zlacker

> The UK is becoming increasingly authoritarian in ways that feel increasingly antagonistic to the majority of the population, regardless of political party. Taxes are rising (with tax take falling), crimes are going unchecked, just mentioning increased immigration gets a lot of people's backs up, but as GDP per capita continues to stall and even fall, the pressure it puts on services is a factor for many. And we're seeing those with a few quid to rub together leave, but as long as those people leaving are straight, white males, or their families, they're being told "good riddance" regardless of the brain drain and loss of tax income.

Have they though about joining some sort of economic union, maybe one with like minded countries that share the same continent?

>>wnevet+(OP)
some sort of an European Union?

>>wnevet+(OP)
So if we’ve agreed with OPs assessment that the problem in the UK is the government attempting to seize more power…how will becoming subjects of yet another government body that is even more powerful and less beholden to the people…help things?

The EU might be better on digital privacy right now, however the emotional winds of the political mob change often and many people in EU government feel differently. The EU is also an aging population of technologically illiterate and immigrant-afraid retirees. I wouldn’t expect much different coming from them in the future.

>>wnevet+(OP)
The one that just agreed to pay 3000 dollars per capita to the USA to prevent a trade war?

The one that is also working on a digital age verification system?

The one that created an AI regulation that stopped all innovation, and a data protection innovation who's single result is billions of people having to spend 3 seconds before visiting every website clicking a button that doesn't actually do anything (in 80% of cases)?

Yeah, great.

>>pembro+83
> So if we’ve agreed with OPs assessment that the problem in the UK is the government attempting to seize more power

Most of the OP's assessment that I quoted is about the UKs failing economics

>>wnevet+(OP)
Yes? The idea that EU-era Britain is still a north star for you is interesting.

>>preiss+C1
perhaps they voted on this in a sort of Brexit? Stop being coy

>>wnevet+(OP)
I think it's always a bit of a bummer when someone takes the time to write a really well-thought out comment and someone comes in with a reddit-style quip that adds nothing to the conversation but derails it for everyone else.

There are so many charitable and earnest ways to make the point you're getting at, why reach for such intellectually low hanging fruit?

>>joenot+N7
> I think it's always a bit of a bummer when someone takes the time to write a really well-thought out comment

Is this the same comment where they said good riddance to the entire country?

>>wnevet+S8
The comment I'm referring to is the one made by cs02rm0, yes. I thought it was an interesting perspective, even if it's not one I fully agree with.

I really prefer that sort of earnest, thoughtful comment compared to short-form little quips.

>>wnevet+S8
FWIW, they did not say that. Yes, the words "good riddance" where there, but you've grabbed the wrong end of the stick I'm afraid.

>>wnevet+(OP)
The EU is facing the same fundamental situation as the U.K. The latter recklessly accelerated their problems but an aging and shrinking population coupled with unsustainable social spending and precious little technological investment can only result in a downwards spiral. Just look at how far behind the US the EU is since 2008.

>>cs02rm+N9
You're right.

>>joenot+N7
It's not a "reddit style quip" to mention the UK deliberately shot themselves in the foot economically when talking about the economic situation in the UK.

>>pembro+83
This government didn't even bring this law up, it was enacted in 2023. The law had a two year implementation deadline, which just expired. It's pretty understandable that the government trying to take the country back on track didn't get to repealing the law (relatively minor compared to what's on the legislative agenda), which would require a full trip through both houses of the Parliament.

>>wnevet+r4
Which directly mirror the EU's failing economics.

Both have collapsing demographics, collapsing social welfare systems (turns out forced government pension payments thrown into low yielding bonds for people in their 20-30s who should be 100% equities is a bad idea), non-competitive taxation policy, and decades of underinvestment in risk assets that have starved their business community of capital needed to innovate or grow.