Comments by "peabase" (@peabase) on "EU Council president Tusk praises EU unity, warns post-Brexit UK to become 'second-rate player'" video.

  1. Quite the contrary. Prior to joining the EEC, Britain was considered the sick man of Europe. And it's showing signs of sickness once again.
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  2.  @igolferd1  I'm not making it up. "Sick man of Europe" was even used by the Tories in reference to the UK. It was a common refrain throughout Europe in the late 60s and the 70s. As to the UK having the highest standard of living, where did you pick up that notion? Luxembourg, Ireland, Netherlands, Denmark, Sweden, Austria, Germany, Belgium and Finland all enjoy a higher standard of living than the UK. You seem to believe the EU was founded in the early 19th century since you think Napoleon is somehow relevant to this discussion. Or 1939, since you brought up Hitler. If you must know, we never had any dealings with Napoleon; with Hitler we had a spot of bother, but we dealt with it, all by ourselves. In summary, you're full of it.
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  3.  @igolferd1  The economies of then-EEC members clearly outperformed the British economy, so how could the former be deemed losers? I'd call them winners. I know now that you struggle to understand that the chronological order of historical events matters, but the late 60s and early 70s are pre-EEC as far as the UK is concerned. In other words, Britain's economical woes clearly predated Britain joining the EEC (1973). Thatcher may finally have gotten the British economy out of its rut, but that was well into the EEC era. I can't help but note that Thatcher's feat came at a cost: your education.
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  4.  @igolferd1  What makes a winner then? A lower GDP per capita PPP rather than a higher one? You live in a topsy-turvy make-belief world. Britain is a popular destination for migrants because over there, it's easier to live and work illegally. The absence of a national identity card system means authorities struggle to catch them. It's an open invitation to illegal migrants. I suppose that in your wonky mind that's somehow a clever ploy. To us, it's yet another demonstration that the UK is behind the times.
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