Live data from Hacker News

Over one million people sign UK petition for second EU referendum

hindustantimes.com

11–20 of 104 posts

Re: Over one million people sign UK petition for second EU referendum

#11
post #7
post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If exit negotiations take a few years, and the European wanted to offer the Brits a face-saving way to change their minds, they could adopt some internal reforms / offer Britain a better deal. Wouldn't have to be a perfect deal, just good enough to justify having another vote.

That's the last thing they will do because then it would encourage every EU country to hold a referendum and do the same thing, which would kill the EU easily. [What I see as more likely is that the UK invokes Article 50, goes through a financial crisis, and then the EU offer to cancel our Article 50 invocation and let us stay in the EU if we join the Euro and Schengen.]

It's not obvious at this point that the EU will still be around a couple of years from now.

I think if one more country votes to leave between now and then a renegotiation and some core constitutional changes become more likely.

The basic problem is that the Leave side lied about the benefits of leaving, but they were absolutely correct that the core of the EU has become a neoliberal financial dictatorship with rather thin democratic wrapping.

If bigger cracks start appearing in the structure the leadership is going to have a choice between accepting more real democracy, or having the whole thing come crashing down.

Currently there are no bigger cracks visible, but the economic foundations in most of the EU are very shaky - so who knows where we'll be a couple of years from now?

Re: Over one million people sign UK petition for second EU referendum

#13

Almost one million people decided the vote. This smacks of sour grapes to me.

Yeah this feels like the "oh shit I didn't bother to go vote because I didn't think it would matter" folks suddenly realizing they probably should have stepped up..

Re: Over one million people sign UK petition for second EU referendum

#14
post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That's the last thing they will do because then it would encourage every EU country to hold a referendum and do the same thing, which would kill the EU easily. [What I see as more likely is that the UK invokes Article 50, goes through a financial crisis, and then the EU offer to cancel our Article 50 invocation and let us stay in the EU if we join the Euro and Schengen.]

It's not obvious at this point that the EU will still be around a couple of years from now. I think if one more country votes to leave between now and then a renegotiation and some core constitutional changes become more likely. The basic problem is that the Leave side lied about the benefits of leaving, but they were absolutely correct that the core of the EU has become a neoliberal financial dictatorship with rathe…

Couple of years is a bit over the top. It will take a lot longer to really collapse. But sure it can happen; probably a lot depends on how the EU handles this blow.

Re: Over one million people sign UK petition for second EU referendum

#15
post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That's the last thing they will do because then it would encourage every EU country to hold a referendum and do the same thing, which would kill the EU easily. [What I see as more likely is that the UK invokes Article 50, goes through a financial crisis, and then the EU offer to cancel our Article 50 invocation and let us stay in the EU if we join the Euro and Schengen.]

It's not obvious at this point that the EU will still be around a couple of years from now. I think if one more country votes to leave between now and then a renegotiation and some core constitutional changes become more likely. The basic problem is that the Leave side lied about the benefits of leaving, but they were absolutely correct that the core of the EU has become a neoliberal financial dictatorship with rathe…

What about the UK? Their prime minister has resigned, the lead of the opposition party is battling a motion of no confidence, the British pound crashed 10% against the US-Dollar and Scotland wants to stay in the European Union...

Re: Over one million people sign UK petition for second EU referendum

#16
London throws it's toys out of the pram.

It's quite funny to see the commentators who never saw this result coming are now the ones with all of the explanations as to why it has happened. Watching them evolve a new narrative in real time is quite funny. Apparently 50% of the country are racists, or so stupid that they have been easily duped by the bad politicians. There couldn't possibly be any other explanations.

Re: Over one million people sign UK petition for second EU referendum

#17
post #13

Almost one million people decided the vote. This smacks of sour grapes to me.

Yeah this feels like the "oh shit I didn't bother to go vote because I didn't think it would matter" folks suddenly realizing they probably should have stepped up..

I'm pretty sure a small minority of the signatories of this petition weren't among the ~16 million who voted 'remain'.

It was very obvious in the weeks running up that this wasn't going to be a sure thing for either side.

Re: Over one million people sign UK petition for second EU referendum

#18

London throws it's toys out of the pram. It's quite funny to see the commentators who never saw this result coming are now the ones with all of the explanations as to why it has happened. Watching them evolve a new narrative in real time is quite funny. Apparently 50% of the country are racists, or so stupid that they have been easily duped by the bad politicians. There couldn't possibly be any other explanations.

Perhaps one of the biggest geopolitical events of a decade shouldn't have been on HN. The irony of you talking about Londoners throwing out toys, then locking your account because one story got through that you think is incorrect... it's delicious.

Re: Over one million people sign UK petition for second EU referendum

#19
post #13

Almost one million people decided the vote. This smacks of sour grapes to me.

Yeah this feels like the "oh shit I didn't bother to go vote because I didn't think it would matter" folks suddenly realizing they probably should have stepped up..

There are also allegedly numerous people who voted leave just to troll the system and now regret it: http://www.vox.com/2016/6/24/12024634/brexit-supporters-regr...

Re: Over one million people sign UK petition for second EU referendum

#20
post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If exit negotiations take a few years, and the European wanted to offer the Brits a face-saving way to change their minds, they could adopt some internal reforms / offer Britain a better deal. Wouldn't have to be a perfect deal, just good enough to justify having another vote.

They won't, though. The EU elites want to discourage other countries from leaving. If they compromise then others will follow in the UK's path in order to extract concessions.

The main problem is that the British don't even know what to ask for. When examined closely, there really isn't anything actually that wrong about the EU. They could've gotten a lot more in the recent negotiations but nobody knows what that should be.

The only specific grievance is EU migration and that just happens to be one of the four fundamental principles.

Post reply on HN