(12-20-2018, 04:50 PM)mikesez Wrote:

(12-20-2018, 03:44 PM)The Real Marty Wrote: Anyone following this?  I've gotten interested in it.  

Also, I've become terribly impressed with a Tory back-bencher named Jacob Rees-Mogg.  He's from the right wing of the Conservative party.   He's an incredibly intelligent guy.  

Brexit could be an awful train wreck, or it could be like y2k.   Remember y2k?   

I'm interested in anyone's opinion.  Especially anyone who lives over there and is immersed in it.

Britain was never participating in either Shengen or the Euro.
So it never really sacrificed much in terms of sovereignty to the EU.
And it never really gained much that it couldn't have gained while remaining outside the EU.
The main thing they lost was the ability to set their own trade rules and tariffs.
The UK doesn't want the ability to set its own tariff rates badly enough to disturb the status quo in Northern Ireland.  And Northern Ireland doesn't know what it wants; they sent more DUP members than Sinn Fein but they also voted to Remain.  There is some chance that the UK may seek to set unique tariff and trade policies but defer to the EU rates and policies in Northern Ireland.  But this would make the entire division of Ireland seem somewhat pointless.

Exactly.  What is the point of the backstop if there's no exit deal and the UK just leaves?   Ireland isn't going to put up a hard border.  And the UK doesn't want to, either.   

But I admit I'm just learning about Brexit, so I may not know what I'm talking about at all.  I just don't see the actual need for the backstop.

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