One of the more vile rhetorical tricks played upon us all is the confabulation of Europe with the European Union. To be against Ursine van der Lyin’ being in charge of our lives is to be against the very continent we sit a little offshore of. I’m regularly asked why I live in Portugal if I’m “against Europe”. The answer being of course that I’m not against the continent, the people, cuisines, landscapes or weather. Rather in favour of them all in fact. I’m simply against the political system that insists that federast anal retentives should be ruling the place.
Thus it’s rather nice to see that the contention the two are the same so neatly refuted:
[perfectpullquote align=”full” bordertop=”false” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””] Britain will remain part of the Interrail travel scheme after the UK’s operating companies performed a U-turn just 24 hours after announcing the country’s withdrawal. Bosses at the Rail Delivery Group (RDG), which represents the industry, said on Thursday that it would remain part of the 47-year-old scheme following the “strong reaction to news of our departure”. [/perfectpullquote] [perfectpullquote align=”full” bordertop=”false” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]RDG had said it was pulling out in order to increase sales of its own BritRail passes, which offer travel around England, Scotland and Wales for roughly the same price as current Interrail passes for 31 countries ranging from Portugal to Turkey and Norway to Italy.[/perfectpullquote]The decision to leave was nothing to do with Brexit. The decision to stay is nothing to do with Brexit. That is, we can cooperate – or not – as we desire with our European neighbours without being a part of the political system that is the European Union. This logically applying to passports, work permits, food standards, imports of colonial sugar and all the rest. Pally up to the neighbours when we wish to, tell ’em to bugger off when we must.
You know, sovereignty, rather the point of having a nation in the first place.
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What seems to have happened is that the Interrail agreement was up for renewal. The British end weren't content with the terms being offered, so walked away. Our Continental colleagues came back with a better offer, and now everyone's happy again.
There may be a moral in there, somewhere.
Up until 1973 ‘Europe’ consisted of only 6 Countries.