Rank from most to least likely to reunify within 20 years time: Ireland, Cyprus, Korea

[Grace O'Malley]

Also here is a map of European countries with population living below the poverty line. So not really seeing how Ireland is in such a mess compared to other European countries.

[Tooting Carmen]

As much as I like the Irish, who I do generally find to be a friendly and hospitable bunch, I do resent it how some Remainers (and I am a Remainer myself) increasingly romanticise them as more 'progressive' and 'internationalist' than the British, when by most objective measurements - levels of ethnic diversity, attitudes towards sex, levels of foreign language knowledge etc. - Ireland is still a far more parochial and traditional society than is Britain. (Re the last of those, as bad as the British are when it comes to foreign languages, the Irish are indeed even worse):
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Langua...nion#Knowledge

[Grace O'Malley]

As much as I like the Irish, who I do generally find to be a friendly and hospitable bunch, I do resent it how some Remainers (and I am a Remainer myself) increasingly romanticise them as more 'progressive' and 'internationalist' than the British, when by most objective measurements - levels of ethnic diversity, attitudes towards sex, levels of foreign language knowledge etc. - Ireland is still a far more parochial and traditional society than is Britain. (Re the last of those, as bad as the British are when it comes to foreign languages, the Irish are indeed even worse):
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Langua...nion#Knowledge

Just lost a reply to this post which is annoying.

How is levels of ethnic diversity a measure of how "progressive" and "internationalist" a country is? And what do you mean about attitudes to sex? How do Brits have a more healthy attitude to sex in comparison to the Irish? Regarding ethnic diversity Britain has always had more immigrants because they have had a lot of people such as Indians, Pakistanis and West Indians going there because they were former members of the British empire. Ireland though has had a huge amount of immigrants in a very short span of time. In 2011 17.9% of people living in Ireland were born overseas. The article below is more recent though and from 2015.

https://www.irishtimes.com/news/soci...road-1.2471339

I think the reason why people thing the British are xenophobic is because one of the main reasons that Brits voted for Brexit was due to immigration. A lot of immigration was blamed on the EU but Britain also had a lot of immigration from these ex-colonies anyway.

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/u...y-a7811651.htm

In Ireland the EU has always had a high rating from the population and Ireland embraced being part of the wider European family whereas I don't thing British people ever felt like that. Possibly you could answer why? I have my own ideas on this but would like to hear your take on it.

[Tooting Carmen]

Just lost a reply to this post which is annoying.

How is levels of ethnic diversity a measure of how "progressive" and "internationalist" a country is? And what do you mean about attitudes to sex? How do Brits have a more healthy attitude to sex in comparison to the Irish? Regarding ethnic diversity Britain has always had more immigrants because they have had a lot of people such as Indians, Pakistanis and West Indians going there because they were former members of the British empire. Ireland though has had a huge amount of immigrants in a very short span of time. In 2011 17.9% of people living in Ireland were born overseas. The article below is more recent though and from 2015.

https://www.irishtimes.com/news/soci...road-1.2471339

I think the reason why people thing the British are xenophobic is because one of the main reasons that Brits voted for Brexit was due to immigration. A lot of immigration was blamed on the EU but Britain also had a lot of immigration from these ex-colonies anyway.

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/u...y-a7811651.htm

In Ireland the EU has always had a high rating from the population and Ireland embraced being part of the wider European family whereas I don't thing British people ever felt like that. Possibly you could answer why? I have my own ideas on this but would like to hear your take on it.

(1) Most immigrants in Ireland, however numerous they may be nowadays, nevertheless come from the UK and Eastern Europe. (2) Lest we forget, Ireland took far longer to legalise homosexuality, abortion and even divorce and contraception than did the UK, and especially in rural areas there are doubtless many people who still hold deeply conservative attitudes. (3) Ireland has possibly embraced the EU more than Britain has due to the economic support it has brought, as well as the feeling that, by being a member, Ireland has 'made it' in the world (the same goes for lots of countries in Southern and Eastern Europe in particular), whereas Britain has never really had that need for recognition and instead still considers itself to be a major power even with the loss of Empire. (4) For sure the exceptionally large-scale immigration from Eastern Europe was a factor motivating Brexit, though not the only one by any means. And yes, especially since Brexit began in 2016, most immigration has been increasingly from outside the EU.

[Grace O'Malley]

(1) Most immigrants in Ireland, however numerous they may be nowadays, nevertheless come from the UK and Eastern Europe. (2) Lest we forget, Ireland took far longer to legalise homosexuality, abortion and even divorce and contraception than did the UK, and especially in rural areas there are doubtless many people who still hold deeply conservative attitudes. (3) Ireland has possibly embraced the EU more than Britain has due to the economic support it has brought, as well as the feeling that, by being a member, Ireland has 'made it' in the world (the same goes for lots of countries in Southern and Eastern Europe in particular), whereas Britain has never really had that need for recognition and instead still considers itself to be a major power even with the loss of Empire. (4) For sure the exceptionally large-scale immigration from Eastern Europe was a factor motivating Brexit, though not the only one by any means. And yes, especially since Brexit began in 2016, most immigration has been increasingly from outside the EU.

