Interesting discussion, which I presume is mainly of importance to the British. The „continentals“ are often much less inclined to linger on this subject. They usually dismiss this as dreams of imperial grandezza of past centuries Many people on the continent believe that the UK tries to exert pressure on the EU just to pick the rasins, i.e. to get a better deal at the expense of the other members.

The post of greenmanalishi is also worth reading, stating that it might be „an age thing with older people more likely to want to leave the EU than the younger ones.“ This probably applies to most discussions regarding the EU. In the beginning many Germans were strongly opposed to relinquish their Deutschmark, believing that the Euro would ruin economic stability. Even nowadays the older people (sic!) convert Euro prices to Deutschmark and grumble about inflation.... But most people forget that the EU has also increased inter-european trade significantly, not to speak of all the other improvements to make life easier.


Some of the posts IMHO don't belong into this thread. Like Tim Cullis' post „I also have an ill feeling about the power wielded by Angela Merkel who appears to be a rule unto herself. She unilaterally decides to throw open the borders of Germany to what we now realise are predominantly young male economic migrants, and then a couple of months later is trying to force other countries to shoulder the burden. WTF. „ for example.



First of all I believe that if someone is running for his life (Syrians), humanitarian actions are not to be discussed. I'm not speaking of economic refugees. Britain is in the comfortable position to be an island state with a useful neighbour (France), who blocks off any attempts of refugees to board any kind of transport to get into the UK.
Greece and Italy aren't in this comfortable position. Turkey and northern Africa care a damn whether anybody tries to get across the border to Europe. If anyone has a serious suggestion as how to stop the stampede, here's your chance. Gunboats are no arguments.


My two cents worth as a South African expat living in Munich – but not as an economic refugee
S.A. by the way accommodates many refugees facing famine and violence at home in Zimbabwe, but unfortunately it is also flooded by economic refugees from other African countries – all in all an estimated 5 million. I suspect the routes to SA are much easier than those to the EU.....

__________________
Only when we pause to wonder
do we go beyond the limits of our little lives.
(Rod McKuen)