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Thread: Europe lurches to the Right

  1. #31
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    And the exit polls were completely right. ugh.

  2. #32
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    baby boomers protecting their money, brainwashed by neoliberalism. At least they'll die soonish

  3. #33
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    Quote Originally Posted by Sutekh View Post
    baby boomers protecting their money, brainwashed by neoliberalism. At least they'll die soonish
    Being 'Merican, I didn't know this term neoliberalism. Now, I understand why. Never do the words liberal and Ronald Reagan go in the same sentence.

    At least you guys just pull the band aid fast and get the election over with. Over here, we have to endure months and months and months of campaigning. What a waste.

  4. #34
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    its a great term because you can bash off the leash capitalism, and some conservatives will actually listen because they think you're bashing liberals. It's also a good way of making it clear you're not necessarily a marxist

    anyway ukip got 3.5 (apprx) million votes (out of about 40 mil), but hilariously only 1 mp. this basically shows that populist far right support is not particularly concentrated anywhere and rather it was thinly spread clusters of supporters across the uk. or village idiots, if you're feeling catty.

    to be fair it's more or less the same story for the greens.

    back on topic, remember the BNP? a more classically far right, gay hating jew baiting party - who stunned a lot of people by copping half a million votes in 2005. Well they scored just 1667 votes this time, in one case beaten by a candidate from a party called "cannabis is safer than alcohol".

    hmm... its almost as if they all flocked to some other party! ahem

    anyway, further evidence imo of the rebranding of the far right as populist muslim bashing as opposed to quote unquote democrats attempting to trojan neo nazism into the mainstream

  5. #35
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    i think its safe to say that at the very least the FN will be coalition partners in the next french government :/

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    I live in Germany and was born back in the GDR (East Germany ) and when I saw the results of the election in the part of Germany I come from I was shocked...
    26% gave their vote to the "AFD" (Alternative für Deutschland - Alternative for Germany) and the far right political ideas...I am happy that Merkel is still working on an european solution and still welcomes all the refugees but the borders around Germany stay closed and now all the stupid germans think they're poor (we have the best welfare and health care system - nobody has to live on the streets and everybody gets the best medical treatment) and blame the refugees...Germany is on it's way back to 1933.

  7. #37
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    Quote Originally Posted by Sutekh View Post
    i think its safe to say that at the very least the FN will be coalition partners in the next french government :/
    I wouldn't be so sure about that. They're the Trumps of France : a way to express discontent towards the political and social climate. That doesn't make them suitable partners, and they're still very much shunned politically (if not, alas, ideologically).
    Their popularity may influence the future rhetoric and arguments during the next elections, but I really doubt that any mainstream political faction will want to be seen with them. Such alliance would be way too risky, as it could backfire horribly for the main party involved. Their reputation and credibility could be destroyed for years.
    The left would never even use the FN rethoric. In fact, they would drop their own narrative if the FN managed to succesfully own it up, that's how shunned they are on that side. And our traditional right wing is very much social-liberal, closer to the american left wing than the right. They'll never go far right enough to meet the FN. The few rogues who tried to use the same kind of points and populism have all fell off the map quickly.

  8. #38
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    So I finally got a government leaflet through the mail about why the UK should stay in Europe when we have the EU referendum. At last, it really feels like all the campaigning has been on the leave Europe side which I really don't want to happen

  9. #39
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    Quote Originally Posted by WorzelG View Post
    So I finally got a government leaflet through the mail about why the UK should stay in Europe when we have the EU referendum. At last, it really feels like all the campaigning has been on the leave Europe side which I really don't want to happen
    What does it say about the EU, when the U.K the second richest country in the European Union...second most populated...that many people in the U.K really dont even care about the institution...or know what it does exactly? It just does not impact on daily lives.

    The whole Union needs a reformation its all so vauge.

    The U.K has always distanced itself, and never been as involved with the EU as much as Germany, France or Italy.

    I dont really like the EU ..but i think it would be stupid to leave. There is not much of a clear plan, if we do leave.
    If the leave plan was clearer i would be up for it.

    If we did leave it wont be catastrophic like some of the pro EU fear mongers are saying...infact it could be a good thing..but there is no clear plan in place.
    I would give it another decade see if we can reform things.

    I dont think we will leave...it will be a narrow victory for remaining.

    But if we did leave and the economy stayed on track, THAT would be the death knell for the EU.
    If France saw us doing better outside they would leave.

  10. #40
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    Starting to get worried that Brexit will win...this would be a horrible, stupid decision.
    For me personally, it would mean that I could not live or work in the EU anymore.

  11. #41
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    Quote Originally Posted by Exocet View Post
    If France saw us doing better outside they would leave.
    We're one of the founding nations, I find that unlikely. As you said it's not like UK was ever part of the gang, whether it decides to join or leave at least we'll know where it stands at last... Seeing UK flourish outside of the EU wouldn't imply that leaving the EU is a good idea, except for some far right/left simplistic populists.

