Indeed Ziggy.
The EU have spent the better part of a decade now underestimating the English and constantly failing to get what they want from us as a result. The longer this continues, the further away we are getting from the morass of the EU.
Meanwhile, in the real world, an overview of the chaos and mismanagement:
https://mobile.twitter.com/pmdfoster...12939446857728
"One day, we shall die. All the other days, we shall live."
When the stars threw down their spears
And watered heaven with their tears:
Did he smile his work to see?
Did he who made the lamb make thee?
When the stars threw down their spears
And watered heaven with their tears:
Did he smile his work to see?
Did he who made the lamb make thee?
The Brexit Trade Talks sketch:
"UK: We don't like our deal
EU: Why not?
UK: We only get 95% of what we want
EU: It only gives us 95% too. That's how negotiating goes
UK: We want a new deal that gives us everything we can think of
EU: But you signed a deal
UK: Don't care, we hate you
EU: Bit rude
UK: We elected people to go to your meetings specifically to say we hate you
EU: And how is Nigel?
UK: Not happy?
EU: Why not?
UK: TV has dried up. So we want a new deal, and we want the deal in 3 weeks, or we cancel our existing deal
EU: Wait, what?
UK: You heard. Give us 100% of what we want in 3 weeks, or we break the law and walk away with 0% of what we want
EU: Er suits us!
UK: Wait, what?
EU: Perfect. Do it. Walk away. Take Nigel with you.
UK: No, hold on, wait: you have to negotiate, so Boris can win
EU: Why? Right now you have 95% of perfect, and we have 95% of perfect. If we renegotiate, you get more but we get less
UK: That's right
EU: But if we don't negotiate, we still have our 95%
UK: Woah, hold on
EU: And you have nothing
UK: But Dom didn't superpredict you'd say that!
EU: And if we don't have a deal, we don't have to put up with you **** on our lawn
UK: The Daily Mail made us do it and then ran away!
EU: I just found this spine. Is it yours?
UK: Welp!
EU: So we'll just sit this one out
UK: Fine, we'll go and make a great deal with the US
---
US: Yo suckers
UK: We are here to get a lovely big trade deal
US: Sure thing. Obey existing deals, and give us 100% of everything, plus 51% controlling share in the NHS, and you get, let's see, 60% of what you have now
UK: Not good enough, we have a Special Relationship
US: Bye
UK: What?
US: Bye. Talks are over, the Special Relationship is over, your country is over. Bye
UK: But we haven't got a deal, and we told everyone it would be easy!
US: It is easy: we are 26% of world trade, making deals with EU (20%) and China (17%). We don't need your 1.8%. No deal: easy
UK: But we really need a deal, the EU outsmarted us
US: We know. Some of us can read. Not Trump, obviously, but the rest of us. Try India
---
UK: Hi India, remember us?
India: Oh ****, these guys again
UK: We want a trade deal
India: And we want to vastly increase the number of Indians who can live in the UK
UK: We can't do that. Turns out we're, like, properly racist
India: That is brand new information!!
UK: So can we have a deal?
India: Sure, fine. Join the queue
UK: Who's in front of us in the queue?
India: EU, USA, China, Brazil, Korea, Canada, Australia basically everybody. We're kind of a big deal now.
UK: So you'll be ready to negotiate in, what: 3 weeks?
India: Ha ha ha ha ha
UK: What did we say?
India: 3 weeks? Try 3 years. This **** takes ages, bro
UK: But we had a timetable of 3 weeks with the EU
India: And how did that work out?
UK: Erm
India: Try Brazil
---
UK: Hi Brazil
Brazil: We ArE oN FiRe!!
UK: Maybe we can trade you some fire engines?
Brazil: We LiKe bEiNg oN FiRe, iT's OuR tHiNg NoW!!!
UK: Shall we try New Zealand?
Brazil: I aM So DrUnK!!
