British gays and European Union

[nyctopgam]

Britain is already in the EU--though mercifully it has not jettisoned the pound.

Oh. I stopped following the discussions years ago! I got tired of it - like I stopped reading about the Middle East. Let me know when Israel is getting along with its neighbors

Yeah. I only used the £ in England but I was there last in 2012. The euro is not even on my radar unless I'm in Europe.

 

[nyctopgam]

When you look at the map, European Union is like China ....
and the British Islands is like Japan but more violent LOL

Islands off the mainland coast of important civilizations are always interesting: Japan and Britain as you say, but also Hong Kong, Manhattan, Singapore.

 

[Telstra]

I am sure that Mandarin, and Cantonese features prominently in daily conversations across the countries of the EU.

I would banned Cantonese language lol, one is more than enough.
Also, English should be used all over Europe, one language is enough for easy communication sake.

 

[otters]

I don't mind visiting Europe, but I don't think of myself as European and fully intend to vote for withdrawal from the EU if and when a referendum is finally held.

I would be really really sad if that would happen because it would be a huge loss. In deed, I cannot praise enough the outstandingly educated British jurists who work at the Commission, and at the Court.

 

[kallipolis]

I would be really really sad if that would happen because it would be a huge loss. In deed, I cannot praise enough the outstandingly educated British jurists who work at the Commission, and at the Court.

A wise observation.....

 

[IamNoah]

I'm an American, but I'm also the last old colonial Anglophile. I have trouble seeing how exactly the United Kingdom benefits from being in the EU. Britain's future seems to me to be a Commonwealth future.

 

[otters]

 

[pat grimshaw]

I would be really really sad if that would happen because it would be a huge loss. ...

A loss to the EU well-paid PC bureaucrats but no loss to Britain.

 

[otters]

A loss to the EU well-paid PC bureaucrats but no loss to Britain.

As if you were paying even a penny of it!

 

[goldenmoth]

I think that the European Union and the UK are a good match and much better together than isolated and apart.

That said though both the UK and the eu have been pretty awesome at lgbtiq rights recently and getting better all the time so I don't see how they would differ from each other from an lgbtiq point of view

 

[JohnnyAnger]

I'm an American, but I'm also the last old colonial Anglophile. I have trouble seeing how exactly the United Kingdom benefits from being in the EU. Britain's future seems to me to be a Commonwealth future.

Yeah, that ain't going to work.

 

[Devois]

I call myself European in cases where the distinction between Europe and other continents is or might be relevant. There certainly is a European identity. It's based on the historic interactions between the nations and quite a lot on shared religion and linguistic groups. And now it distinguishes us from former colonies too.

I assume the Germans Noah spoke to were making a distinction between Europe and America, that doesn't exist between Germany and other European countries with which they're familiar. It's like when I call myself British. Nobody I know does in conversation, we say Welsh, English etc. But I can't see any difference between modern Welshmen (on the English speaking south coast at least) and modern Englishmen besides money, so if I'm talking about the culture in which I grew up, which I usually only have cause to do with outsiders, I refer to my experience in Britain.

 

[IamNoah]

Yeah, that ain't going to work.

What now? In my experience, my limited and personal experience, plus a smattering of history/current events. Continentals hate the British and many ex-colonials are like myself so pro-British that we'd bear arms in defense of crown and country--with very little provocation, but I move in rarefied circles.

 

[Devois]

Continentals hate the British

I had no idea, aside the traditional sniping between Britain and France. Can you elaborate?

 

[IamNoah]

Purely anecdotal statements from Scandinavians, Southerners, Germans, and the French who at times sound as if they might be preparing to nuke you all.

 

[IamNoah]

The cultural disdain is actually somewhat similar to that exhibited towards the (increasingly accurate) caricature of Americans.

 

[JohnnyAnger]

Purely anecdotal statements from Scandinavians, Southerners, Germans, and the French who at times sound as if they might be preparing to nuke you all.

Never been my experience - we are arrogant sure, but we are worse to the commonwealth. The French can be a bit off with us - but we are the same entirely with them. Its more we both act superior to the other in some stupid age old cultural war that does not really go that deep.

Never in my life have I had or heard any problems with Scandinavians and Germans though! Culturally we are pretty similar to those guys and I really can't say I have ever heard of those places hating on us post WW2. I feel I have more in common with people from those nations than I do with most Americans.

 

[JohnnyAnger]

I am sure kallipolis can help us out on how most nations view the UK, he appears to have lived in a number of countries over the years and I am sure will have picked up on resentments towards other places if they are commonly held.

 

[IamNoah]

I'd hardly call the Europeans (or Americans for that matter) I have known a representative sample--I can only speak from experience.

 

[kallipolis]

I am sure kallipolis can help us out on how most nations view the UK, he appears to have lived in a number of countries over the years and I am sure will have picked up on resentments towards other places if they are commonly held.

I'm well travelled around the world, not just Europe, and from my experience the British are very popular in Europe...with the exception of their football hooligans....whose antics are nightmares for local police forces....

Here in Greece the British remain popular if only because of British tourism, British assistance, and cooperation during two world wars.

I have lived in Germany, and Italy where there is no hostility towards the British....except on the football pitch...