Brexit? Thoughts?

[MorningMist]

I'm in but only because it's the better of a bad bunch. 

[laPapessaGiovanna]

I, as an Italian (read EU citizen who will never be asked if we want to stay or leave) hope that the "leave" wins or at least that the results will be as near to a draw as possible. EU badly needs to be reformed but it won't happen without a serious threat that can make EU bureaucrats understand that they have no alternative to reform. If a thorough reform won't happen the EU will sooner or later be only a memory. I would love to see the EU grow to be better because it would benefit us all, we can be so much stronger together, but I am not very hopeful. 

[Darwinesque]

42 minutes ago, laPapessaGiovanna said:

I, as an Italian (read EU citizen who will never be asked if we want to stay or leave) hope that the "leave" wins or at least that the results will be as near to a draw as possible. EU badly needs to be reformed but it won't happen without a serious threat that can make EU bureaucrats understand that they have no alternative to reform. If a thorough reform won't happen the EU will sooner or later be only a memory. I would love to see the EU grow to be better because it would benefit us all, we can be so much stronger together, but I am not very hopeful. 

I feel the same for you, as a Brit. I hate what is happening to beautiful Italy. If we stay I hope it's within 2% and the UK can be a driving force for democratic change, though with Junker and co. in charge it looks doubtful. Maybe with enough voices in Italy, UK, Sweden, France, Greece and Spain ( the countries with the most anti-EU sentiment) we can do it. I hope for your sake you can go back to the Lira, your country is being crushed under the Euro.

[Kak]

I also think the EU needs to reform, but I'm about to go and vote to remain. The jingoistic, right-wing type of nationalism displayed by the out campaigners is really what has swung it for me. I'm just going on my gut instinct. 

[CoveredInBees]

I've voted remain. The whole campaign (on both sides) has been an utter debacle, no facts, lots of rhetoric and doom and gloom.

We need to stay in, reform is needed, but we need to be part of that reform.

God help us all (says the atheist)

[EmainMacha]

I've voted Remain. Northern Ireland has benefitted hugely from funds from the EU and I'm genuinely concerned about attempts to water down Human Rights law as promoted by the Leave campaign literature. Also if you have a non-EU spouse/children  then currently you have to earn x amount to be able to have them in the country with you. This has negatively impacted my family as it is but if widen to include EU spouses/children it could be disastrous for many families.

[FlamingFundie]

As an American, I am finding this whole thing utterly fascinating and far more interesting than the shit-storm election coverage we have going on (which I am convinced beyond all doubt that the rest of the world is watching, popcorn in hand...). So much so that I am watching the live coverage on my FB video feed right now.

Good luck to all of you!

[PreciousPantsofDoom]

We've had the coverage on all evening here (Canada.) Mr PPants is glued to it (particularly the dramatic effect all this is having on the stock and currency markets. )    Its obviously not up to me to make this decision, but I think I would have voted to remain. Leaving will mean renegotiating everything in order to continue trading and the EU will not be able to give them the Friends and Family rate.   I'm not an economist or a politician though, so who knows, perhaps the UK will benefit in the long run.  

Actually, what does concern me somewhat is the feeling that some who are voting to leave are doing it for emotional reasons only.  Just as a way to get rid of a scapegoat target for their general disatisfaction without having thought through what other consequences may follow.  Sort of like voting for Trump as a way to get rid of the Establishment.   I hope I'm wrong about that. 

[Caribou]

It's going to be a bloodbath in the world markets tomorrow.

[withaj]

10 minutes ago, Caribou said:

It's going to be a bloodbath in the world markets tomorrow.

No joke. This is looking awful. 

[Caribou]

Just now, withaj said:

No joke. This is looking awful. 

Asian markets are already tanking. Dow futures are down 539 points already

[withaj]

Just now, Caribou said:

Asian markets are already tanking. Dow futures are down 539 points already

This is so hard to watch. 

[Caribou]

2 minutes ago, withaj said:

This is so hard to watch. 

I feel sick. The ramifications are going to be felt worldwide.

[mango_fandango]

Bloody hell. Bloody fucking hell.

My friend is from Bulgaria and is utterly devastated. 

It's so fucking ignorant of Nigel Farage to go "so what if the pound drops?" I just can't bear to see his smug little face. He's horrible. 

