Brexit the economy and house prices part 7: Brexit Harder

Arklight

kabayiri wrote: »

Answer : an union with the USA.

We already share so much on a corporate level, and a security level.

Makes sense long term.

Yes that's just what the UK needs. A proper dose of American corporatism. Pampered Brits will soon buck their ideas up when they only get 10 days holiday a year and have virtually every recognisable employment right removed, including paid maternity leave.

And the security arrangements work brilliantly too. Dragged into most conflicts that have nothing to do with us apart from Vietnam will become a state of permanent war. But we're already fully onboard with torturing people through extraordinary rendition, entombing them in Guantanamo with no evidence and recourse to law, and spying on our allies. Including ourselves, so we may as well go the whole way and become the 51st state.

I am especially looking forward to Brexiters getting their heads around submitting their own tax returns and trying to find a medical insurance policy they can afford that only has a 50% co-pay.

kabayiri

Arklight wrote: »

Yes that's just what the UK needs. A proper dose of American corporatism. Pampered Brits will soon buck their ideas up when they only get 10 days holiday a year and have virtually every recognisable employment right removed, including paid maternity leave.
...

There was a Google Evangelist (yes, truly, for that is what he called himself) invited over here from the USA recently, to give some talks.

He openly talked about the challenges of demographics, and how people might have to consider 6 decades of employment !

Do not be fooled. These people have plans and ideas, even if our own politicans do not.

Someone transported from the 80s would not recognise many aspects of our Gig economy today.

It's changing, and I don't see it slowing down somehow.

fatbeetle

Arklight wrote: »

Yep, Brexit is bad for everyone. Well done for noticing.

But they are remaining part of the wonderful EU, why aren't they prospering? Surely, if as you say, Brexit is the cause, then they are too reliant on the UK, and need to trade more within their own club.

But, I have to ask, why is Brexit not having the same effect in Spain and the Netherlands? Could it be that Brexit is not the problem?

buglawton

It's tough out there... for naysayers.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2019/03/03/europeans-double-uk-investment-since-brexit-vote/
EU have snapped up 553 UK assets through mergers and acquisitions and private placements in the past year, according to S&P Capital IQ data.
(The annual rate of inward investment in cash terms has doubled compared to before the vote).

Arklight

kabayiri wrote: »

There was a Google Evangelist (yes, truly, for that is what he called himself) invited over here from the USA recently, to give some talks.

He openly talked about the challenges of demographics, and how people might have to consider 6 decades of employment !

Do not be fooled. These people have plans and ideas, even if our own politicans do not.

Someone transported from the 80s would not recognise many aspects of our Gig economy today.

It's changing, and I don't see it slowing down somehow.

Um, people who work in the gig economy don't actually want to, for the most part.

A considerable impetus behind the Trump movement was that he was supposed to repatriate proper jobs to the heartlands.

Again there is a generational impasse here. Older Brexit voting people at or nearing retirement with a history of continuous, often unionised employment, with a decent pension at the end, really don't understand how dispiriting having to work on a series of zero hour contracts actually is.

Herzlos

fatbeetle wrote: »

But they are remaining part of the wonderful EU, why aren't they prospering? Surely, if as you say, Brexit is the cause, then they are too reliant on the UK, and need to trade more within their own club.

But, I have to ask, why is Brexit not having the same effect in Spain and the Netherlands? Could it be that Brexit is not the problem?

There can be multiple problems. Some of the EU is struggling independent of brexit.

Herzlos

kabayiri wrote: »

Answer : an union with the USA.

We already share so much on a corporate level, and a security level.

Makes sense long term.

Do you think we'd be an equal partner in a union with the US? We'd get to be a 51st state at best, with no control over anything at a federal level.

Having lived in the US for a few years, I'd rather we went full North Korea than became part of the USA.

kabayiri

Herzlos wrote: »

Do you think we'd be an equal partner in a union with the US? We'd get to be a 51st state at best, with no control over anything at a federal level.

Having lived in the US for a few years, I'd rather we went full North Korea than became part of the USA.

I bet you use a US designed phone; laptop; chips in your telly. I would wager you buy from US etailers, or use US money transaction systems.

I bet your computer uses US inspired software.

But somehow you think we aren't linked?

Let's face it. There are companies driving the agenda now; not politicians.

Uber; Airbnb; Paypal; Facebook; Google. These and the people behind them are driving the way things are going.

Don't you think the likes of Amazon lobby government on things like flexible work hours etc? Of course they do.

I just formalize it a bit, that's all.

Kohoutek

kabayiri wrote: »

Answer : an union with the USA.

We already share so much on a corporate level, and a security level.

Makes sense long term.

You'd rather be the poodle of the US than one of largest member states within the EU? Pretty depressing vision to say the least.

We share far more "on a corporate level" with EU member states than the US. Take employment law, consumer protection regulation, environmental law for example. It's a brave politician that advocates a US style approach to employment law in the UK...

Security - well our security capability is certain a lot more like France than the US... And the special security relationship with the US (e.g. four eyes) exists whether we're in the EU or not.

kabayiri

Kohoutek wrote: »

You'd rather be the poodle of the US than one of largest member states within the EU? Pretty depressing vision to say the least.
...

The depressing vision is being stuck in an increasingly moribund EU.

Our size in the EU does not matter one bit now. We have demonstrated our lack of commitment to the political project with a very public vote, and followed it up with 2 years of acrimonious negotiations.

We won't be a player in the EU direction regardless of what happens at the end of March. We would be a passenger.