Europe

[Louis VI the Fat]

1. The EU is a very good thing, as so many border peoples of continental nations [..] are defined by their opposition to their neighbours, a divisive stand than is not conducive to harmony.

2.

3. This is still irrelevant to the UK.

Ah, so you've seen 'continental border peoples' firsthand. Did you spot any other game while there? The Big Five perhaps? Was there good bird-spotting?


Or, to put it differently, maybe I should discuss Britain, not the EU. Because I think you have some fantastical, non-existing Britain in your head. On which illusion you base your allergy to the EU. An illusory Britain. A monolitic, militaristic, colonising, massive world power at the heart of a globe-spanning Anglo-Empire.

May I be so bold as to stay with the safari theme and wonder if maybe during your youth in Malawi you developed these ideas? Read too much Cecil Rhodes perhaps? Stuck in a place where it is '1900' forever, with dreams of colony, Empire, queen Victoria?


The Empire is gone, mate. Your Britain does not exist. It is also commonly accepted among many Britons nowadays that the Europeans are closely related to the British. And may, in fact, be a member of the same species.

For example, the British Isles are full of border peoples. Just like in the rest of Europe. As a matter of fact, the UK is still emerging from a rather brutal civil war that lasted roughly until last decade. There is devolution everywhere. Frustration towards the SouthEast. Regional identities are on the rise.
There is Protestant vs Catholic, Celtic vs Anglo, Scotland vs England, the Irish question. These have been some of the 'divise stands not conducive to harmony' that have plagued your Isles for, oh let's say, the last one thousand years.
So 'irrelevant to the UK?' No, it is as relevant to Britain as it is elsewhere in Europe. Britain is not an island, it is full of divisions, and differs not from the rest of our continent in this regard.