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.

The Greeks who historically and currently hate both the EU and the Germans, think the British are crazy - that's telling you something.

That despite the fact that a lot of Italians are anti-EU or at least anti-German, especially in businesses.

but also pragmatic. And having had a history of unicorn-promising cockwombles well aware of the risks of rabblerousers. Italy was also at the EEC table very early and knows how well it has done out of it.

The EU is not 'perfect' for any of it's members, but in general, being grown ups (on balance) they know that the overall goal is a good thing.
I am sure the Germans would prefer not to have to 'spend' their efforts to subsidise some of the struggling countries, but recognise that in turn they have other benefits.

Not everywhere in Italy though. Everyone I know (industrial North, near Switzerland) seems pretty pro Germany. The businessy people I know do a lot of business with Germany and its a really popular place to do an Erasmus year amongst my younger cousins generation.

Not everywhere in Italy though. Everyone I know (industrial North, near Switzerland) seems pretty pro Germany.

And some arguably anti-southern Italy ...

Well I've spent a year in Taranto, Pescara and Milan (South, Middle, North) and the ratio of pro/anti EU sentiment seems to be the same. The south is pissed off mostly because of immigration and the same in the north, but also a lot of complaints in the north about where their money is going, the competitiveness (or lack thereof) of Italian companies and how foreign investors can buy out italian manufacturers and then shut them down, but italian companies can't do the same in france and germany, etc etc

However these are still the minority. As you say, most Italians know perfectly well that they would never be able to compete with Russia/China/USA in isolation.

The Greeks who historically and currently hate both the EU and the Germans, think the British are crazy - that's telling you something.

Maybe it's too much of a generalisation, but I'd suggest that hate is not an emotion I'd immediately ascribe to the British personality, overall. Part of the heartbreak of Brexit is knowing that many people have had to be taught to "hate" the EU - it's not an intrinsic feature of British life. Plenty of negative traits elsewhere, but pure visceral hatred isn't - or wasn't - really a big part of it. Hence the overwhelming comments (myself included) from people who want their country back. This isn't us. It never was

Definitely! I've had people complain about x, y, z from the South and then say 'we don't mean you!' to my DM (half Sicilian)

An American friend described it as "turkeys voting for Christmas" sums it up nicely for me.

I live in Brazil and I'd say most people don't know much about the real workings/motivations/consequences of the whole thing and don't particularly care that much either. It's not going to affect anybody here and they've much bigger things to worry about.

Grumbling about something seems to be human nature, most have some gripes, but usually it is only surface level, at least for daily exchanges. The UK weather is either too hot, cold or wet.

half Sicilian

Sicily is a little unique in Italian politics ... I grew up with tales of Giuliano and the notion of Sicily becoming a US state ....

Interesting poll results from the eve of the referendum;

www.forbes.com/sites/katiesola/2016/06/22/brexit-poll-shows-80-of-americans-think-britain-should-leave-eu/#3ab7c16a7433

A poll shows that 80% of Americans favour Britain leaving the E.U., and that they support the departure more than any other country -- including the U.K.

The data comes from polls posted through May and June in 123 articles on the website of The Independent, a liberal British newspaper with a global online readership. Polling and quiz company Apester powered the polls and analysed votes from 359,217 users The polls asked just one question: should Britain leave the European Union or remain a part of it? 51 percent of all voters voted to remain

American readers of The Independent were more pro-Brexit than readers from any other country, including the U.K. itself. 53% of the 250,000 British readers surveyed voted to remain, which conforms to polls of the general population showing a near tie ... voters from European countries all support remaining

New Zealand, Australia and Canada all voted to leave, but by a lower margin between 54 and 62 percent

"These results are fascinating because the outcome is so spookily evenly balanced," wrote The Independent's chief political commentator. "It's not a representative survey but it's interesting that Independent readers are so Independent."

I know in some eu countries, probably most of them the population is split on eu, much like in the UK. So you're likely to have people who are anti-eu and support brexit and also those who are pro-eu and think UK have shot themselves in the foot.

I haven't been to Sicily since I was 12. Didn't even get any Granita as we went for Christmas and it was freezing :(

I only have one friend in the South (in Umbria I think) and she's posh and with a sister in the UK so probably not representative.

I know in some eu countries, probably most of them the population is split on eu, much like in the UK. So you're likely to have people who are anti-eu and support brexit and also those who are pro-eu and think UK have shot themselves in the foot.

Despite the impression that some bits of the British media would like to give you, people who think Brexit is a good idea are pretty rare in Europe. The French equivalent of UKIP got less than 1% at the last election.

I meant to add in this;

Just under 30,000 of those voters were in the U.S., and 80 percent voted to leave.That's 22,852 votes The results are at odds with the government's official stance on Brexit.

Many UK polls are only based on 1,000-2,000 replies.

"A poll shows that 80% of Americans favour Britain leaving the E.U., and that they support the departure more than any other country -- including the U.K."

I think that this is particularly interesting given that the US' early history is a development of individual states into a federal state and, while the EU is not currently evolving into a federal state, it certainly is comparable. Many Americans have misgivings against the federal government in one form or another, but I am not really aware of a there being a sentiment of Californexit or Texit.

My middle child lives in England had shit said to him about the ‘Irish border’ messing up brexit. As he pointed out that it’s not an Irish border, it’s a British border imposed on the island of Ireland.

I will never forgive the British government if they fuck up peace for us, which will happen if they impose a hard border. I’m old enough to have lived through some of the worst of the troubles and the grinding poverty, with none of the uk shops wanting to trade in NI. Yup, too fucking right I’m a prepper.

Not sure why people from Ireland are negative about all things brexit, considering how they voted in their own EU referendums.

US friends are astonished that our government seems determined to give theirs a run for its money stupidity wise

European friends are mostly a mixture of bemused and pissed off that our actions will have such a negative effect on them (one is a major exporter to the UK, and cannot plan in any meaningful way, shape or form for what will happen to their business in 25 days). A couple understand the desire to stick two fingers up at the EU itself, and are slightly jealous that we have the opportunity to leave - but they all agree that the way that we are going about it is bonkers

You mean the one when they rejected something. It got changed. And they accepted the change. By referendum.
Or the one where they accepted the GFA proposals. By referendum.
Will of the wrong kind of people, I suppose.

Just under 30,000 of those voters were in the U.S., and 80 percent voted to leave. That's 22,852 votes
Mumsnet gremlins.

Not sure why people from Ireland are negative about all things brexit

Really? You're not sure what they wouldn't want to risk a return of troubles in Northern Ireland?

Just under 30,000 of those voters were in the U.S., and 80 percent voted to leave.That's 22,852 votes The results are at odds with the government's official stance on Brexit.*

Many UK polls are only based on 1,000-2,000 replies.*

The US poll was an online poll accessed by clicking through from newspaper articles ie self-selected.

1000 people is a typical sample in a proper, scientific sample of the electorate.

You're talking about two completely different things (as you know perfectly well).