# You stupid fucking assholes \ **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [June 24, 2016, 4:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-stupid-fucking-assholes-brexit/758206 "2016-06-24T04:17:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 9
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2016, 10:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-stupid-fucking-assholes-brexit/758206/161 "2016-06-29T10:06:35Z")
> [@usedtobe](#): > > For now: Either UK takes its leave quickly or the EU may make a point of kicking it out. The EU _can’t_ kick the UK out without its consent or some overt breach of the current agreements. It can - and will - make things very difficult for the UK in the meantime; in fact it already is. Without a backing away from the referendum result, the UK is likely to be made an ugly example of _pour encourager les autres_. > [@](#): > > Nay “re-vote” will be seen as cynical manipulation by the losing side. About the only way a re-vote would have cover would be if EVERY public figure - government and private - who urged “Leave” were to publicly and loudly say “I fucked up”. We really need to stay - please vote “Stay” this time. We’ve definitely got the donkey up the minaret this time. A major change in the leadership of the two main parties - currently in the works - would help in this regard, but what would really need to happen would be a significant enough change in the public mood to signal that a refusal by Parliament to trigger Article 50 wouldn’t have massive political repercussions. ---
**Author:** ![Try2B\_Comprehensive](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/try2b_comprehensive/32/65_2.png) [@Try2B\_Comprehensive](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Try2B_Comprehensive)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2016, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-stupid-fucking-assholes-brexit/758206/162 "2016-06-29T13:57:18Z")
> [@mascaroni](#): > > “I think we’ve been through a period where too many people have been given to understand that if they have a problem, it’s the government’s job to cope with it. ‘I have a problem, I’ll get a grant.’ ‘I’m homeless, the government must house me.’ They’re casting their problem on society. And, you know, there is no such thing as society. There are individual men and women, and there are families. And no government can do anything except through people, and people must look to themselves first. It’s our duty to look after ourselves and then, also to look after our neighbour. People have got the entitlements too much in mind, without the obligations. There’s no such thing as entitlement, unless someone has first met an obligation.” > > A fuller version for context. Thanks for that. I can’t help noticing though that a different tune is sung when it is a bank or a big corporation in need of help. In those circumstances, why, you damn well better believe there is a society, it is all of us on the hook for the costs of bailing them out! But of a course a miserable prole like me probably can’t understand the relevant distinctions that cause things to be so one-sided. Yeah, probably best to just shut up and mind my betters… ---
**Author:** ![mascaroni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/dc4da7/32.png) [@mascaroni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mascaroni)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2016, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-stupid-fucking-assholes-brexit/758206/163 "2016-06-29T18:59:07Z")
> [@robby](#): > > On the contrary, Heath played a leading role in the 1975 referendum campaign in which Britain voted to remain part of the European Economic Community (Common Market). [Cite](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_Heath#Later_career_.281975.E2.80.932001.29). The vote in 1975 was 67.2% in favor of remaining in the EEC. “On the contrary”? Heath took us in, and two years later supported us staying in. It was the left wing (knuckle draggers/Little Englanders/_insert your own insult here…_) that were opposed to it at that time. Scotland and Northern Ireland were the [most opposed to it.](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Kingdom_European_Communities_membership_referendum,_1975) How times have changed… ---
**Author:** ![robby](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robby/32/11048_2.png) [@robby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robby)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2016, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-stupid-fucking-assholes-brexit/758206/164 "2016-06-29T22:37:37Z")
> [@mascaroni](#): > > Ted Heath didn’t call a referendum when we joined The Common Market… > [@robby](#): > > On the contrary, Heath played a leading role in the 1975 referendum campaign in which Britain voted to remain part of the European Economic Community (Common Market). [Cite](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_Heath#Later_career_.281975.E2.80.932001.29). > [@mascaroni](#): > > “On the contrary”? Heath took us in, and two years later supported us staying in… When I first commented on this, I thought you were saying that there was no referendum whatsoever at the time that Britain joined the EEC some forty years ago. Upon doing some further reading, this is apparently true–no referendum was held when Britain joined the EEC in 1973 under Heath’s government. The referendum wasn’t held until 1975, and was actually called by Wilson’s Labour government (and supported by Heath). ---
**Author:** ![Lucky\_Mike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/9de053/32.png) [@Lucky\_Mike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucky_Mike)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2016, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-stupid-fucking-assholes-brexit/758206/165 "2016-06-29T23:27:00Z")
> [@Novelty\_Bobble](#): > > For reasons of sanity and time and future relations with dopers I’m not engaging in debate on the details but I certainly don’t mind giving you a little insight. > > Firstly, we have never expected the other partner to divulge how they vote. Never. On occasions we have told each other our choice but it is not expected or demanded. > It is her choice, her decision. > > Also, from the outset we were both wavering and could be persuaded either way so we start from a point of allowing the legitimacy of the opposite view. > > The main topics were > > 1. economic outlook > 2. democratic process > 3. future structure of the E.U. > 4. impact of the vote numbers on E.U. policy > 5. impact on our holiday and retirement plans (see…we can be as self-serving as the next couple) > > with many, many back and forth discussions on issues under those headings. Many times during those discussions we used the words “I agree” “I disagree” “I think that’s bollocks” and variations thereof. At no point did we think the other was stupid, ill-informed, reactionary, racist, xenophobic or bigoted because we have nearly 30 years of experience to the contrary. Hence my annoyance in other threads by broad brush stereotypes assigned to both sides of the campaign. > > And so we weighed it up and cast our votes. When we told each other how we voted and realised we cancelled each other out the outcome was a wry smile, a shrug of the shoulders and a discussion on more immediate problems. > > I can’t imaging being married to someone who didn’t allow dissenting opinions. We are both liberal people with no inherent political position. I am grateful for your response, but you never offered a reason for a perspective. Once again, you have no responsibility to respond, but I am seriously wondering what the exact, specific points were. what is exactly the pro-brexit position and what it is the pro-stay position. ---
**Author:** ![mascaroni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/dc4da7/32.png) [@mascaroni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mascaroni)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2016, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-stupid-fucking-assholes-brexit/758206/166 "2016-06-29T23:34:10Z")
> [@robby](#): > > When I first commented on this, I thought you were saying that there was no referendum whatsoever at the time that Britain joined the EEC some forty years ago. > > Upon doing some further reading, this is apparently true–no referendum was held when Britain joined the EEC in 1973 under Heath’s government. The referendum wasn’t held until 1975, and was actually called by Wilson’s Labour government (and supported by Heath). Shades of this referendum really. Labour scraped in as a minority government in early 1974 and got a small majority in another election later that year. At the time, the main opposition to the EEC was from the left of the Labour party (a lot of the left still oppose it, despite the fact that Brexiters tend to be painted as Fascists/Racists by the more moderate/Blairite sections of the party) so Wilson put the vote to the country and, with almost all the press and the opposition parties on his side, sailed through with an almost 2/1 majority. ---
**Author:** ![TBG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@TBG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TBG)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2016, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-stupid-fucking-assholes-brexit/758206/167 "2016-06-29T23:46:29Z")
Man fuck the EU and even more so fuck the whiny babies that can’t even that the UK voted to tell the EU to hit the bricks. ---
**Author:** ![Sampsiceramos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Sampsiceramos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampsiceramos)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2016, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-stupid-fucking-assholes-brexit/758206/168 "2016-06-29T23:55:18Z")
> [@TBG](#): > > Man fuck the EU and even more so fuck the whiny babies that can’t even that the UK voted to tell the EU to hit the bricks. If you dislike the EU now, just wait until Brussels takes you to town during Article 50 negotiations and your politicians get down on their groveling, sniveling knees and beg for leniency. Make no mistake - Brussels knows damn well that there are plenty of other countries waiting in the wings, observing the Brexit situation closely. If Article 50 is invoked, the UK will not receive a deal on favourable terms - in fact, I would expect Brussels to attempt to make it an impossibly onerous one so as to make an example of the UK to any other would-be leavers. I don’t even particularly like the way the EU is run, but anyone that thinks the EU is going to play nice in the upcoming negotiations is naive. Anyone who thinks the UK won’t have to choose between observing EU labour regulations and being ejected from the internal market, doubly so. ---
**Author:** ![mascaroni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/dc4da7/32.png) [@mascaroni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mascaroni)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2016, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-stupid-fucking-assholes-brexit/758206/169 "2016-06-30T00:22:18Z")
> [@TBG](#): > > Man fuck the EU and even more so fuck the whiny babies that can’t even that the UK voted to tell the EU to hit the bricks. I take it that they’ve legalised marijuana in your State… ---
**Author:** ![usedtobe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ec9cab/32.png) [@usedtobe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/usedtobe)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2016, 6:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-stupid-fucking-assholes-brexit/758206/170 "2016-06-30T06:16:34Z")
Who is going to be the bigger beggar pleading with EU: A. Alexis Tsipras (Greece) B. P.M. Sucker\* to be Named Later\* (UK) ? ---
**Author:** ![Mijin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mijin/32/9369_2.png) [@Mijin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mijin)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2016, 6:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-stupid-fucking-assholes-brexit/758206/171 "2016-06-30T06:27:56Z")
> [@TBG](#): > > Man fuck the EU and even more so fuck the whiny babies that can’t even that the UK voted to tell the EU to hit the bricks. And as I said earlier, fuck the UK. And I’m saying that as a Brit. The country deserves to go down the toilet after such an irrational decision. Alas, I can’t look forward to the day when I get to wag my finger and say I told you so, as I’ll probably be queuing up outside a crumbling hospital, somehow devoid of the millions of extra pounds that would be lying around post-Brexit. ---
**Author:** ![Go\_Arachnid\_Laser\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b2d939/32.png) [@Go\_Arachnid\_Laser\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Go_Arachnid_Laser_1)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2016, 8:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-stupid-fucking-assholes-brexit/758206/172 "2016-06-30T08:18:26Z")
> [@Mijin](#): > > And as I said earlier, fuck the UK. And I’m saying that as a Brit. The country deserves to go down the toilet after such an irrational decision. > > Alas, I can’t look forward to the day when I get to wag my finger and say I told you so, as I’ll probably be queuing up outside a crumbling hospital, somehow devoid of the millions of extra pounds that would be lying around post-Brexit. Don’t be so dramatic. You are still dealing with the global market as part of the Commonwealth, which is smaller yet a trillion times more stable than the Eurozone. Aside from a period of slight upheaval, particularly in The City, nothing will happen to the UK. ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2016, 8:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-stupid-fucking-assholes-brexit/758206/173 "2016-06-30T08:45:25Z")
> [@Go\_Arachnid\_Laser](#): > > Don’t be so dramatic. You are still dealing with the global market as part of the Commonwealth, which is smaller yet a trillion times more stable than the Eurozone. Aside from a period of slight upheaval, particularly in The City, nothing will happen to the UK. You are _adorable_. Tell us about the rabbits again, George. Major financial firms are already looking into moving jobs elsewhere and we haven’t even invoked Article 50 yet. Economically challenged areas of the country (such as Cornwall) have been propped up by the EU for decades; despite what Boris said (and what Cornwall are demanding) the UK government will never be willing or able to cover what all those areas will be losing. The EU represents a HUGE proportion of the UK’s export market; if it was so easy to pick up all those lucrative trade deals from elsewhere in the world, why hasn’t it been done already? Nope, Brexit will be an economic disaster (and is already a political and social one). Well done, Leavers. You fucked it all up. ---
**Author:** ![Shearer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/57b2e6/32.png) [@Shearer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shearer)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2016, 8:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-stupid-fucking-assholes-brexit/758206/174 "2016-06-30T08:51:47Z")
The country deserves to go down the toilet with all these overreacting fannies. I can’t imagine what they would be like if they had to live through actual hard times. ---
**Author:** ![Lord\_Feldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lord_feldon/32/341_2.png) [@Lord\_Feldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Feldon)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2016, 8:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-stupid-fucking-assholes-brexit/758206/175 "2016-06-30T08:55:30Z")
> [@Go\_Arachnid\_Laser](#): > > Don’t be so dramatic. You are still dealing with the global market as part of the Commonwealth, which is smaller yet a trillion times more stable than the Eurozone. The Commonwealth is a social club and mini-Olympic committee. It is not an economic union or trade agreement. ---
**Author:** ![Novelty\_Bobble](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Novelty\_Bobble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Novelty_Bobble)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2016, 9:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-stupid-fucking-assholes-brexit/758206/176 "2016-06-30T09:03:08Z")
> [@Fuji](#): > > Oh, for fuck’s sake, pull the stick out of your ass and exhale slowly. Yes, you and your better half may have been the paragon of calm, rational analysis regarding your votes, but do you really think that you are representative of the average ‘Leave’ voter? Really? :dubious: where the hell did that come from? It is still possible for two people to have conflicting opinions without it descending into a death or rape threat on twatface. My discussions with my wife, my family and circle of friends and colleagues were calm and rational, and very, very undecided. Many could have swung one way or t’other. I can only speak from my own experience. I saw frothing mania on both sides in the media representation of the debate but then of course that is what makes for good news. For me? it was nothing of the kind. Was my wife typical of the average “leave” voter and me the typical “remain”? I have no idea. All I do know is the tone and type of arguments we had were pretty typical of the arguments I heard in person. Sorry if my rather mundane experience doesn’t fit with how the media want to portray it or you want to perceive it. ---
**Author:** ![Novelty\_Bobble](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Novelty\_Bobble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Novelty_Bobble)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2016, 9:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-stupid-fucking-assholes-brexit/758206/177 "2016-06-30T09:13:00Z")
> [@Sampsiceramos](#): > > If you dislike the EU now, just wait until Brussels takes you to town during Article 50 negotiations and your politicians get down on their groveling, sniveling knees and beg for leniency. > > Make no mistake - Brussels knows damn well that there are plenty of other countries waiting in the wings, observing the Brexit situation closely. If Article 50 is invoked, the UK will not receive a deal on favourable terms - in fact, I would expect Brussels to attempt to make it an impossibly onerous one so as to make an example of the UK to any other would-be leavers. > > I don’t even particularly like the way the EU is run, but anyone that thinks the EU is going to play nice in the upcoming negotiations is naive. Anyone who thinks the UK won’t have to choose between observing EU labour regulations and being ejected from the internal market, doubly so. In what way is your picture of the E.U. above an argument for staying? It sounds like telling a battered wife that at least she has money in her pocket and food in her belly and just imagine what he’d do to if you actually dared to leave! The above perception of the vindictive nature of the E.U. is either true (in which case it becomes a viable reason for leaving) or not, in which case an amicable arrangement can be reached, or a third possibility is that it is true but they are willing to change their ways. My own hope is that it is the latter and the sharp kick in the nuts from the UK triggers a serious re-think on their part and a different E.U. emerges. ---
**Author:** ![Mijin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mijin/32/9369_2.png) [@Mijin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mijin)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2016, 9:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-stupid-fucking-assholes-brexit/758206/178 "2016-06-30T09:43:35Z")
> [@Shearer](#): > > The country deserves to go down the toilet with all these overreacting fannies. I can’t imagine what they would be like if they had to live through actual hard times. Well I guess we’re about to find out, as leaving the EU will teach us again to “keep calm and carry on”. We can sing war songs and wave…whatever flag we have after Scotland leaves. Who needs an economy? ---
**Author:** ![Novelty\_Bobble](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Novelty\_Bobble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Novelty_Bobble)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2016, 9:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-stupid-fucking-assholes-brexit/758206/179 "2016-06-30T09:54:26Z")
> [@Lucky\_Mike](#): > > I am grateful for your response, but you never offered a reason for a perspective. Once again, you have no responsibility to respond, but I am seriously wondering what the exact, specific points were. > > what is exactly the pro-brexit position and what it is the pro-stay position. The only problem I have with laying out all the arguments is that it then becomes a shopping list of further argument and debate on here, because other than a short term dip in the value of the pound and a short term freeze on investment, no-one really knows what will happen long-term and so all the points are infinitely debateable. A few simple key points we did agree on. 1. an exit vote meant market turmoil in theshort term at least 2. a strong remain vote gave Europe permission to carry on as before 3. Both of us are emotionally attached to Europe as a region but not as political entity 4. The structure of the E.U. does not work efficiently and is riddled with corruption and back-door deals 5. The E.U. is an additional level of bureaucracy over and above our own 6. A common market is a good thing 7. freedom of movement is a good thing 8. political union is a bad thing 9. our semi-retirement plans could be hit by an exit 10. friendly relationships with neighbours can be maintained regarldless of status 11. a close remain vote might prompt change in europe 12. the end goal of europe is expansion of size, power and greater political union. 13. there is greater influence over the E.U. by being in it 14. The E.U. will still want to trade with a market the size of the UK if they leave There were plenty of other points and variations on a theme for the above but ultimately is was by weighing up the pros and cons that each of us came to our own decision. ---
**Author:** ![Mijin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mijin/32/9369_2.png) [@Mijin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mijin)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2016, 10:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-stupid-fucking-assholes-brexit/758206/180 "2016-06-30T10:09:14Z")
> [@Shearer](#): > > The country deserves to go down the toilet with all these overreacting fannies. I can’t imagine what they would be like if they had to live through actual hard times. Just to add to my earlier response because I also should have said: I _have_ lived through hard times; growing up on a council estate in a single-parent family. And after living in a developing country now for more than 3 years, I’ve also seen poverty on a larger scale. Funnily-enough, I don’t want to see the same happen to the UK. So what point are you trying to make? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-stupid-fucking-assholes-brexit/758206.md?page=8) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-stupid-fucking-assholes-brexit/758206.md?page=10)