Ireland was a very Catholic country. Britain has never been a religious country. They are not comparable as far as traditional values because Britain was always a more lax country as far as sex, marriage etc. The Irish public though has always been much further along than what the laws were and this is why they overwhelmingly voted for gay marriage and abortion. The Catholic Church held far too much sway in Ireland but this is no longer the case. I do hope Ireland doesn't completely lose some of these traditional values but it looks like Ireland is just becoming like any other European country as far as values go. I do agree with equal gay rights and women should have the right to abortion but I think people are much too lax about sex in general however it is people's own business about their sex lives and you can't be dictating to others.

I don't agree that Ireland, by being a member, feels it has 'made it' in the world. I think the Irish were just given more opportunities in the EU and it also got them out from the shadow of Britain. They realise the benefits of being a member and how cooperation among neighbours benefits everyone. I think the fact that they are a small country also makes them appreciate being a part of a large block like the EU. Irish aren't arrogant.

Britain does still consider herself a major power and this is her downfall. Britain is not as big as some of her population thinks she is and Brexit will show what an illusion this is. Britain has far more power within the EU and Britain out of the EU will be seen as far less influential by other countries. I also think it is a loss to the EU that Britain won't be there to balance the power of countries like France/Germany. It's just bad for all sides.

[Tooting Carmen]

Ireland was a very Catholic country. Britain has never been a religious country. They are not comparable as far as traditional values because Britain was always a more lax country as far as sex, marriage etc. The Irish public though has always been much further along than what the laws were and this is why they overwhelmingly voted for gay marriage and abortion. The Catholic Church held far too much sway in Ireland but this is no longer the case. I do hope Ireland doesn't completely lose some of these traditional values but it looks like Ireland is just becoming like any other European country as far as values go. I do agree with equal gay rights and women should have the right to abortion but I think people are much too lax about sex in general however it is people's own business about their sex lives and you can't be dictating to others.

I don't agree that Ireland, by being a member, feels it has 'made it' in the world. I think the Irish were just given more opportunities in the EU and it also got them out from the shadow of Britain. They realise the benefits of being a member and how cooperation among neighbours benefits everyone. I think the fact that they are a small country also makes them appreciate being a part of a large block like the EU. Irish aren't arrogant.

Britain does still consider herself a major power and this is her downfall. Britain is not as big as some of her population thinks she is and Brexit will show what an illusion this is. Britain has far more power within the EU and Britain out of the EU will be seen as far less influential by other countries. I also think it is a loss to the EU that Britain won't be there to balance the power of countries like France/Germany. It's just bad for all sides.

While certainly never to the extent of Ireland, Britain used to be a far more conservative country than it is now as well, and attitudes towards things like abortion, homosexuality, cohabitation and pre-marital sex are quite different now compared to even the 1980's. I don't doubt the social progress Ireland has made in recent years, but I am sure a global social attitudes survey would still place it (relatively-speaking) among the more conservative (small-c) countries in the Western world.

As for your points about Brexit, I very much agree and don't especially have anything to add.

[sean]

Whether they were unified or not how does that impact on the present? It's a non-issue. Europe in the 1100s is not Europe today. Ireland was a tribal society with people of the same ethnicity in all of Ireland. It would have been a united country today if not for British interference.

Irish kingdoms had been invading one another for centuries. When Northern Ireland first began as a conception, it was as a devolved entity from Dublin. At no point between 1900 until after WW2 did the British Government express a serious desire for the partition of Ireland to continue. The reasons why the British segregated the 6 counties of Ulster from the rest of Ireland were primarily about defence concerns over the Belfast shipyards, Home rule was already achieved and the vast majority of Irish nationalist militia men were serving in Irish regiments in the British Army. The Easter Rising scum stabbed their own nationalist brothers in the back and achieved nothing. They styled themselves as a proper army and recognised their support from the Germans who were killing thousands of Irishmen in the trenches every day in France. The British had every right to execute the leaders of the uprising.

Their uprising was crushed and all they did was guarantee permanent partition and future civil war and conflict. Blaming the British is retarded since half the Easter Rising scum were socialist radicals, such as James Connolly. The rising was completely pointless and did nothing but ruin Ireland.

It will be what the populations decide and will be a lot more democratic than what happened to Ireland when it was partitioned in 1922.

All these types of arguments would also have applied during the Irish War of Independence, but anybody making them would have had a good chance of ending up with a bullet in the head. Economically Ireland would have been far better off staying in the UK. From 1922 to 1973 when they joined the EEC, Éire was an economic basket case, its main exports were greyhounds and people, but I would hope that as a patriotic Irishwoman you think it was worth it.

The UK health system is not much higher in the ranking as far as EU systems go. Ranking might go up and down.

