What does the rest of the world make of Brexit?

[poshredrose]

As above really. What do you make of Brexit if you're not in the UK?
I don't want this to happen, no one i know (that will admit it anyway) wants this to happen.

I'm not British and I live on mainland Europe.

I think it's the biggest political farce I've ever seen and I've lived in Italy. The selfishness of the politicians is breathtaking. Nobody has the balls to stand up and say that leaving the EU in a position that ensures the UK is protected isn't possible so Brexit can't happen. It's amazing that this is all totally avoidable.

The posts on here saying that things will be bad for a few days are so concerning. People are utterly clueless as "Brexit won't affect me".

The EU is being blamed for everything. Poor us, the EU won't give us everything we want.

Lastly ... The population should never have been asked to make such a massive economic decision when the vast majority haven't the faintest idea of the implications. But congratulations on getting your blue passport back. Victory!!

My US family think it's nuts. And they have Trump so nuts has become the norm.

I’m British, living in UK, but have had many conversations over the last 12-18 months with people from France, Austria, Germany, Holland and they were mostly just baffled as to why people would vote to leave. I do wonder whether people in mainland Europe generally have a far better understanding of what the EU is and does, and take more of an interest in it than people in the UK.

Irish here. Has made Britain as a whole look insane.

Has made British politicians look venal and vile. Has made British people look like throwbacks.

It's an absolute farce. Generally pity and genuine concern for the people in the UK. It has the potential to go so so wrong and no one in power seems to care to stop it.

It's one of those things where if it was a novel I'd have stopped reading a third of the way in because it's so unbelievable.

I live in Brazil. Most people here think it's the stupidest thing they've seen in a long time, and if you know anything about Brazilian politics you'll understand the extent and magnitude of that sentiment.

Oh God I feared as much and as so far to go yet. I've read that Brussels is mesmerised by the Westminster buffoonery

Irish here. Started off feeling completely baffled and confused, then angry and now getting scared of what might happen in NI.

Elspeth and Americanhousewife - every time I meet someone from Ireland, I hear myself muttering in my head ‘sorry, sorry, sorry!’ And I voted remain. The only real argument I’ve had with someone over Brexit was when she said ‘well, why can’t Northern Ireland and Southern Ireland (her description, not mine) just join together then.’

The ignorance over Brexit and it’s consequences is staggering, and tbh, shaming.

shaking their head in disbelief

Impicciona I agree the general population didn't (and still don't) have enough knowledge or understanding of the situation to make an informed choice. I certainly didn't and knew that at the time.
It's a horrendous situation.
It's making us look like an ignorant, selfish and intolerant country.

Even with a deal, will prices still rise?
Im wondering if its worth stocking up on things like jam, custard, nutella. Currently a nice jar of ASDA conserve is 94p. How likely is it to increase in price to something like 1.40, or is it likely to be something like £1.10?

Shit-sorry, wrong thread

Toby the general consensus seems to be yes to making a bit of a stockpile. There are threads on this very topic on MN, they're worth a read.

Some have stockpiled 3 months worth of non perishables! I don't have the room, and, if I'm honest, I'd feel I was panicking, but I also wonder if I'm just shoving my head in the sand.

However, if you stockpile and Brexit doesn't happen, you will still use your stuff, won't you?

As for 'what others think', my Australian friends can't believe we'd do something so obviously detrimental to ourselves.

at TobytheCat

I was living in Asia at the time of the referendum, they seemed pretty positive about it despite my best efforts to explain my concerns!

Personally, I have just about given up on this subject. Every time you think you see a way for the U.K. to keep from self-imploding come March 29th it ends up getting defeated in some way.

Right now the U.S. is a lot more concerned about the Superbowl , Trump's wall, the Democratic majority in the House, etc.

Given the intentional self-inflicted nature of leaving the EU, and the apparently intentional nature of being willing to screw other countries companies who invested millions and millions of pounds into the U.K., I would expect post a no-deal for massive lawsuits against the U.K. probably led by Japan and joined in by other countries as well.

This may occur even with the WA having been agreed to, I am not quite sure. The U.K. may then be forced to pay up with money it simply doesn't have or can ill afford at the worse possible moment.

I think the view may well be " Your suffering bores us, we want our money ".

It's making us look like an ignorant, selfish and intolerant country.

Well that pretty much sums it up for me. Add lazy to that as well. Everybody shouting an nobody doing something. I lived in the UK eons ago and I loved it (still do actually) but Brexit baffles me on so many different levels.

You chose to leave, don't give me the bollocks that only 30 percent chose to leave, even less chose to remain!!!!

The remainers are so angry with the brexiteers but they should be angry at all the so called remainers who couldn't be arsed to get up out of their chair and actually go voting.

And for the past two years everybody is just squabbeling over the vote instead of making deals, getting the logistics in place et cetera. Noooo you're still talking about a new referendum. Stop arguing and start working. Half of the current mess and panic is because nobody is doing anything.

And on every thread someone says that the EU is evil and the EU should give the UK a certain deal. No, a deal is agreed upon by two sides. Not by one side whining that it has to get what it wants because they are so great and therefore entitled. That's not how it works.

I've also read (and sometimes commented on) threads where people say that the EU needs the UK. Like they think that the UK is more important than the will and economic power of aaaalll those countries. Just take a look at a map and some statistics. You're small compared to the whole of the EU. We can take the financial hit, I'm not sure that you can so do what's best for your country and start making some deals. If you don't want the WA (fair enough, that's up to you) you'll have to come up with something else right now.

And your politicians aren't doing any bloody thing. It would drive me crazy. They're all just shouting to look good for the next election but no one is actually working. Watching your government in the news makes me cringe so much and I thought Geert Wilders (NL) was bad. The only one trying to accomplish something is Teresa May and she is treated horribly. She is the only person who is actually doing some work FFS.

It's so frustrating to watch all this inaction. I feel for the ordinary hard working people, I really do.

Ok, rant over. You asked for it. Still love the UK.

Irish here. Total shitshow. Can’t believe people voted for it.

Ireland will be screwed without a deal, but at least there seems to be some consensus that it is worth holding out on the backstop in the hope of peace.

I

Brit in Italy here. Lots of anti E.U. feeling here, rubbish coalition nationalist/populist government, just re-entered recession (again!) and yet still they think we are batshit crazy. Went for one of the documents I need for citizenship the other day and the lady helping me shook her head in sympathy and incredulity ‘ahh la Brexit- you’re in a worse position than we are’!!! Not something the average Italian who is used to claiming superiority over the Brits for weather and fresh food but relinquishing any claim to political common sense and economic stability would ever have thought they would have said a few short years ago!

I live in the uk and unfortunately am British. Historically the Uk has been nasty colonial power and now is having a hissy fit that it isn't a colony but is still nasty. So now it's just a nasty non entity.

Family in the US are gobsmacked that we made a dumber decision than they did.

DD living in mainland Europe is teased by all nationalities about how the UK is now a laughing stock

It has strengthened the EU though as people like Sabine Wayland are now household names

Of they read any of the prepping for Brexit threads on here they must think we are crackers.
Make sure you you keep an unopened bottle of bleach to make water drinkable anybody.

Irish here. Pretty much disbelief from the start turning more to anger now because along with fucking the UK up, they are dragging the innocent bystanders down. People who stand to lose peace and safety not to mention possibly losing their family members when the hell starts again.

If it hadn't such dire consequences here i would regard it as a total balls up that had a laughing stock of made of every politician there.

But in reality I am just very, very sad for Ireland.

There are a few countries in Europe who have a referendum every few years and their population refuse to enter the EU... so it's a non-issue in terms of people being scared. No one likes change.