Brexit.

[Bartholomew Gallacher]

those who think they can go back to the "glorious" days of the British Empire and those who expected a better Brexit deal. Neither of those views make any sense whatsoever.

Well, those people are the same delusionists who think that negotiating Brexit is with Germany and not a block of 27 sovereign countries, and that most of the former colonies which the British empire back then ruled with military power and oppression now just love the UK for doing that favor.

Yes, a very much so pretty deluded bunch of people.

Yanis Varoufakis telling that Theresa May ended up with the best possible result possible of the negotiations within the constraints the EU posed on their chief negotiatior, which is take it or leave it:

 

[Kara Spengler]

"Socialist" means something different in the USA, I think, from what it means in the rest of the world (certainly from what it means in Europe, anyway). Most of us on this side of the Atlantic would regard the Scandinavian countries as models of social democratic mixed economies rather than socialist.

EU rules on competition and non-tariff trade barriers prevent, or at least constrain, certain types of state aid and subsidies to businesses. So national governments can't give preference to domestic suppliers and contractors in procurement and neither can they readily (if at all -- I just don't know) give state aid to failing industries to prevent unemployment, and neither can they readily nationalise whole sectors of industry and give them preferential treatment compared to their EU competitors.

Nationalisation -- public control of industry -- used to be a key policy of the Labour Party. Clause 4 of the old Labour Party constitution used to list as an objective of the party

This was finally dropped in the 1990s by Tony Blair, but many Labour activists -- including, I think, Jeremy Corbyn, who doesn't seem to have changed his views much since the 1970s -- would like to return to those policies. EU membership would certainly make that difficult under current rules.

That, I think, is what she means by "Socialist."

Yes, I realise they are social democracies. When she started talking about socialism I assumed she was doing the same thing people on the right here do: counting socialism and social democracy as the same thing.

 

[Porsupah Ree]

Rather an amusing (if you're cool with gallows humor) recounting of all the promises made by leading Brexiteers. Be warned, the impulse to facepalm will grow strong.

Spoiler

(Wow, it embeds the entire Reddit posting if you give it an URL? Gack!)

Including such highlights as:

“The free trade agreement that we will have to do with the European Union should be one of the easiest in human history.”​

Liam Fox
20 July 2017

“Indeed, [a trade deal] would take significantly less than two years. We hold all the cards. We will offer them a deal in response to their pleas for help.”​

Patrick Minford
14 June 2016

“Within minutes of a vote for Brexit, CEOs would be knocking down Chancellor Merkel’s door demanding access to the British market.”​

David Davis
4 February 2016

 

[Innula Zenovka]

The Irish Border has its own twitter thread, where it's been making its views on Brexit quite clear: Brexit: anonymous Twitter account gives droll voice to Irish border row


The account is worth looking at, certainly.

 

[Free]

Is it the blonde?

 

[Bartholomew Gallacher]

The EU has approved the Brexit deal; now it is up to the UK to decide, if they want it or not.

 

[Sid]

The European commission president made clear that there is very little wiggle room for MP's who think that they can renegotiate when they turn down this agreement.

The Guardian:

The European commission president Jean-Claude Juncker warned British MPs planning to send May back to Brussels by voting down her Brexit deal that it would take the EU just “seconds” to crush their hopes.

In an uncompromising and direct message to Westminster, the commission president claimed the bloc had made its final offer.

“I am totally convinced that this is the only deal possible,” Juncker said. “Those who think that by rejecting the deal that they would have a better deal will be disappointed in the first seconds after the rejection of this deal.”

 

[Bartholomew Gallacher]

Well I am convinced that at least some MPs won't believe this.

 

[Kara Spengler]

The European commission president made clear that there is very little wiggle room for MP's who think that they can renegotiate when they turn down this agreement.

The Guardian:

Of course I am guessing some MPs are still promising they and they alone can change it.

 

[Luisa Land]

Also Donald Trump is not pleased about the Brexit-deal EU-UK. It "will harm Britain’s ability to trade with America after leaving the European Union. "

Donald Trump slams Theresa May's Brexit deal as 'great for the EU' but warns it will harm UK-US trade


Trump: PM's Brexit deal 'great' for EU but not UK-US trade

 

[Beebo Brink]

Labour MP Tulip Siddiq: "Even Donald Trump, not the sharpest tool in the box, knows this deal is a bad deal.

 

[Innula Zenovka]

 

[Chin Rey]

Also Donald Trump is not pleased about the Brexit-deal EU-UK. It "will harm Britain’s ability to trade with America after leaving the European Union. "

Oh no!!! How can Britian survive that???!!!???

I mean, Trump isn't the kind of person who speaks out loud very often but when he does, he knows what he's talking about, he always speaks the truth and he always stands by his words - no empty threats there. That's why all other world leaders respect him so much.

Seriously, how many MPs will now support May just to spite the Trumpty?

 

[detrius]

A short compilation of anti-EU headlines from British newspapers:

 

[Bartholomew Gallacher]

Trump has exactly one goal - to weaken the EU. Getting the UK out of it is his choosen way to do so.

 

[Ashiri]

Trump has exactly one goal - to weaken the EU. Getting the UK out of it is his choosen way to do so.

If you'd said Putin, I'd wholeheartedly agree. With Trump, however, I'm not sure how far his strategic thinking goes.

 

[detrius]

If you'd said Putin, I'd wholeheartedly agree. With Trump, however, I'm not sure how far his strategic thinking goes.

I prefer Bronxelf's take on him:

Trump is like a toaster - you put a slice of bread in it, push a button, it gets hot and toasted bread comes out.

It's a simple machine without hidden complexities. Once you've understood how it works, there won't be any surprises for you.

 

[Free]

Trump is like a toaster - you put a slice of bread in it, push a button, it gets hot and toasted bread comes out.

Are you sure that's a complete picture? Because I've noticed even if you don't put bread in, something hot and toasted is always coming out of him. And, I'm not sure it's toast.

 

[Sid]

Is there a date set, when the UK parliament will vote over the Brexit agreement?

 

[Innula Zenovka]

Is there a date set, when the UK parliament will vote over the Brexit agreement?

December 11, following a 5 day (!) debate.