EU referendum are you in or out

[Absolute_Zero]

The real headline, though, is that a recent survey, posing the question of a United Ireland, came out with 51% support for it.

A majority.

Granted, it's just one poll. But with loyalists questioning their loyalty, unionists wondering which union is best, a continuation of this nonsense at Westminster (who are arguing over how to force Leave on a country that voted Remain, remember) and, if we leave, the economic damage of Brexit (and Northern Ireland will have the best view of it all, as they only have to look over the border to make the comparisons) then that glancing majority for a United Ireland in one poll could well turn into a consistent, convincing majority and an irresistible call over time.

I've said before here that I don't even slightly understand the DUP's position on Brexit. It seems to me that a fairly inevitable endgame of anything but a Norway-style Brexit is a united Ireland by the end of the century, probably within my lifetime. (And that the Tories would quite cheerfully agree to it, if it was what was required to secure Brexit).

Many in a broad swathe of politics, the civil service (the military even) have long-considered a united Ireland to be an inevitability... usually for demographic reasons. But if significant chunks of the Loyalist persuasion are willing to vote for it as a consequence of Brexit, then all the more peaceful a transition will it be. One of the very few upsides of a rubbish/no-deal Brexit.

[gilesgoat]

So on the way back from Italy, should I do like that movie and fill my luggage to the brim with pasta and Lavazza ?

Looks like "bad times ahead" are inevitable.

[Barney]

https://blogs.spectator.co.uk/2019/10/h ... otiations/

We're leaving, chaps, and there's nothing anyone can do to stop the no-deal.

[Harlequin]

https://blogs.spectator.co.uk/2019/10/how-number-10-view-the-state-of-the-negotiations/
We're leaving, chaps, and there's nothing anyone can do to stop the no-deal.

No 10 memo threatening EU states over Brexit extension 'is shaming'

Former minister Amber Rudd says ‘angry’ language in unofficial memo points to adviser Dominic Cummings

A memo from a Downing Street source suggesting Britain would refuse to work with EU countries who accept a delay to article 50 should make the government “ashamed”, a former cabinet minister has said.

The note, sent from a No 10 insider to the Spectator magazine, also sets out how the government plans to “scupper” the Benn act that blocks no deal, threatens that the duty to cooperate with the EU will be “down the toilet” if there is a delay and points clearly to the increased likelihood of a no-deal Brexit.
…

[zip accident]

How the heck does Johnson think he can loose an election and force Brexit on the incoming government if they don't want it?

[merman]

Macron has given Johnson until Friday to present credible plans.

Merkel quoted as saying the EU cannot accept what has been put forward.

And IF Johnson was to go ahead and try to Leave with No Deal, he would then be in contempt of the Scottish court ruling. Johnson's lawyers said under oath he would comply with the Benn Act requiring him to ask for an extension.

[Dio]

That's not the same thing as preventing leave with no deal, right?

[Harlequin]

And IF Johnson was to go ahead and try to Leave with No Deal, he would then be in contempt of the Scottish court ruling. Johnson's lawyers said under oath he would comply with the Benn Act requiring him to ask for an extension.

After which, AIUI, all EU countries will have to unanimously agree to that extension.

We will make clear privately and publicly that countries which oppose delay will go the front of the queue for future cooperation — cooperation on things both within and outside EU competences. Those who support delay will go to the bottom of the queue. … Supporting delay will be seen by this government as hostile interference in domestic politics, and over half of the public will agree with us.

[snaff]

Can Blockchain solve Brexit's border puzzle? Experts are sceptical

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - A team of experts has come up with a plan to use blockchain tracking for trade between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland to avoid the re-imposition of a hard border after Britain leaves the European Union.

Razat Gaurav, chief executive office of Llamasoft, which produces software to help companies around the world manage and structure supply chains, said the plan would provide visibility of what is crossing the border, and security. However, if it is too complex, industry wouldn’t use it.

https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-brita ... KKBN1WM1XP

[tufty]

And IF Johnson was to go ahead and try to Leave with No Deal, he would then be in contempt of the Scottish court ruling. Johnson's lawyers said under oath he would comply with the Benn Act requiring him to ask for an extension.

After which, AIUI, all EU countries will have to unanimously agree to that extension.

We will make clear privately and publicly that countries which oppose delay will go the front of the queue for future cooperation — cooperation on things both within and outside EU competences. Those who support delay will go to the bottom of the queue. … Supporting delay will be seen by this government as hostile interference in domestic politics, and over half of the public will agree with us.

The problem is the "this government" bit.

