[Info-vax] The changing world

[chris]

On 07/05/22 21:51, Johnny Billquist wrote:
> On 2022-07-05 15:21, chris wrote:
>> On 07/05/22 11:03, Johnny Billquist wrote:
>>>
>>> I don't live in the EU (hello Switzerland). But when you define hardball
>>> diplomacy as "we'll sign this agreement, and then we'll break it", you
>>> can bet you are going to be in a bad position.
>>> That is, of course, your choice. But as others observed, that means that
>>> in the longer run, noone will sign many agreements with you. What is the
>>> point if you just keep breaking them when it's convenient for you.
>>>
>>> My opinion is that you should just have bitten the the bullet, and
>>> accepted the placement of hard border controls in NI, instead of trying
>>> to weasel NI to something semi-inside the EU while you are outside. What
>>> did you really expect was going to happen with that??? Either you are in
>>> or you are out. Don't try to eat the cake and keep it at the same time.
>>>
>>> Johnny
>>
>> From what I heard, Switzerland have their own issues with EU regulation,
>> with Swiss banking being held over a barrel by a dictatorial and
>> stubborn EU. How has that worked out, for a country not even a
>> member ?. When will people wake up, the EU is about power and control,
>> not democracy...
>
> Uh. While the Swiss certainly have their issues with some things in the
> EU, the major bully is the US. Which rock have you been living under?

Sounds like a bit of whataboutery, but ymmv :-). In fact, from a uk
point of view, i've always found the US to be a more reliable ally
and partner than any European country ever has been or is now.
They have their interests and red lines, but so do others. Like the
UK, the US made great sacrifices over two world wars to help dig
Europe out of the mess it had dug itself into, and suspect some have
yet to forgive us for that. I've travelled and worked in several
European countries and found great culture and good people at every
point, but the EU is a different matter and i'm glad we are out.
Complete lack of unity, even with a murdering psychopath at its
back door...

Chris



>
> US citizens, or even anyone with any remote economic connection to the
> US, will realize if they move to Switzerland, what an ugly situation
> that is.
> Banks usually just outright refuse to have people with US connections as
> customers. EU is nowhere near that.
>
> And unlike the UK, the Swiss have accepted that there are customs and
> borders with the EU, and you have customs and costs when moving goods
> across. And movement of people is not free.
>
> You know, it's actually not that difficult. You just have to accept that
> if you are outside, you actually are outside. It's just the UK that is
> trying to do something really weird, even though they signed papers
> agreeing that they couldn't do something weird.
>
> And no chest-thumping nationalistic rant is going to change that. You
> are now outside. DEAL WITH IT!
>
> Johnny