Friday 16 September 2016

Continental holidays


I've been thinking about the Brexit vote and Germany's pivotal role in the E.U. recently, because Angela Merkel is currently having a hard job justifying some of the more liberal policies put forward by her and her party, before the immigrant problem became so vast, before Brexit and before the rise of A.F.D.

Germany felt betrayed by the Brexit vote, and the outcome has put the E.U. project on an even shakier footing. Everyone talks about economics, saying that the E.U. only represents 15% of Britain's world trading, but - as far as Germany is concerned - this is not the point.

After two world wars as the aggressor, Germany finally had the opportunity of becoming a benign, unifying influence in Europe, and it relished the role. It was a chance to make ammends for the second and third generations, who were tired of apologising on behalf of their fathers and grandfathers.

Today the remaining 27 countries are getting together to discuss the future, and the future does not look too bright right now. Borders will have to be reinstated and it looks as though we will need visas to cross the Channel in a couple of years.

It is shaping up to be a return to the good old days.

13 comments:

  1. Like all old bloggers ( including myself) the story has been told ( in part) before

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  2. I think John is saying there's nothing new under the sun. I guess that doesn't amuse me any more; bigotry is getting old. I am sorry for Angela.

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  3. Agree with the two above - there is indeed nothing new under the sun, just the same old stuff regurgitated. Once you get to my advanced age I find the best thing is to ignore all of it as I can't do anything. I voted to remain but the democratic vote was to leave and since that day I have hardly thought of it. What's done is done.

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  4. I agree with you Tom. I keep hoping it will all get better and we don't all just go our separate ways.

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    1. Some people will always go separately - and take thousands with them.

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  5. Ok. I will delete evrything except the latest bigotry. Note to self: Must do better.

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  6. Tom, I thought I'd left you a comment about the flat pack assembly challenge, and the line drawing instruction picture reminding me of long ago geometry classes. Maybe I forgot to click Publish.

    I am very glad to be able to read so many posts from abroad. You all really do increase my understanding of what I grasp from media news coverage.

    My local friends and I chew over the news coverage of goings on over here in the States, and usually don't feel much better about the situations after our discussions. We usually do feel better that we know each other well enough to have the discussions, even when we are not 100% in agreement. Does that make sense?

    Best wishes.

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  7. You can please some of the people some of the time, etc.

    I watched Farage giving the EU bosses a good talking-to recently. There's no question that certain elements have brought the mess upon themselves. The old 'Common Market' worked quite well; Merkel and Junker's idea of a European State wouldn't.

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    1. I don't think that Europe would introduce tarriffs for British goods, so there is not much change to be had there. We will, however, being paying more for imports, like French wine, etc.

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