"this government" has no majority in the house. It's a very long way from having a majority in the house, in fact. And even within "this government", support for no deal is not unanimous. the reason "this government" is still "this government" is that there was no way to guarantee Boris wouldn't use a General Election as a tool for forcing a no deal Brexit - once the fear of that is gone, "this government" will almost certainly become "that shower of useless cunts".

[tufty]

Also, of course, that doing all or any of that would be, quite probably, illegal. Indeed, it could be argued that even leaking the suggestion that this is Number 10's official position is illegal.

https://davidallengreen.com/2019/09/bre ... -benn-act/

That said, it would not be the first time the Brexit maniacs have broken the law.

[gilesgoat]

After all this crap and more going in Italy and anywhere else for that matter I start to feel more and more a "citizen of the cosmos" I dream of a universe without borders ( not without individual identities, without borders ) where one can move there and there wherever he/she likes and do there and there whatever he/she can.

A universe where "your home" could be as well as Mars as Earth as anything else and where "you are what you is and you do what you do"

Fucking tired of politics, politicians, religions, political correctness, whatever : there is a point where "too much is too much of anything".

Let's just "be" and "do" ..

And yes only ONE law should be made "no more people with stupid hair styles"

Anyway .. it's SO bad .. it really is ...

[Cloudane]

I remember when it seemed like we were going that way. You know, with things like the EU. Back also when the Internet was this great community where everyone comes together, young, old, man, woman, of all shapes sizes colours and abilities, you could be a cat, it doesn't matter because you're behind a screen and all that matters is the flow of information and having fun. Similarly, the gaming community, back when 'gamer' wasn't a word steeped with controversy. It seemed like this could unite the world and make us all understand each other as human beings.

And then fucking... identity politics and nationalism and racism and the internet being a source and catalyst of it. It's so sad.

[snaff]

Varadkar was keen on talking before the Benn Act when he thought that the choice would be ‘new deal or no deal’. Since the Benn Act passed he has gone very cold and in the last week the official channels and the backchannels have also gone cold

[gilesgoat]

I remember when it seemed like we were going that way. You know, with things like the EU. Back also when the Internet was this great community where everyone comes together, young, old, man, woman, of all shapes sizes colours and abilities, you could be a cat, it doesn't matter because you're behind a screen and all that matters is the flow of information and having fun. Similarly, the gaming community, back when 'gamer' wasn't a word steeped with controversy. It seemed like this could unite the world and make us all understand each other as human beings.

And then fucking... identity politics and nationalism and racism and the internet being a source and catalyst of it. It's so sad.

I think maybe there was a thing "nobody was really prepared for" ... maybe a bit of "overloading" .. things literally "exploded quite a bit" going quite a bit "out of control" or maybe better to say "out of proportions" pretty quick.

IMHO there's a true fear in part of "losing of identity" because of this "explosion of information going all over the places" this "social that is even too social" this "info that sometime is really TMO" and so on ... it gets to a point that MAYBE all this "should be taken a bit lighter and should be taken a bit in smaller doeses at the time".

Videos, blogs, information, drama, talks, everything .. we are completely surrounded by it .. it gets to a point you don't really know any more for so sure what to say, what you can say, what you say how it would be interpreted and what reaction you'll get from it.

There's maybe "a double edge sword" in a world where "you CAN exchange everything BUT it also means you ARE subjected to everything" it's bit like "you should have the options to choose and/or opt in and out but you really don't" ..

I still like to watch the videos of someone's else cat or listening to grandma/pa and what he/she has to say and such but "taking it for what it is", the problem is when grandma says something and it gets taken out of context or interpreted "as someone else prefers" and becomes an international drama.

Yes you said "having fun" but how many times the line between "fan" and "real shitstorm" is crossed starting with the most bening intentions ?

Eh "gamer" .. means so many different things nowadays ..

Maybe we are "understanding better each other" maybe we are seeing all the good AND bad sides the same time "more than before" and that's why things are going as they go.

Years ago before the internet you would have NOT stepped in the public square shouting "X is an idiot", unless you had a really strong reason for doing so, nowadays "this can happen anytime on a worldwide scale" .. and once is done is done ...

Internet can be a catalyst of anything because it's the most powerful real-time way of information exchange "you say what you want" and it gets everywhere.

So don't know, maybe "we should take a few steps back" and remember that "not everything HAS to go on the internet" or "we DO NOT have to care for ALL that is on the internet".

Mah .. I don't know .. I mean "I know what I want to do" but I'll keep it for myself alone, in these times you really don't know any more what's really "good" to let people know or what not.