With all due reverence, this is double-speak. 'People are saying that they want it, and so it's not going to happen'.
No, it's me pointing out that people talk shit all the time; but when it comes to the nut cutting, they're nowhere to be found. People like the idea of something more than they like the reality of it. It's easy to talk big when you know that nothing's going to come from it.
And you and I probably have different caliber friends. You hang out at the bar. We hang out at the range (although, they do try to drag me to the bar sometimes).
I'd say the caliber is about the same, though I probably have a broader scope of friends ideologically since I know a lot of people from across the political spectrum (from far left to extreme right).
I do believe that there is a greater sense of national pride in America than Britain had of European pride.
If you'll lend me your candor for a moment: even though you can obviously make this statement in hindsight now that the British people have already voted out, can you honestly say that your perception of the British people was such that you knew an "Out" turnout was going to take place?
I would never say 100% one way or the other. The chance of them staying was just as likely in my mind as of them leaving. What I do know of British (and more specifically English) culture is that they tend to look at themselves outside the EU and the rest of Europe at large. They've fought off the idea of adopting the Euro. Old English comedy is also full of demeaning stereotypes to anything not English (including the Scottish, Welsh, and Irish). London's always been a bit more international, but the rest of the country is pretty blue collar/conservative.
I'm not sure I could truly take you seriously if you said "yes" seeing as how not even the British themselves generally believed the vote would succeed. Furthermore, the Scottish have their own brand of patriotism that bucks southern Britain in almost every way, and yet they were almost united in the desire to stay within the EU, so you're reasoning confounds me somewhat.
The Scottish buck the English because they've maintained a sense of self long before there was an America. The reason they want to remain in the EU is probably the same reason they decided to stay connected to the UK government in their last referendum on independence. They see the economic benefits outweighing everything else. I don't see how you are confounded as it's exactly what I described. ie Talking a big game but not following through on it.
it is not at all difficult to consider fifty independent states with a series of free movement and free trade agreements, and an accompanying Continental military.
"Boo, the EU! Hey, guys, let's set up a system of independent states that use and EU style trade agreement."
As time goes on, and Obama and friends use the government powers to force states to house aliens in the same way that the EU is forcing its prospective "United States" to accept a deluge of people from strange and hostile cultures, people are only going to get more pissed off and disillusioned with the current legal format that so happens to leave them so vulnerable. Idaho and Minnesota are already feeling the rapefugee blues just as Germany, Sweden, Britain, et al have felt for some time now. Expect attitudes to change even more as shit gets worse.
I think people are more likely to push for politicians and laws that curb immigration (aka The Donald) than they are to support a fracturing of the federal government to promote 50 independent territories.
