Page 23 | Really very sad with France!

Friendsoftheearth · 2020-12-08T06:52:27+00:00

I am quietly furious with France. We have been going to France between three and four times a year, every year for pretty much all of my adult life. We have spent most summer holidays, skiing and all the rest, choosing France as our destination over all over countries. Every week I buy French cheeses, wine and truffle oils, and we are very big fans of France and French cuisine. Even taking into account that Macron should hope and push for the best deal for their fishing industry, I still find it incredulous and insulting that they should be demanding ten years of fish, and are offering us a paltry percentage. Ten years. They are in a total stand off regarding an even playing field, I understand the reasons for this, but honestly they are pushing all of us to a no deal outcome, that will see French fisherman with no catch whatsoever, and high tariffs slapped on all imports from France. Tourism will be destroyed as people will no longer wish to go there. It could poison relations for decades. I am aware of the history between the UK and France, but rather naively thought we had moved on from that a very long time ago, I am in despair at the eleventh hour demands, and feel this is in very bad faith. It has really highlighted to me how little respect France have for us as a country. I feel like I never want to go again, despite having a tentative booking for a holiday in the spring of next year.

giantangryrooster · 08/12/2020 11:27

KleinBlue there's a foolproof way of discovering whether the fish are right-thinking British fish, or pesky foreigners -- you pick them out of the nets, squeeze them slightly, and see whether they sing 'Rule Britannia' or the Marseillaise.

Noo, you squeeze them and if they moan...

ReturntoSpamfritters · 08/12/2020 11:27

@Zilla1

Is the bus that the spiteful EU won't throw Ireland under the same bus that's been storing the £350m a week, OP?

Now hang on a minute, an earlier poster claimed that the EU was throwing Ireland under the bus, whereas I said it was the UK. Are there more buses with lies on? I think we should be told.

cdtaylornats · 08/12/2020 11:27

It wont be high tariffs it will be WTO tariffs same as we have with America. No more protectionist EU tariffs on new world wines.

TotorosFurryBehind · 08/12/2020 11:28

I feel like OP is one of the many people who voted leave without understanding the ramifications.

At this point I feel more affinity with EU and France than my own country. If it was not for the language issue I'd happily apply to become a French citizen. I'd love to get off this crappy overcrowded island full off colonialist brexiteers living in the past, thinking we are some kind of great empire.

Original poster

Friendsoftheearth · 08/12/2020 11:28

UK is 6th
France is 7th

Maybe that is why they are sad.

OP posts:

LastTrainEast · 08/12/2020 11:29

Of course France will put France first and the UK will put the UK first. When you buy a used car or a house you want to pay the least and they want the most. It's not personal.

The only odd thing is UK people putting France first. That's messed up, but part of a strange phase we're going through where everyone else is good and we're evil. A self-hatred that makes me think this country as a whole needs to see a psychiatrist (it will require a really large couch)

AlexaShutUp · 08/12/2020 11:29

I might even miss these threads about brexit, who knows.

Don't worry, OP. We'll be talking about it for years. The Brexiteers will continue to blame the remainers and the EU for the fact that the sunny uplands never quite materialised as expected, and the rest of us will have to suck up the consequences.

Until eventually, the debate will cease to be about Brexit and will be more about Bre-entry, when we go crawling back to the EU with our tail between our legs to ask if they'll let us back into their gang on whatever terms they'd like to dictate.

NobleElephantheThird · 08/12/2020 11:29

"Brexit" will never end because just like Switzerland we will be in permanent renegotiations with the EU over agreements.

The French are culturally superior to us in many ways. However, we are stronger economically. No doubt about that. Macron is as bad as our politicians. Best to ignore him. He has been making the most "noise" throughout all of this. What I find fascinating is that some of the countries in the biggest economic mess are taking his side which does not make sense on a rational level.

teateateateateamoretea · 08/12/2020 11:30

Maybe that is why they are sad

They're not sad. You are. Remember pet, it's in your title. Now why not have a nice cup of tea and a sit down until it's time for you nap, eh?

Zilla1 · 08/12/2020 11:30

@returntospamfritters, let's hope there are lots of buses, each with £350m in. The spiteful EU will regret their spitefulness as the UK sails off with our buses into a buccaneering sunset.

teateateateateamoretea · 08/12/2020 11:31

The French are culturally superior to us in many ways. However, we are stronger economically. No doubt about that

But you're not, because France has the EU, and you do not. That's literally the point.

SabrinaThwaite · 08/12/2020 11:31

It wont be high tariffs it will be WTO tariffs same as we have with America. No more protectionist EU tariffs on new world wines.

WTO tariffs on still table wine is about 9p a bottle.

Duty, on the other hand, is about £2.20p.

AlexaShutUp · 08/12/2020 11:32

The only odd thing is UK people putting France first.

I'm not putting France first. I'm just recognising the fact that France will put France first. And accepting the fact that we've put ourselves in a very poor position to negotiate.

Accepting the reality of the situation doesn't mean wanting that reality. It just means seeing things for what they are.

