Brexit. Why do Brits want Out of the EU?

Catalans.

Thanks.

Interesting. The coverage here all uses Catalonians.

Is Catalans a direct translation? sounds awkward. As if one called Canadians Canadans, or Americans Americas. ... or Mexicans Mexicos.

I agree with you, ehBeth.

Catalonia is the land of the Catalans, like Ireland is the land of the Irish. You don't say "an Irelander".

Come to think of it, we DO say "Irlandais" in French... Which is a bit like if we called the English "les Angleterriens" instead of "les Anglais".

But the Angles are les Angles.

I think the main difference is that Catalonian is the older of the two, but that Catalan is currently the more generally accepted term. Oxford has
Catalonian simply as an alternative to Catalan, meaning that the two are completely interchangeable. I now feel it was slightly inappropriate of me to "correct" Catalonian to Catalan above, since they are both valid for English speakers in a dictionary sense. These things happen. In the Catalan language itself, there are two words for Finnish (the people): finès and finlandès, "It’s just a fact that the demonym of a people doesn’t always follow a logical path", says Miquel Hudin, who called out the Washington Post for using Catalonian:

https://www.hudin.com/blog/catalan-vs-catalonian/

Not sure if it matters, but the reporters are using Catalan more often.

Interesting. Media here uses Catalan as the possessive, Catalonian as the people.

Increasingly it appears that a, likely unanticipated, side effect of the ever growing role of the EU and its far reaching bureaucratic and judicial organs in the local governance of regions across Europe, is the weakening of the governments and unity of the nation states that make it up. On the face of it this is an obvious consequence of "ever closer union", but remains one for which it appears Europe is not fully prepared.

A century ago ardent communists promised that the authoritarian governments through which they installed Socialism would simply "whither away" as the promised Socialist paradise approached. Unfortunately that process never occurred, and indeed the system itself remained inherently unable to tolerate that process or anything like it.

Europe may now face a similar dilemma with respect to "ever closer union". The unraveling of member state national governments through various local separatist movements (as in the former Czechoslovakia, recently in Scotland and now in Catalonia) may well spawn additional such movements in a still very diverse Europe made up of numerous regions with vivid historical, cultural and linguistic differences. These were the challenges that beset a, generally very well intentioned, Hapsburg, Dual Monarchy in the 19th Century, and which ended the Central European & Russian unity that had largely preserved peace in Europe since the Congress of Vienna. They failed due to the distractions of regional strife, Pan Slavism and the challenges of economic transition. Today's EU may find the transition to "ever closer union" in the presence of analogous external distractions just as difficult and illusory as the promised withering away of government in a socialist paradise.

Europe, and indeed all the Western Powers, face serious historical threats from competing cultures, and, despite currently fashionable illusions, history has not ended and its patterns remain clear and unchanged. The EU has so far largely solved the problem - internal conflict in Europe - for which it was designed. However it remains to be seen if it provides a stable solution in a still very complex world with both internal and external; threats and conflicts.

Quote George:


Really? You think the whole world is ready to go back to the 13th Century?

And now Britain says it wants into NAFTA if the US opts out. oh no you don't.

I've let my MP know he's losing a vote (or more as I'll be talking to friends/neighbours) if he supports this

I'll support Canada hooking up with the EU in the same way as the TPP, but not Britain (and pleeease let us out of NAFTA)

Whither would they wither?

Theresa May admits for the first time that Brexit negotiations have been in 'difficulty'


more...


I wonder if there any records available online of the negotiations, meeting minutes, etc.

Not likely. Canada has for many decades run a very substantial trade deficit with the rest of the world, which it covered nicely with a very large trade surplus with the United States. I'm not asserting fault here, only that the natural facts of our proximity, and respective economic needs and surpluses create mutually beneficial conditions for this trade. How will Canada do in an effort to replace that with Trade with the EU? How happy will Canadians be under the highly intrusive and proscriptive bureaucratic rule of the EU establishment in Brussels? My opinion is that neither outcome will be favorable for Canadians.

However you are certainly welcome to both of these options. Certainly the U.S. timber, Mining and petroleum extraction industries will thrive when you do, while the corresponding inherent cost advantages (to Canadians ) of American exports will remain. Prohibitive tariffs could limit it but the available economic facts strongly point to a significant net disadvantage to Canada if you do.

I’m a globalist who believes free trade around the world benefits everybody. It’s an idea called “comparative advantage.” Something I learned in college over 50 years ago.

Michael Fallon quits as defence secretary

[Michael Fallon] apologised earlier this week over an incident 15 years ago in which he made unwanted advances to the journalist Julia Hartley-Brewer, repeatedly placing his hand on her knee, although Hartley-Brewer herself insisted that, “no one was remotely upset or distressed” by it.

But friends of Fallon suggested there may have been similar such incidents more recently, saying, “he would absolutely concede that some of the flirtation has been inappropriate”.

In his resignation letter to May, Fallon said: “A number of allegations have surfaced about MPs in recent days, including some about my previous conduct.

“Many of these have been false but I accept in the past I have fallen below the high standards that we require of the armed forces that I have the honour to represent.

“I have reflected on my position and I am now resigning as defence secretary.”

[The prime minister] May will now have to carry out a cabinet reshuffle with tense Brexit negotiations due to resume next week in Brussels.

Separate allegations have emerged about other ministers in recent days, including the first secretary of state, Damian Green, who has been accused of making inappropriate advances towards an activist, Kate Maltby.

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2017/nov/01/michael-fallon-quits-as-defence-secretary

Perhaps more seriously:

MPs vote for Theresa May to release 58 secret studies into Brexit's economic 'damage'

MPs have passed a motion ordering Theresa May to release 58 secret studies into the economic damage from Brexit, triggering a huge political row.

Ministers provoked fury by refusing to say they will abide by what independent parliamentary clerks advised would be a “binding” decision.

The Conservatives refused to take part in a vote – prompting accusations that the Prime Minister knew she would lose and has lost control of the parliamentary process for Brexit.

It meant the motion – demanding that the assessments be released to a select committee of MPs for scrutiny – passed unanimously.

Speaker John Bercow said he would wait and see the government response to the motion, and did not rule out bringing contempt procedures against the government if the impact assessments were not forthcoming.

UK citizens are happier post-Brexit decision.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/11/07/uks-life-satisfaction-ratings-have-improved-since-brexit-vote/amp/

The UK's life satisfaction ratings have improved since voting to leave the EU last year according to figures from the Office for National Statistics.

In the first set of numbers to solely cover the post-referendum period, there were statistically significant increases in life satisfaction, happiness and the proportion of people reporting that they felt their lives were worthwhile.

Between July 2016 and June 2017 the average life satisfaction score among people polled by the ONS was 7.7 out of 10 for life satisfaction, 7.5 for happiness and 7.9 for feeling that life is worthwhile.