UK: Yeah, let's try New Zealand
---
UK: Hi, New Zealand
NZ: Hi, Crazy Uncle
UK: We'd like to sell you some lamb
NZ: Sorry, it's very noisy here, cos we still have a working economy. Did you say you want to sell us some lamb?
UK: Yes
NZ: Hold the line, gotta tell Australia this, they'll **** themselves
---
UK: Hi Australia, wanna trade stuff?
Aus: We wanna offload Rolf Harris and our worst ever PM. What can you give us for them?
UK: We've already got them
Aus: That was easy! So what can you trade?
UK: We can send you some racists
Aus: I think we're sorted. Try Russia
---
UK: Hi Russia, we have loads of lovely things we think you'd love to own
Russia: We already own them
UK: You don't own Boris
Russia: True. We rent him by the hour. £160k for a tennis match
UK: We really need a trade deal
Russia: We know. We made you need one. Try China
---
UK: Can we please have a trade deal?
China: And you are...?
UK: We're Great Britain
China: Great, you say?
UK: Well once
China: It's not ringing any bells. Do you have another name?
UK: United Kingdom
China: United, you say?
UK: Alright, smart arse
China: So you want a trade deal?
UK: Yes, but first we demand you obey international law
China: What happened to your deal with the EU?
UK: We broke international law
China: Have you been drinking moonshine with Brazil again?
UK: We're very tired.
China: Why did you leave the EU?
UK: We couldn't deal with foreigners telling us what to do
China: What do you want?
UK: A deal
China: With who?
UK: Foreigners
China: And why can't you get one?
UK: Cos we don't know what to do
China: Were you dropped as a child?
UK: We just want a trade deal worthy of our status
China: You've got one
UK: No we haven't
China: Yes you have
UK: Why won't anybody take us seriously?
China: Would you like to buy a mirror?
UK: Finally, a deal!
China: You had a deal worthy of your status, with the EU. You don't need to renegotiate deals: you need to reassess your status. You're not a mighty nation, you're a small, wet, heavily indebted island on the edge of a globally important trade bloc, which you just left, you tit
UK: So, what do you suggest?
China: Aw, mate. You already know
---
EU: Hi there! Here to rejoin?
UK: Yes, and on the same terms as before
EU: Oh, I don't think so. Say goodbye to your rebate, hello to the Euro, and bonjour to the Schengen area. Welcommen!
UK: We hate you!"
When the stars threw down their spears
And watered heaven with their tears:
Did he smile his work to see?
Did he who made the lamb make thee?
At the beginning of the thread the EU was weaponizing the treaty that Boris previously heralded as a good deal. which must mean that something must have changed in the meantime. Now you've grandourized it to the EU having spent the better part of the decade underestimating the English. Because otherwise it would mean you would have to blame dear leader Boris for being happy with a bad deal.
Meanwhile, it seems the EU has overestimated Boris in a) he knew what he signed up for, and b) he would stick to it.
You can point at the boogieman EU all day long, but logic dictates Boris screwed the pooch at some point.
edit: As long as you guys finish the QI series, it's all fine by me
I could have had class. I could have been a contender.
I could have been somebody. Instead of a bum
Which is what I am
I aim at the stars
But sometimes I hit London
The question is not whether England will survive despite the dangerous incompetence of its leaders; the question is whether its leaders are dangerously incompetent. The thread—along with more or less every report on pretty much everything English leaders have done wrt brexit—suggests the answer is a resounding "oh fuck yes". Your Lewkowskian deflections notwithstanding
"One day, we shall die. All the other days, we shall live."
I could have had class. I could have been a contender.
I could have been somebody. Instead of a bum
Which is what I am
I aim at the stars
But sometimes I hit London
Well, we underestimated the UK's willingness to shot off both its feet.
When the stars threw down their spears
And watered heaven with their tears:
Did he smile his work to see?
Did he who made the lamb make thee?
We also underestimated their vandalism.
Congratulations America