The UK Referendum on Membership of the European Union

[Draakonite]

It would be useful to know which divisions would fight less effectively due to a long standing tradition of incompetence or surrenderism while invading norway for Oil Freedom^TM, when every division had their national uniforms.

Assessing enemy formations and ascertaining the qualities, skill and competence of the commanders of those, is a key priority for military intelligence.

Good point, i concede.

Edit: To avoid double posting:

How many of those non-EU people voting for UK leaving are from the US?

[Angleter]

I'll be voting to leave and once the Mayoral campaign is done will actively campaign to leave. Personally I think the best circumstance would be to leave the EU but remain in the EEA free trade area.

Remaining in the EEA would mean that United Kingdom would still have to adopt EU laws and legislations like they do now.

The single market acquis (about 20% of EU legislation), yes. But much of that is in turn handed down to Europe from international 'top tables' like the WTO, where EEA members get a seat of their own, and EU members don't (well, I suppose we get 3.6% of a seat). Considering that; and how we'd be exempt from the customs union and the Common External Tariff, the CAP and the CFP, the Common Foreign/Security/Defence Policy and the Justice & Home Affairs acquis, and most European legislation in general; and how we'd still be able to participate (like Norway in particular does) in various European science and education programs; and how all this would lead to our annual net payments to the EU being considerably reduced; I'd take that trade-off.

In the grand scheme of things, it's like a new off-the-peg suit. It's not as well suited to us as a bespoke suit (like a Swiss-style bilateral deal); but it'd be easier and quicker to get; and it'd be a major improvement on our current suit, originally bought by dad in the '70s and handed down to us, which is dated, restrictive, expensive to maintain, and doesn't suit us at all, and is only getting worse on all those counts. I'd happily take the new off-the-peg suit, especially as a stopgap while we work on the bespoke one.

[Souseiseki]

daily reminder that russia has been caught funding UKIP and the FN and you should think very very closely about what this means

[Imperializt Russia]

daily reminder that russia has been caught funding UKIP and the FN and you should think very very closely about what this means

Can you demonstrate this?

[Conscentia]

daily reminder that russia has been caught funding UKIP and the FN and you should think very very closely about what this means

Can you demonstrate this?

After a quick search I found evidence indicating the Front National has been taking Russian money, but nothing to show that UKIP has done the same...
http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/dec/08/russia-europe-right-putin-front-national-eu
http://www.economist.com/news/briefing/21643222-who-backs-putin-and-why-kremlins-pocket

These articles, however, are not recent. The first is from late 2014, and the second is from early 2015. Perhaps Souseiseki is referring to more recent news?

[Frank Zipper]

So now the IMF are saying Brexit would be a bad, bad thing

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-36024492

Any pro-exit people prepared to challenge the IMF?

[Dooom35796821595]

So now the IMF are saying Brexit would be a bad, bad thing

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-36024492

Any pro-exit people prepared to challenge the IMF?

The response I've seen from the pro exit 'project fear' is that the IMF might be wrong and that they basically tend to ignore them.

[The East Marches]

So now the IMF are saying Brexit would be a bad, bad thing

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-36024492

Any pro-exit people prepared to challenge the IMF?

Sure thing, its headed by a French citizen. Never underestimate the residual hate for la perfide Angleterre.

Besides, one of the reasons the IMF is squealing is because they know that this will precipitate a total goatfuck in the E.U. , which the IMF will likely be forced to try and resolve.

[Vassenor]

So now the IMF are saying Brexit would be a bad, bad thing

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-36024492

Any pro-exit people prepared to challenge the IMF?

Nigel has declared them to be an EU puppet and that everything they say is wrong.

[Imperializt Russia]

Nigel has declared them to be an EU puppet and that everything they say is wrong.

He is not that false. The IMF is a tool of power of America. Whoever cooperated with the IMf did nod end well (greece).

Greece were never going to end well if they sided with St Nicholas himself.

[Vassenor]

Nigel has declared them to be an EU puppet and that everything they say is wrong.

He is not that false. The IMF is a tool of power of America. Whoever cooperated with the IMf did nod end well (greece).

Because the IMF totally dictated the Greek fiscal policy that got them into that mess.

[The United Colonies of Earth]

Nigel has declared them to be an EU puppet and that everything they say is wrong.

He is not that false. The IMF is a tool of power of America. Whoever cooperated with the IMf did nod end well (greece).

Well then.
How could Greece's issues have resolved more happily?

[The United Colonies of Earth]

Well then.
How could Greece's issues have resolved more happily?

One of the advices the iMF gave Greece was join the EU, make debts, sell everything to foreignrs although they are an open economy... and now they advice them austerity. If the Greeks did not listen the EU and IMF instead of listening to their own common sence it would be different for them.

