Comment by pmden | Hacker News Reader

Comment by pmden | Hacker News Reader

Parent Full thread

I'm not entirely surprised you'd feel that way - the British seem to be uniquely self-flagellating on topics of nation and state. But I'm not sure how you can support the European Union actively punishing the _people and businesses_ of the United Kingdom in response to the 'conduct' of the _government_ of the United Kingdom, when you think said government hasn't provided proper representation for their people. Whether the United Kingdom deserves it or not has little bearing on this technically unusual and rather petty decision.

I'm also thoroughly opposed to the idea that the European Union is always strict with its rules. It can be. And it is right to be, particularly in the case human rights. But it's impossible to pretend that there hasn't been gross flouting of rules over the last decade. When the stability of the Euro has been at stake, rules always take second-place.

> And it is right to be, particularly in the case human rights.

The European Convention on Human Rights is not an EU institution. The EU has had problems causing conflict with it, such as with the European Arrest Warrant.

> When the stability of the Euro has been at stake, rules always take second-place.

And when the Euro isn't at stake either, after all, they integrated Greece when it failed the checks and balances, pushing it through anyway.

Ignoring for the moment the insanity of Brexit in the first place, I'm particularly unimpressed that it also includes leaving ECHR. That was never mentioned until much later as the "hard Brexit" madness got going.

The Tories must have forgot it was their beloved Churchill who was a huge advocate for its creation and promoted it from the end of the war and through the 48 Congress of Europe. Atlee's Labour was against it, whilst the Conservatives signed it for the UK in 51 or 52.

I have to agree with your sentiment here. A vote to leave the EU didn't mean leave the ECHR.

To add to your point further, the Good Friday agreement (which brought some peace in Northern Ireland) actually is supposed to bind the UK to the ECHR.

Of course you can support punishing the people and business of the United Kingdom. The government is not a separate entity, it represent the people and businesses of the UK and acts on their behalf. Whether the government properly represents its people is not for the EU to concern itself with, that is a matter between the people and the government.

Reply on news.ycombinator.com