• Punshhh
    2.6k
    Oops, I should have said that the EU has banned the import of live shellfish from the UK. This will put the whole industry out of business.
    https://www.politicshome.com/news/article/exclusive-eu-tells-british-shellfish-traders-that-a-post-brexit-export-ban-is-indefinite-not-temporary
  • Punshhh
    2.6k
    No, I don’t do anything like that, I’m mainly a cartoonist. The only other platform you’ll find me on is Twitter. #punshhh and I’m not the shady Russian on that tag, I’m the other one.
  • Changeling
    1.4k
    Report on Brexit effects from Private Eye:

    https://www.private-eye.co.uk/podcast/58

    "Richard Brooks has been on a pilgrimage to Kent to uncover the hidden chaos of Brexit; Tim Minogue reveals the unexpected downsides of Low Traffic Neighbourhoods, and Francis Wheen laments the departure of one of the Telegraph's finest hacks, who also happens to be the Chinese ambassador to Britain."
  • Punshhh
    2.6k
    “Brexit is coming apart at the seams”

    Good update by Chris Grey.
    https://chrisgreybrexitblog.blogspot.com/2021/02/brexit-is-coming-apart-at-seams.html
  • Punshhh
    2.6k
    Index of business and jobs lost due to Brexit. This not exhaustive, but is a good illustration of the trends.
    https://yorkshirebylines.co.uk/the-digby-jones-index/
  • Punshhh
    2.6k
    A catch up on Brexit Britain.
    The trade situation is dire, small businesses are finding it expensive and with long delays, things getting lost etc, selling anything into EU. Larger companies are having to open warehouses, offices etc on the continent. Our imports are still not being checked, which is the only reason a lot of them are still coming in. Once they are following all the rules re’ imports, a lot will stop coming.
    Good summary from Chris Grey.

    https://t.co/MDaQlKMLNA?amp=1
  • Punshhh
    2.6k
    Things hotting up over NI protocol.
    The government is squirming.

    https://t.co/8fcBLs2SQH?amp=1
  • Tim3003
    347
    Now that Biden's in town maybe we'll see some progress. If the US manages to separate the issue of the NI protocol from the Good Friday agreement he may soften his pro-EU tone. Whether the EU will accept climbing down from the letter of the protocol to help NI may depend on their accepting their hardline stance is causing loyalist unrest and so jeopardising the peace..

    It's typical of Boris to have signed up to something he didn't fully understand at the time, and now be trying to unpick the problems he stored up then. One day his 'optimism first detail last' philosophy will break him. As yet the voters haven't tired of him putting his foot in it. I predict the Covid-19 enquiry will add further weight to the case for his cavalier attitude causing problems. Maybe then an analysis of the number of unneccessary deaths will wake up the public and the chickens will come home to roost. But I wouldnt bet against him wriggling out of it. He knows the public cant grasp detail either.
  • Benkei
    7.1k
    Now that Biden's in town maybe we'll see some progress. If the US manages to separate the issue of the NI protocol from the Good Friday agreement he may soften his pro-EU tone. Whether the EU will accept climbing down from the letter of the protocol to help NI may depend on their accepting their hardline stance is causing loyalist unrest and so jeopardising the peace..Tim3003

    Why does the EU have to back up from a deal where it's the UK breaking a promise the UK willingly signed up to? I'm not saying there aren't alternative solutions but it's up to the UK to offer an alternative that effectively meets the concern for which the original promise was made. If the EU just moves that is tantamount to inviting the UK to break more promises to get concessions from the EU.
  • Tim3003
    347
    Why does the EU have to back up from a deal where it's the UK breaking a promise the UK willingly signed up to? I'm not saying there aren't alternative solutions but it's up to the UK to offer an alternative that effectively meets the concern for which the original promise was made. If the EU just moves that is tantamount to inviting the UK to break more promises to get concessions from the EU.Benkei

    The problem is that whatever the UK suggests it is shot down because it isnt sticking to the letter of the agreement. Fair enough. But in that case the EU has to come up with a way to stop the tension escalating among NI loyalists - either within the protocol or outside it; or take the risk of insisting on the letter of the agreement and incurring Biden's wrath for the riots that could follow.. This is Boris's tactic - sidestep the issue of what's just and force your opponents to negotiate an expedient fix via the threat of a bigger problem down the road. 'Realpolitik' it's called.
  • Benkei
    7.1k
    What has the UK suggested?
  • Punshhh
    2.6k
    The problem for the EU is that if they make a concession the U.K. gov’ will grab it and ask for more while shouting even louder that the EU is bullying them and that the concession proves this. Because by admitting to the concession, they are admitting that the fault is with them.

    Meanwhile Johnson is making hay in his culture war and EU blaming at home.

    The best strategy for the EU, as is best in dealing with a bully, is to stand firm on what was negotiated. Because to concede won’t improve the situation, it will only deepen the crisis. It would give ammunition to those who seek to legitimise U.K. position and sully EU position. By dragging EU into a dirty slanging match.

    Observers know who is the villain of the peace.
  • Christoffer
    1.8k
    So what do pro-brexiters think about the current situation? Happy? Sad? Biased?
  • Tim3003
    347
    The best strategy for the EU, as is best in dealing with a bully, is to stand firm on what was negotiated. Because to concede won’t improve the situation,Punshhh

    And standing firm will? In what way is escalating tension in NI improving things? Boris knows he can simply blame riots on the EU for being intransigent. The Good Friday agreement is bigger than the NI Protocol. Boris knows this. Biden believes it. The EU may have to concede it. A face-saving fudge will doubtless be found in time.
  • Punshhh
    2.6k

    You give Johnson an inch, he will take a mile.