Obviously not joining the EU wasn't common sense, at least not amongst those responsible for making the decision. But then again, common sense never was that common.
I doubt Greece would have been much better off than it is now should it have not joined the Union.

[Esternial]

Well then.
How could Greece's issues have resolved more happily?

One of the advices the iMF gave Greece was join the EU, make debts, sell everything to foreignrs although they are an open economy... and now they advice them austerity. If the Greeks did not listen the EU and IMF instead of listening to their own common sence it would be different for them.

Yeah hindsight is always 20/20.

[Frank Zipper]

Ten weeks to go to until the vote, and the official campaigning begins.

[Frank Zipper]

... and it seems like we have lost interest, just as campaigning supposedly starts.

[Napkiraly]

Larry Summers pointing out the obvious on what Brexit would mean for British influence.

[Dooom35796821595]

Larry Summers pointing out the obvious on what Brexit would mean for British influence.

Slow clap.....well done Americans, I'm sure the leave campaign are thrilled at your contribution to their argument. Because that's what happenes when Americans start telling us what's best, we tell them to stick it. Except Blair, but he's gone.

[Valaran]

Larry Summers pointing out the obvious on what Brexit would mean for British influence.

Slow clap.....well done Americans, I'm sure the leave campaign are thrilled at your contribution to their argument. Because that's what happenes when Americans start telling us what's best, we tell them to stick it. Except Blair, but he's gone.

Actually, I think its a good thing the US are saying this. Undercuts Leave if all the nations they say the UK will be closer to outside the EU (US; China) actually turn and around and state, "no, that's crap". Its pretty hard to make an argument for the UK to be better off/not worse off internationally when every foreign power that's expressed an opinion says the opposite.

Undoubtedly Leave will present it as meddling foreigners, but I don't remeber a large scale negative reaction when Obama said things to a similar effect.

[Napkiraly]

Larry Summers pointing out the obvious on what Brexit would mean for British influence.

Slow clap.....well done Americans, I'm sure the leave campaign are thrilled at your contribution to their argument. Because that's what happenes when Americans start telling us what's best, we tell them to stick it. Except Blair, but he's gone.

That would say more about the British public than anything else.

[Dooom35796821595]

Slow clap.....well done Americans, I'm sure the leave campaign are thrilled at your contribution to their argument. Because that's what happenes when Americans start telling us what's best, we tell them to stick it. Except Blair, but he's gone.

That would say more about the British public than anything else.

The American public have the same reaction, as do most nations with foreign meddling.

Slow clap.....well done Americans, I'm sure the leave campaign are thrilled at your contribution to their argument. Because that's what happenes when Americans start telling us what's best, we tell them to stick it. Except Blair, but he's gone.

Actually, I think its a good thing the US are saying this. Undercuts Leave if all the nations they say the UK will be closer to outside the EU (US; China) actually turn and around and state, "no, that's crap". Its pretty hard to make an argument for the UK to be better off/not worse off internationally when every foreign power that's expressed an opinion says the opposite.

Undoubtedly Leave will present it as meddling foreigners, but I don't remeber a large scale negative reaction when Obama said things to a similar effect.

Other countries will be pushing what's better for them, dosen't mean the UK would be worse off. Of course, it would help if the Conservatives weren't currently engaged in selling our country to China...

And Obama is actually rather popular in other countries while seeming very unpopular at home, so his comments can be seen as independent of the US, so avoiding most of the negativity.

[Napkiraly]

That would say more about the British public than anything else.

The American public have the same reaction, as do most nations with foreign meddling.

I'm perfectly aware. I look down upon those reactions as well.

[Dooom35796821595]

The American public have the same reaction, as do most nations with foreign meddling.

I'm perfectly aware. I look down upon those reactions as well.

I don't. If a country can't conduct diplomacy without publicly telling another countries electorate what to do then they're not very good at it.

Of course, I don't want us to leave the EU, but it shouldn't have foreign governments stating their opinion. Potential effects, sure, but not direct endorsement of either side. If the Queen can't, neither can a foreign head of state.

[Valaran]

Other countries will be pushing what's better for them, dosen't mean the UK would be worse off. Of course, it would help if the Conservatives weren't currently engaged in selling our country to China...

And Obama is actually rather popular in other countries while seeming very unpopular at home, so his comments can be seen as independent of the US, so avoiding most of the negativity.

Its a pretty good indicator of how our international standing might be affected.

Yeah. Boris and Farage went on the attack with some inflammatory statements, but that was about it afaik.
One could also argue that Larry Summers is also speaking independently of the US govt. as well.

[Risottia]

So now the IMF are saying Brexit would be a bad, bad thing

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-36024492

Any pro-exit people prepared to challenge the IMF?

Come on, it's common knowledge that the IMF is basically the Fifth Communist Internationale led by the Capitalist Jews of the Bilderberg and by Angela Merkel!