tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8497093028548856666.post4965355803694443807..comments2023-12-19T23:33:10.590-05:00Comments on UncleBob's Treehouse: Yay for Brexit!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16046202647270439670noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8497093028548856666.post-84552104245365034462016-06-27T17:11:26.345-04:002016-06-27T17:11:26.345-04:00The idea of creating a free-trade network that wou...The idea of creating a free-trade network that would discourage future European wars wasn't necessarily a bad idea in principle, but it failed miserably because contemporary Europeans have completely forgotten everything they once might have known about Federalism. Letting local governments make their own decisions about taxes and safety regulations was unconscionable to the power-hungry bureaucrats packed into Brussels. The trouble with "free trade" rhetoric is that it usually gets co-opted by elites who turn it into an excuse to hyper-regulate everything.<br /><br />I've personally experienced one example of such EU stupidity: travelling in Ireland, bar drinks are usually pretty small, pathetic, and overpriced compared to the US, because laws made in Brussels strictly control the size of each drink and the permissible prices. Spend enough time in an Irish-run bar in the States, and a track record of good tipping will usually get you a stronger pour or occasional free drinks. According to Brussels, though, that's a barrier to "free trade".Twarognoreply@blogger.com