Off topic, but these are not opposites. Capitalism is primarily an economic system, democracy is a political one. While there is overlap, they aren't the same thing.
Imagine that. An organisation looking out for the best interests of its members. Funny that we didn't have any issues with EU protectionism when we were in the EU - we actually helped to write the rules that we're railing against now.
What's interesting is the protectionism argument is a left-wing reason for not wanting to be in the EU, and there are some right-wing supporters who accuse the EU of this without probably realising. There certainly were left-wing arguments for leaving (and would explain those in the red wall voting leave), but these never materialised because the right wing arguments had the money, media coverage and corrupt interests to go with them.
Alternative view: Germany and UK gave Greece and Ireland the room to breathe while they restructured their economies. The alternatives - either complete economic collapse or and IMF-led restructuring would have been a *lot* worse.
Isn't D66 federalists as well?
Not to the same extent. They are not so clear about wanting a United States of Europe anymore, but are clearly pro-EU.
I do wonder how the campaign would have gone had Corbyn retained those views for it: the way the right wing and left wing factions fighting for leave on two fronts would have made it a very divided looking side, which could have improved remain's chances of winning. The reality was the right wing arguments for leaving (deregulation and speculative gains from currency crashes) would have drowned out left wing arguments because the former had the money and media consensus, and may also be why Corbyn (half-heartedly) turned to remain as it was better than a right wing brexit, although if true he didn't speak up about the deregulation goals.
I think Anthony Wedgewood Benn elucidated most clearly my reasons for voting out. Don't underestimate the impact of Labour leave, even if it had little or no support from the party heirachy.
Don't tell the Daily Express that according to them Holland, Sweden, Italy and just about every other country are ready to leave the EU
VVD is not really pro-EU or anti actually. I don’t think there is a fundamental change. Indeed D66 and Volt won, but also two other anti-EU parties won, so it seems to be no net change. But overall the Netherlands are still clear pro-EU.
I can understand why Macron would want to politicise it but for Merkel there must be less of an incentive given she's on her way out regardless; her party can then try and claim to a fresh start (albeit the length of time the CDU has been in is of a length that voters get bored of them anyway).
How do you delete a post.
Scientists were advising a lockdown in September. It didn't happen for three months.
You couldn't. But they could have been more strict on follow-up of those who were required to isolate. I know several people who traveled into the UK during 2020 and not one of them had any follow-up at all.
Yup. I travelled into and out of the UK for work several times during the pandemic and was not contacted once after entering, despite filling in the passenger locator forms correctly. I know several people in the same position.
And did you self isolate?
It was interesting to hear Professor Andrew Pollard (Oxford Vaccine Group) on BBCR4 "Today" this morning - unfortunately they don't do transcripts but you should be able to listen to it on this link from later today/tomorrow:
It is political because behind it lies a political philosophy, the Precautionary Principle that was formally icorporated into just about everything the EU does in the 1997 Treaty of Amsterdam
Exactly, not all countries stopped, each medicine authority made its own decision. The Dutch minister explained it very clearly: he said there probably isn’t a problem, but we should be careful in order to keep the vaccine uptake high.
It is almost like they can't believe that EU member states are still sovereign countries that can still make their own policy decisions etc!
Yup. There's a distinct lack of rainbows and unicorns in the EU of late.
I am sure this what you believe, but it really is complete wibble. The Precautionary Principle wasn't formulated until the 1970s and doesn't have anything whatever to do with Napoleonic law - it was a German idea which was originally conceived to apply in relation to the environment. The Treaty of Amsterdam mentions the "precautionary principle" just once - in relation to environmental impact assessments:
