Maybe you guys should go it on your own ... not in the sense of isolationism, which I don't think would work for Britain; but in the sense of looking at markets, or commercial alliances, other than Europe. We manage ok, even with NAFTA, which is a localised free trade arrangement without the political bull crap that seems to go along with the European Union .... we have great access to one of the best markets in the world in the US, and the poliitical freedom to plot our own course in the world. At the same time as we have been active in the North American market, we have also been expanding our economic ties with the Pacific Rim ... In fact, we are a Pacific Rim country, with a major Pacific port in Vancouver. Some of NAFTA sucks; but we are negotiating continually, and from a position of strength, given our immense natural resources. Membership in NAFTA doesn't preclude a fiercely independent foreign policy ... we didn't do the Iraq thing; however, (that still didn't stop President Obama making Ottawa his first overseas visit) but we are heavily involved in Afghanistan ... in fact, as President Obama pointed out in Ottawa yesterday, Afghanistan is the biggest recipient of Canadian foreign aid .... if you want to change the direction you are going in, maybe you should do a 180 and look west instead of east. And as the world is round (well, an oblate spheroid) if you go west, you can reach the developing economies of China and India. I don't think the EU is a good idea, if for no other reason that you can't trust the French, or the Germans for that matter. (The conflict between the French and the English has been going on for ... let me see, let's put it in the reign of King John, all the way down to the Entente Cordiale that dragged us into the First World War ... wouldn't trust them as far as I could throw the Rockies .....)
Is it clouded thinking to suggest that you have more in common with the US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and India than you have with the new Europe? .... What is stopping the British govt. from at least exploring different options ... ? Is Brown going to get detention, or 1000 lines for thinking of alternative economic and political arrangements? I don't be bloody well thinking so. Let's look at a microcosm ... let's call it Afghanistan ... who the hell is doing the fighting and dying and rebuilding there ... sure as hell isn't the French or the Germans or any other EU countries I can think of ... It's Americans, British, and Canadians ... The world is a lot smaller than it used to be; so, in terms of alliances and economic agreements distance is no longer an issue.
Whatever ... it's your choice if you wish to make it.