YoniAndGuy · 08/12/2020 11:33

@Friendsoftheearth

UK is 6th France is 7th

Maybe that is why they are sad.

Um, they're not sad?

We will be soon though!!

Original poster

Friendsoftheearth · 08/12/2020 11:33

The only odd thing is UK people putting France first. That's messed up, but part of a strange phase we're going through where everyone else is good and we're evil. A self-hatred that makes me think this country as a whole needs to see a psychiatrist (it will require a really large couch)

This is so true!

It is really very unnerving to read I totally agree.

I don't actually know anyone like this in real life, thank goodness, but to read some of the posts on here you have to wonder. No one would expect flag waving over brimming patriotism, but it IS their kids futures at stake here, and their grandchildren - so you have got to ask yourself what the hell they hope to gain from so much self directed negativity? It is okay to not be okay with brexit, but that is very different from wanting direct harm to come to our shores. Very different.

OP posts:

ReturntoSpamfritters · 08/12/2020 11:33

@Friendsoftheearth

UK is 6th France is 7th

Maybe that is why they are sad.

Not for long. Just wait until we've flushed our economy down the toilet. At the behest of the very rich.

Graciebobcat · 08/12/2020 11:34

I like France too. They aren't the ones trying to change relationships and fucking it up for everyone, the UK is.

ReturntoSpamfritters · 08/12/2020 11:35

[quote Zilla1]@returntospamfritters, let's hope there are lots of buses, each with £350m in. The spiteful EU will regret their spitefulness as the UK sails off with our buses into a buccaneering sunset.[/quote]
They will, since we're going to put all the fish in the buses first.

bellinisurge · 08/12/2020 11:35

@Friendsoftheearth

Because all three countries know it makes economic sense to have an economic union

It is not an economic union anymore, it is now a political union and that was the whole point of the referendum bellini

That is why we are where we are today.

Had the EU STAYED an economic union the UK would not have left.

Nice selective use of my post. I said very clearly that there were political compromises that each country in the EU had to make to make that work.

I know teenagers who pick on a phrase or word they don't like, ignore the rest of what is said and act like they know what they are talking about. You really have that down to an art, don't you.

YoniAndGuy · 08/12/2020 11:35

@NobleElephantheThird

"Brexit" will never end because just like Switzerland we will be in permanent renegotiations with the EU over agreements.

The French are culturally superior to us in many ways. However, we are stronger economically. No doubt about that. Macron is as bad as our politicians. Best to ignore him. He has been making the most "noise" throughout all of this. What I find fascinating is that some of the countries in the biggest economic mess are taking his side which does not make sense on a rational level.

But all of this is arse backwards. As said above, the entire point is that now we very much aren't likely to be stronger economically because of Brexit. And you're puzzled why countries in a weaker economic position are also cleaving to the EU and going along with what the much, much stronger bloc wants?

Applesonthelawn · 08/12/2020 11:38

Also hilarious ! Bingo card filling up quickly.
Well there's something that works both ways if ever I heard it. I'm keenly looking out for Farage garage, disaster capitalists, JRM and his ilk (sometimes "the likes of JRM", also a personal favourite), race to the bottom, chlorinated chicken, back of the queue and Brexit stash.

ReturntoSpamfritters · 08/12/2020 11:38

@Friendsoftheearth

The only odd thing is UK people putting France first. That's messed up, but part of a strange phase we're going through where everyone else is good and we're evil. A self-hatred that makes me think this country as a whole needs to see a psychiatrist (it will require a really large couch)

This is so true!

It is really very unnerving to read I totally agree.

I don't actually know anyone like this in real life, thank goodness, but to read some of the posts on here you have to wonder. No one would expect flag waving over brimming patriotism, but it IS their kids futures at stake here, and their grandchildren - so you have got to ask yourself what the hell they hope to gain from so much self directed negativity? It is okay to not be okay with brexit, but that is very different from wanting direct harm to come to our shores. Very different.

The self-hatred was voting for Brexshit in the first place. Schadenfreude is our way of coping with our country going to hell in a handbasket.

Zilla1 · 08/12/2020 11:38

Yes, OP. IRL I don't know anyone who disagrees when told 'Do you really think the German car manufacturers will let Frau Merkel not make the EU give the UK everything we want? You must be a complete idiot'. They sometimes change the subject which just goes to show they know the rightness of this patriotic stance. Grandparents know what's in their grandchildren's interest., jobs on trawlers. and down mines.

Alondra · 08/12/2020 11:38

There are two kinds of European nations, the Danish Finance minister said 3 years ago, there are small nations and there are countries that have not yet realised they are small nations.

With or without a deal, the UK is going to realise how small they truly are.

KleinBlue · 08/12/2020 11:38

@teateateateateamoretea

Maybe that is why they are sad

They're not sad. You are. Remember pet, it's in your title. Now why not have a nice cup of tea and a sit down until it's time for you nap, eh?

And put down the bottle of Chateau Blotto you bought on your last booze cruise to Calais, OP. It's affecting your ability to do basic thinking.