Should I stay or should I go now? - The EU Referendum Thread

[Psychosplodge]

I thought Brits like lo line up in queues.

Like is a strong word, more it seems the most civilised way to do things

Don't forget Europe will want those deals too, front half of the queue at least.

You'd assume. It depends how much the businesses want the business compared to how much the political elite wants to "punish" independent thought and scare smaller economies into remaining

I noticed a focus on the economic side of the argument, aren't there any 'convinced Europeans' who think the EU is a good idea on itself?

Only a few nutters.
Remain seems to be "it's sh*t but potentially more sh*t if we leave" Leave seems to be "it's sh*t but we can sort our own sh*t out if we leave"

On the topic of sovereignty, what is the UK's stance on glyphosate for instance?

It's available on amzon


The EEC as a trading idea? worked to a degree, whether it was a mistake to enter and erect trade barriers with previous trade partners? who knows. The EU? The EEC+even more corrupt political elite than we already had? terrible idea.

[Haighus]

I would imagine the UK government's stance on things like glyphosate is similar to it's stance on other harmful chemicals- they will conform to the EU, and then allow them as soon as they get the chance if suitably lobbied by some big wealthy industry behind closed doors, like with the neonicotinoids last year, and have tried to do again this year... which, as soon as it got leaked from behind said closed doors, kickstarted a massive petition campaign to keep them banned. I don't have much faith in the current government to maintain environmental standards if we leave the EU at all. At least not if they can get their pockets lined by some big company that is trying to exploit a chemical somewhere...

[grimmas]

I like to use it to kill weeds on my path.

[Haighus]

I like to use it to kill weeds on my path.

As have many people, but if it is harmful would you stop using it and use something else instead? People used to think thalidomide was a great medicine for treating morning sickness (which it worked very well for), then they discovered the side effects. Chloroform was widely used as an anaesthetic before agents with less dangerous side effects became available. Cars no longer use leaded petrol. Asbestos is a very effective insulator and was widely used, but causes cancer and lung fibrosis. Glyphosate is clearly an effective herbicide, but if it is harmful being a good herbicide shouldn't prevent it from being removed from the market.

I will note that many of the above examples are still in use in developing countries or in uses other than the ones they are rarely used for today, such as thalidomide now being used as a chemotherapy agent.

[Aegwymourn]

As a side note the last I heard all studies on Glyphosate have been inconclusive. Has something new been published to suggest otherwise?

[Mr Mystery]

Not from a brief Google.

EU doesn't appear to have banned their use.

[grimmas]

As a side note the last I heard all studies on Glyphosate have been inconclusive. Has something new been published to suggest otherwise?

Yeah inconclusive on the health effects thing. Positive on killing weeds on my path though 😊

[Mr Mystery]

Seem the Electoral Commission has asked for an extension on the voter registration deadline.

The website crashed last night from 22:15 onwards, presumably because of lots of Johnny Come-Lately's (note to foreign types, this is a different thing to a Johnny Foreigner. Unless Johnny Foreigner has also attended past due) realised they hadn't registered yet.

[Kirsten]

there is a suggestion that a lot of the late registers are young people, and that the Brexit campaign are against extending registration because young people are more likely to vote in, but what the truth of that is I don't know.

[grimmas]

Who knows? It's been the theme of the whole referendum.

They should extend it though very important to make sure as many people who can vote, do vote