    Anyway, any alternative to implementation of the protocol is no solution. Except, for NI leaving U.K. and rejoining IRL.
    Perhaps you can describe such an alternative?
  • Punshhh
    2.6k
    You won’t find any Brexit supporters on a philosophy forum.
  • Christoffer
    1.8k
    You won’t find any Brexit supporters on a philosophy forum.Punshhh

    Haven't we seen them passionately debate that side in this very thread when things were still moving? Just noticing that there are very few of them left now that everything is done.

    There are also very few philosophers on this philosophy forum. The quality of logic is rare.
  • Punshhh
    2.6k

    Yes, there aren’t any Brexit supporters now. I was being bold in my comment, party to flush out any Brexit supporters lurking.

    Harsh words regarding the membership of a philosophy forum there. Surely there are plenty of amateur philosophers here.
  • Christoffer
    1.8k
    Harsh words regarding the membership of a philosophy forum there. Surely there are plenty of amateur philosophers here.Punshhh

    It's an open forum where everyone can join. There are far more posts made by people who don't know how to form arguments by philosophical standards. The whole point of a philosophy forum is to have a higher quality discussion that doesn't end up being "just another reddit thread". I would still say that amateur philosophers should at least know the basics of philosophical dialectics, it should be the minimum requirement in my book.
  • Punshhh
    2.6k
    Quite. I wonder where the philosophers congregate?
  • Christoffer
    1.8k
    Quite. I wonder where the philosophers congregate?Punshhh

    Probably places like here and the halls of universities. But that doesn't help if there are thousands of people that just want to say their opinions and think that's philosophy. I guarantee that there's a majority here of people who don't know anything about philosophy, a minority of people who autodidact philosophy, and a fraction that are actually philosophy scholars.

    But philosophical scrutiny should be applied to all. Regardless of the level of knowledge.
  • Tim3003
    347
    ↪Christoffer
    You won’t find any Brexit supporters on a philosophy forum.
    Punshhh

    I thought the same thing. Then again, given the idea that pre-Brexit there were some but they've now disappeared I may have appeared (falsely) to be one myself! I find it interesting as an student of people and their motivations to dissect and argue the pros and cons of the issue from a neutral point of view. Those who cling to one side of an argument often seem filled with resentment and anger to me - as if cursing the world for refusing to realise they're right. If things really were so clear cut there would be no disagreements. Any familiarity with philosphy will soon convince even the most radical that there are no universally agreed truths.

    Regardless of whether we're educated in philosophy or laymen however, I think that the use of the word 'philosophy' in the forum name is useful to put off would-be contributors who have nothing original or thought-through to say. No post of less than 3 lines should be allowed . :wink:
  • counterpunch
    1.6k
    I've waited to say this, until now:

    "Post-Brexit Britain should abandon the EU’s “excessively cautious” approach to regulation and light a bonfire of red tape to fuel economic growth, a task force commissioned by Boris Johnson has said...."

    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2021/06/15/post-brexit-britain-should-light-bonfire-eu-red-tape-fuel-economic/

    Told you so!
  • Punshhh
    2.6k
    That article requires subscription to read. I wouldn’t support the telegraph because it is little more than a Brexiter pamphlet now.
  • Punshhh
    2.6k
    Quite, I am ambivalent on the question of UK’s membership of EU in principle. But see the current situation as a train wreck and more about a psychotic episode in the Tory party, than any rational process about the UK’s position in world affairs.

    In fact the train is shortly going to run out of track. Time to reach for the popcorn.
  • Tim3003
    347
    Quite, I am ambivalent on the question of UK’s membership of EU in principle. But see the current situation as a train wreck and more about a psychotic episode in the Tory party, than any rational process about the UK’s position in world affairs.

    In fact the train is shortly going to run out of track. Time to reach for the popcorn.
    Punshhh

    You have often spoken about this implosion of the Tory party as a cause of our ills. And I still don't understand the reasons for your conclusion, or your forecast that its effect will be so disasterous! Yes it's now the Boris party, just as 35 years ago it was the Maggie party. So what?

    The Aussie trade deals shows post-Brexit Britain is outward- and forward- looking. Farmers may have reservations, but I've yet to hear any concrete reasons why the deal is very disadvantageous.
  • unenlightened
    8.8k
    The Aussie trade deals shows post-Brexit Britain is outward- and forward- looking. Farmers may have reservations, but I've yet to hear any concrete reasons why the deal is very disadvantageous.Tim3003

    I think it's more backward looking than forward looking. We had deals with the old colonies before joining the EEC as was, and the economy was doing badly. The protectionist stand of Europe wrt agriculture was and still is advantageous. Free trade between fertile plains and rugged hills doesn't really work unless there is an underlying commonality to the economy, such as a common currency and tax system.
  • Punshhh
    2.6k
    The perfect storm is on the horizon. We have the three crisis happening at once. The effects of Brexit on trade with EU(fresh produce, just in time supply chains). The effects of COVID(massive economic upheaval) and now the knock on effects of the suez container pile up.
    https://twitter.com/vivamjm/status/1405171792369627141?s=20

    It feels as though we are about to go over the waterfall in a barrel. Just as we go into a third wave with the Johnson variant(Delta variant). Hold on tight and stock up on a few essentials.
  • Punshhh
    2.6k
    I’ll reply tomorrow, I have explained my conclusion before, but as I know it is not agreed on by many, I will happily explain again.
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