Wisbech - I could not disagree more.
Germany and France want an EU state that primarily serves them - that is not just my opinion but it has been thus in the eyes of many more educated people than me for tens of years.
It is nothing more than controlling.
We will prosper in due course without them, of that I am sure.
The punishment for Brexit was China delivering a virus and Russia delivering a war.
No surprise that two dissatisfied communist countries decided to punish everyone for the sheer audacity of it.
Conspiracy theory maybe but too much of a coincidence in my eyes.
And back to the EU itself - Germany tried to take over Europe - and us - twice and failed, so then they tried - and still are trying - to do it in a different way and they don't like it when it works against them.

Events like Covid and the war happen, and effect everyone. Brexit had no need to happen and affects mainly us.

We shot ourselves in the foot, just at the time when we were about to catch a nasty disease and have to support a friend in trouble and find our costs rising.

The EU doesn't take people "along for the ride". It's not sightseeing trip. The EU provides the strength that goes with being a united and large market. It provides security and a voice at the biggest tables. In today's world it just makes more sense than relying on the model that served us during our imperialistic past. We need to erase the idea that we can recover what we have lost. Right now we are close to being laughed at, which is very sad.

Then we will have to disagree.

During my business career I worked for 2 German companies, and was the UK Managing Director of one of them. A business which makes a product everyone here will know. I spent a lot of time in Germany, somewhat less in France and the rest of Europe. I got to know many German colleagues, both professionally and personally.

Nothing you suggest matches my own experiences and perceptions. The Germans are much better educated, on average, than us. They have a greater understanding of the values of democracy and partnership than us. It has been drummed into them by their education system which was radically overhauled by us, after WW2. In many ways we are responsible for modern Germany.

The Germans know that they need us to balance the French and were dismayed when we decided to leave the EU. They definitely don't want to control us at all. They need us. Modern Germans are more like the "us" I remember, than many of us are now, whilst some of us are now like the Germans my father fought against.

Then we will have to disagree.

During my business career I worked for 2 German companies, and was the UK Managing Director of one of them. A business which makes a product everyone here will know. I spent a lot of time in Germany, somewhat less in France and the rest of Europe. I got to know many German colleagues, both professionally and personally.

Nothing you suggest matches my own experiences and perceptions. The Germans are much better educated, on average, than us. They have a greater understanding of the values of democracy and partnership than us. It has been drummed into them by their education system which was radically overhauled by us, after WW2. In many ways we are responsible for modern Germany.

The Germans know that they need us to balance the French and were dismayed when we decided to leave the EU. They definitely don't want to control us at all. They need us. Modern Germans are more like the "us" I remember, than many of us are now, whilst some of us are now like the Germans my father fought against.

I have stated before- the German and Dutch girls abroad in Spain are a credit to their country, all nice sandals, white jeans, slim, nice tops , classy! The same age brits walk around with sammy 69, blowy brenda and cum to tina on their shirts, guts and lils hanging out- chanting sexual innuendo- its a major embarassment for britain! Obviously one experience I saw, and not all brits can be accused of such behaviour- but I did think, "where did it all go wrong?", witnessing it from my hotel balcony!