Why are the British afraid.?

Question

Why are the British so opposed to further intergration with Europe ?. Are their concerns genuine?

Answer 1

I think most people are oblivious to one of the main arguments in support of further integration with the rest of Europe: we Europeans have had a tendency to attempt to destroy each other over the years.

This can be demonstrated by the obvious examples of the World Wars of the 20th Century, the Napoleonic Wars at the beginning of the 19th, the wars with the Sun King, Louis XIV, in the 18th; and so on: the list is quite endless.

Being a generation that has been immured in peace, we seem to have forgotten that wars have been an inevitable occurrence in European history and are likely to happen again; even in this age of mass hedonism and i-pods. The destructive forces that we will unlesh upon each other will be possilby worse than what occurred in the wars of the last century as a result of the increase in our technological ability to destroy one another.

We, therefore, need to think maturely about this problem; and the only solution (if there is one) is further European integration. We need to remove the competitive nature of our sovereign states by concentrating on the benefit to Europe as a whole, rather than to its individual members in order to reduce the possibility of future conflict.

Some of you have valid points about the burden of the British tax payers and the validity of our having to pay for others in other countries.

But, I ask you this: what is more damaging to the British economy: a slightly higher tax? or a war between ourselves and our neighbours that may bring unprecedented destruction to all of us?

It is time to move away from the tribal politics of the past.

P.S. It just occurred to me that the Pax Romana proved to be quite productive for Europe. We need the resurrection of Roman rule!

Hail Caesar Augustus!

Answer 2

The English may be afraid - I'm not sure that the rest of us "British" really care. The Scots, Welsh and Irish are well used to foreigners coming in and taking over.

Ironic though, some people complaining about the impact on scarce resources of the UK. The British didn't seem to mind going into other countries and making full use of their resources.

All countries today are historically based on immigration and mixing of the peoples skills and talents. The English are Anglo Saxon afterall. Integration is the only way forward.

Let all nations come and let us all work together to create a better Britain - couldn't be that hard.

Answer 3

Its not a case of being afraid. I think we feel we are starting to feel that we are loosing our identity in some ways especially with all the immigration and the fact that in some areas of Britain, British people are actually the ethnic minority. Now there is a very real possibility that Britain is going to integrate further with Europe (the Euro might be used for example) and again that can be seen by some ans a further loss of identity and the British culture.

Answer 4

I'm not sure that we are afraid. There are certainly some things that are better to be done ourselves. I was never opposed to the Euro, because I am not sentimental about a banknote, until it was pointed out that Britain (being the biggest military power in europe - by the way) has to borrow from the Bank of England to bankroll any operations that we carry out. If we were in the Euro we would be tied to requesting these funds from the ECB. For the same reason that I oppose the creation of a European Army (you seen attack of the clones?!) - I want Brits in charge of defending our interests worldwide. Closer integration and celebrating our diverse but interlinked European heritage yes being ruled by unelected Brussels burocrats (or best case scenario European parliament drawn from all of EU - to decide UK stuff) - a most definate NO

Answer 5

Economic reasons, mostly, and the knowledge that Europe doesn't know it's backside from it's elbow when it comes to anything. Things like the ridiculous state of French farn subsidies spring to mind. And plus, a lot of the "big" European countires are a mess (the recent race riots in France, the huge resistance to the change in employment laws; Italy until very recently being ruled by a man who wasn't accountable to the law; the poor economy in Germany etc. etc.) so who would want to be a part of Europe, especially when the pound is doing to well - lots of foriegn banks use sterling as their guide, over dollars or the Euro.

Answer 6

If the authorities serves the crown.Why is the crown no longer speaking up on how that is being run.we've illegals operating amok,Threats of bombers,i do not lower than stand what we are attempting to achieve.easily i'm no longer on my own in my concepts or am i the basically twisted human being,So why are we allowing this to bypass on,The worst section is its to overdue to end ,So the position do we bypass, I repeat my tale of Oliver Cromwell ,i do not no if the movie had any reality yet he had the right theory, to sparkling out each and each of the undesirable eggs and tell them what he theory That we the universal public have a voice,and because that of this we chosen the fools,I mean easily they're regularly a more desirable helpful protection on the customs,And someone helping them might want to be dealt with significantly,And to blazes with the crap of there liberty's what about our liberties oh i forgot we are basically British and do not count number,It makes you ill.

Answer 7

Yes they are genuine concerns. The EU is now a bloated group of nations, that has long since run it's course. The idea that a group of countries banded together like we are, can all hold the same values and aspirations has been proven to be a folly.

The bigger the group gets, the worse it will get, for individual countries, able to govern themselves, without the constant interference for Brussels.

In it's original form, the group of like minded nations banded together to form trade links. That has now been extended so that every aspect of every persons life, in every EU country, is controlled in some way, by unelected, faceless bureaucrats, milking the system for all they can get, that is the gravy train of Europe.

I am not in favour, as you have probably gathered!!

Answer 8

We simply want to stay as an independant nation. That's all. I'm proud of our heritage, and proud of our defiance to external threats. I want the UK to stay as the UK, not become part of a new European nation, as we would lose our individuality and sense of self. We should retain our individuality, and be proud of this independance.

With the Euro, we will end up giving more than we receive, due to the fact that we are well-off. To keep the pound saves us money and individuality.

I want my tax money to be spent in this country, (however badly) not in France, or Spain etc. My taxes should help My nation.

One example of How Europe has changed the UK for the worse, (A simple example, I know, but there are many more): Fire extinguishers used to be completely colour coded (Whole extinguisher bottle was painted one colour for the type of chemical inside it). Now, they're all red with a colour coded sticky label on them. Tell me that's not more difficult to select in an emergency. You can't. That was a European legislation.

Answer 9

Even without intergration, Europe makes us one of the few Net contributors to the EU Budget. If we ever join, I'm sure every UK citizen would be made to re-mortgage their properties and raise as much equity as possible so that too could be passed to other Europeans countries!

Answer 10

It's probably a throw back to the war, can't trust those foreign jonnies doncha know. I now live in a much more open part of the EU, and there are no problems, we don't seem to be suffereing from the rules, mind you Ice Cream over here has always contained Cream, one of the EU directives that the UK opted out of so the bland stuff you get over there can continue to be made.