[MorningMist]

I've resulted to wine and chocolate while I watch the value of the pound drop lower that TFDW's jaw whenever he sees Joshley walk into a room.

[Geechee Girl]

I really feel for all y'all who have to live through this. Will this divide the people even more? The pictures of the remain people are gut-wrenching. I understand this is momentous and will have far-reaching impact around the world. I'm trying to wrap my brain around it. Would this equate to one of our states wanting to break free?  From what I'm gleaning from BBC America is that Scotland wants to stay. How would that even work? Would they still be a part of the U.K.? Will families be torn apart? I feel so sad for the other EU countries too.

[CoveredInBees]

This is awful.

Scotland will leave us now for certain.

Awful. Stupid. Decision.

And on another note (lighter but not really)......... Our football team are still in Europe, If our fans were being targeted by hooligans before, god help them now.

This is awful.

@Geechee Girl Scotland will probably have another referendum to decide whether to stay in the UK (they had one recently) or to be independent from us and stay within the EU. They voted 62% to remain today so they are pro-EU.

[MorningMist]

7 minutes ago, Geechee Girl said:

I really feel for all y'all who have to live through this. Will this divide the people even more? The pictures of the remain people are gut-wrenching. I understand this is momentous and will have far-reaching impact around the world. I'm trying to wrap my brain around it. Would this equate to one of our states wanting to break free?  From what I'm gleaning from BBC America is that Scotland wants to stay. How would that even work? Would they still be a part of the U.K.? Will families be torn apart? I feel so sad for the other EU countries too.

Scotland may have another referendum for independence but it depends what the opinion is tomorrow/today (the whole campaign to stay in the UK last time was that they couldn't last on their own very well). It would mean they would be completely governed (they already have their own parliament)/ financed / trading by themselves which is a scary concept for many.

The things that really get me about this result is a) It's near enough 51/49 so half the country don't want this, b ) a lot of young people (especially those 16-17 who can't vote) are in favour of remain - I'm talking the vast majority here and it's us that will have to pick up the pieces of this in 10 or so years time.

MORE IMPORTANTLY: Gone are our chances of ever winning Eurovision.

[Geechee Girl]

Thank you, @CoveredInBees. I just listened to this guy, Hamilton. Everything he said about taking back what's given to Brussels, controlling immigration, and re-negotiating trade sounds like Donald Trump to my ears. My heart is in my stomach. The future feels very uncertain now.  

[pea3]

It is at this moment where I wonder why do I not know and understand more on this issue. I watch tons of CNN and I am embarrassed to say when the coverage switched over to breaking news about this subject as opposed to staying on another mind numbing hour of Trump/Clinton talk, I wondered what is this they are discussing.......I will keep following this thread to possibly understand.

[CoveredInBees]

On a totally self-serving note - We have an endowment mortgage which is nearing it's end (so we have a stocks/shares account running alongside it). I didn't cash it in because I felt we would remain and the markets would bounce a bit after the vote.

I've probably just lot of money.

@MorningMist I might not watch Eurovision after this (seriously). I'm a huge Eurovision fan, it's always been about inclusion and we've just gone the other way

@Geechee Girl Hamilton is a horrid man, but that is the rhetoric 52% of the country has been sucked in by. No facts, no figures just xenophobic rhetoric about how fantastic we are and how much better we would be on our own. Of course the reality is, we're a tiny little island that has been punching above our weight re: power for a long time. I don't remember life before the EU (or the EEC as it was) and I'm middle-aged. People are in for a real shock.

[Kak]

Unbelievable. 

N. Ireland votes to remain as well as Scotland. 

[CoveredInBees]

This is so destabilizing, I do wonder if N.I. will want a referendum about whether to remain in the UK after this.

I'm amazed at Wales, the EU does a lot for them.

[Kak]

That's another whole can of worms.  I do not want to leave the UK, I don't even want a referendum about it. The very thought of it is terrifying.

[MorningMist]

10 minutes ago, CoveredInBees said:

@MorningMist I might not watch Eurovision after this (seriously). I'm a huge Eurovision fan, it's always been about inclusion and we've just gone the other way

I never support us to win anyway, I go off of song. Maybe next year we can just cheer on us not getting any points instead. At least we aren't as hated as Russia.