been in the EU for 40 years, so why is their so little knowledge of it? Especially when we have a publicly-funded broadcaster in the BBC, part of whose mandate is "to educate and inform"?

 

The public are kept in the dark about the EU by design.

[chalga]

True, but this isn't an accident. We have been in the EU for 40 years, so why is their so little knowledge of it? Especially when we have a publicly-funded broadcaster in the BBC, part of whose mandate is "to educate and inform"?

 

The public are kept in the dark about the EU by design.

 

Well,seeing as your reply to somebody who posted that the BBC had 2 debates about the EU,and everybody wanted to stay in, was 'Get used to this, cos there will be a lot more of it!

............I guess that the information is there,it's just not the information that you wanted to hear.Let me help you:

 

This is the BBC news: The EU is bad,very bad,very very bad..........in fact it's worse than that,the EU is,very,very,very very bad.

 

Is that information better for you?

Edited June 8, 2015 by chalga

[Harrystottle]

I guess that the information is there,it's just not the information that you wanted to hear.

 

A debate on Europe is of very little use if the people in that debate don't know what they are talking about; and considering that we have had 40 years of lies, evasions and selective reporting on the EU most people in the UK are not basing their opinion on the EU on facts. They can't - they haven't been told any.

[Ela James]

The reason why the public do not agree on whether joining Europe is good or bad for UK is simply because it depends.

Some UK businesses are actually benefiting from Europe and would like the UK to join, or get even closer

And some other businesses are actually hurt by Europe .. they would prosper even more if UK got less involved with the continent ..

I think it is very selfish to think one’s benefit is the right one for the UK …

in my opinion!