  12. #42
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    Quote Originally Posted by aggroculture View Post
    Starting to get worried that Brexit will win...this would be a horrible, stupid decision.
    For me personally, it would mean that I could not live or work in the EU anymore.
    The way i'm feeling us that if all the polls say brexit is winning it might stir more people to vote stay. I think complacency is a very bad thing and people on the stay side have been guilty of that and the campaign was crap.

  13. #43
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    Quote Originally Posted by Exocet View Post
    What does it say about the EU, when the U.K the second richest country in the European Union...second most populated...that many people in the U.K really dont even care about the institution...or know what it does exactly?

    This is what's hit me the most; many people don't even know what the EU is for, and even official bodies (universities, embassies) have no idea what would and wouldn't change if we left. Stupid things I've heard include:

    - If Brexit happens we will be able to get rid of the Tories (WTAF?!)
    - We can just become like Norway (er, yeah, who have their own money due to oil, pay shitloads of tax and still have to comply to all the European trade and immigration regulations you are whining about)
    - If we leave the EU we'll lose all our human rights (The EU brought in many workers rights but the European Court of Human Rights is a separate thing)
    - If Brexit happens we can fill the Eurotunnel with concrete to keep them all out (add 10 bonus points if this is voiced by a naturalised immigrant)


    I'm just really glad I'm bilingual and have dual citizenship.

  14. #44
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    Just voted Remain. Now I'm going to feel sick to my stomach till we find out the results tomorrow.

  15. #45
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    crossing my fingers that Remain wins; also have a knot in my stomach about it, and wishing I'd got my act together for a postal vote.

  16. #46
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    I will stay up till 3am to see the results. It is so close, I feel sick. One for certain the UK is as divided as ever.

  17. #47
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    Praise the old gods and the new, Remain is now leading (albeit slightly) at the time of this post. I didn't think it would be this close, but looking in, it seemed the Leave side were thriving off of muddying the waters with other issues.

  18. #48
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    50 / 50 now

  19. #49
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    Fuck leave is now leading and the pound is tanking. I hope the leave fucks are happy.

    At least Cardiff / Vale of Glamorgan where I live voted Remain so I don't feel totally surrounded by stupid
    Last edited by WorzelG; 06-23-2016 at 10:45 PM.

  20. #50
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    BBC is now calling it for Leave...damn, I was not expecting this! What the hell Brits??

  21. #51
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    heartbroken

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    Not the best news for me, but I understand GB's thinking behind it.

    Strange years ahead.

  23. #53
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    The UK will break up now. Scotland will want to leave and rejoin the EU but they'll have to accept the euro. So many many little things that will change that no one realises because the campaigns were so bad and hardly any genuine practical information about what would / could happen was given. It sucks on so many levels

  24. #54
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    David Cameron has resigned.

  25. #55
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    Yup, the campaigns were terrible (particularly Remain's, thanks Cameron, Sturgeon etc). Lots of nonsense, petty non-points, scaremongering and a dearth of hard facts.

    I wasn't sure I was right to vote remain even when filling out the poll card, but this morning it seems a lot clearer: the option we've ended up with is pretty fucking scary.

  26. #56
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    It feels like finding out this old buddy with which you kept bickering for years actually doesn't like you.

    I know it's not an issue between the UK and France, but it's disheartening all the same.

  27. #57
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    Fuck I feel sick. The fact Marie le Pen is hailing the result says it all.

  28. #58
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    Quote Originally Posted by Khrz View Post
    It feels like finding out this old buddy with which you kept bickering for years actually doesn't like you.

    I know it's not an issue between the UK and France, but it's disheartening all the same.
    Honestly I was about to make some platitudes along the 'we do like you really'lines but in fact this whole thing has been horrifying - you know when you realise half the people you live among have really obnoxious views. It's something you half knew but didn't want to accept but this referendum is like somebody ripping off a scab revealing oozing pus underneath.
    But your life and livelihood depends on the country not going down the shItter and all the 'leave' people are telling you to shut up and get on with it. Ugh. I'm friends with a fair few Europeans (including french people) who have made lives here and are lovely and don't deserve this shit. I could go on and on

  29. #59
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    I don't know if that's the right thing to take from this. It's UKIP which runs on xenophobia, and despite all the fuss they caused, how many seats did they actually win in the general election? They clearly don't represent anything vaguely near a majority in the population. Seems most voters had other reasons for choosing to leave.

  30. #60
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    Just because a party doesn't gather that much votes doesn't mean their rethoric and ideology doesn't echo with a majority... Our own national front is seen as an abhorrent bunch of nasty fuckers, it doesn't mean that their points on immigration, indépendance from Europe and such don't strike a chord.

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