British NHS is the envy of the world. I have used the dental service and it was £50 for a filling (well you can have as many as needed for £50) and it has been fine ever since. Never really needed the hospital but the few times I have used it all was smooth and free.

The only problem with the NHS is that it’s easily taken advantage of. I wish it wasn't full of drug addicts and street fuckers who take up 101% of the wards because they seen a dog with a “large dead guy in its mouth” and they “thought it was a zombie and wanted help”.

It will be interesting to see the impact of Brexit on the UK health system as a lot of their employees were from other EU countries.

Most non-British doctors working in the NHS are Indian.

Most non-British nurses working in the NHS are Filipino.

Most of the EU migrants working in the NHS are contracted cleaners and care workers.

Meanwhile EU migrants make up half of the total immigration and therefore half of all immigrant pressure on the NHS.

I mean ideally they'd have an almost entirely British NHS with no imported labour at all but if it comes down to it, I'll take doctor Baskar and nurse Reyes over Marcin the floor sweeper and Ioana the arse wiper any day of the week.

Ireland has a very strong economy and a very productive workforce. They have made big strides in the last 20 years. The majority of the Irish population is centred around Dublin and surrounding areas. Cork is in fact predicted to be the fastest growing area in Ireland over the next 20 years.

Ireland first began to attract foreign corporations in the 1950s. The government offered low tax rates to foreign capital. This finally paid off in the 1990s when there was an export boom caused by the large number of these industries. Then the European central bank was set up and added fuel to the fire by pumping out credit from about 2000 onward.

Also Ireland has a relatively low amount of jobs created by the government, and one of the lower rates of social welfare in Western Europe. It's all inflated numbers because the average Irishman earns nowhere near the money relative to the employees at the Fortune 500 companies that make Ireland their base so they can cheat the taxpayer.

Ireland in fact has had a brain-gain rather than a brain-drain.

The average IQ in Ireland is roughly 95 because of brain drain. Today it is massive. The percentage of Irish graduates from top British universities is way over the average. They remain in the UK for better opportunities.

Irish have always immigrated. It's just how the Irish are. Some come back but even if they move many keep strong ties to the country. Ireland's population is still increasing.

More delusion. You have the highest emigration rate (both in absolute and as a percentage) in the developed world and your population is only 5 million. A quarter of their own people want to emigrate and a quarter of 20-somethings already have since 2011.

https://www.irishtimes.com/life-and-...36979?mode=amp

You sound very biased. Ireland is a lovely country. You should perhaps visit and you might be pleasantly surprised.

I've been to Ireland a few times and it's quite nice. It does have its fair share of beautiful countryside (especially on its west coast which is also sparsely populated). Dublin is pretty much the only big city and the rest is just medium sized towns and villages, it seems like the average town in the British Isles.

Northern Ireland has just been badly mismanaged. It just needs more investment and now that it will be semi-aligned to the EU it will gain an advantage to other parts of the UK. Even Boris said this.

Because Ireland can't support Northern Ireland or police it, especially with the uproar from the Unionists, really though, would there even be any argument if Northern Ireland was just dropped from the UK to make Brexit easier. Literally who would even care at this point, apart from the DUP?

Sinn Féin and DUP are shite. It is a pity people don't vote for the more moderate parties. Sinn Féin get no where in the Republic. Anyway you're really showing your true colours.

Irish nationalist organisations have always been cancerous socialists backed by an opportunistic catholic middle class.

Why would the EU throw Ireland under a bus when it is made up of all these other countries? It would not be good practice for the EU to throw a fellow EU country "under the bus". How would that look to all the other countries in the EU? Sorry but that's not going to happen.

The trade arrangement is what made Ireland a 'rich' country, not the fucking EU. European fisheries made some €210bn from Irish fisheries in total, whilst their investment from the EU was around €40bn.

The investment by the EU helped spur private investment, but it's not the sole reason they became rich, they became rich because they had access to the European single market.

US investment in Ireland stands at like $270bn, that's 6 times (plus some change) what the EU "gave" them. Your people should start rolling over for the yanks whenever they ask you to open up your arse cheeks.

Do you even realise that you’re just being used as a pressure point to stop a no deal Brexit or Brexit happening all together? The EU doesn't care about a tiny country like the Republic. Trade and good relations with the UK are far more important to them, you could take over our star but you can't fucking afford it. How's it going to feel when one of the 3 countries that are net contributors leave?

The EU is not going to throw one of it's own members "under a bus". That's one of the advantages of being an EU member.

Greece is an EU member.

It is bankrupt practically.

It is infinitely worse off economically and socially in comparison to before it was an EU member.

Everything you are saying is Europhile clap-trap about your glorious infallible union that always seems to be on the brink of collapse.

Every economist worth his salt says that letting Greece join the EU when it did was a mistake for both them and the EU. Europhiles like you treat membership like a land grab where your willing to sacrifice stability to increase your territory. Attitudes like yours are the reason why the EU is in the state its in.

EU is facing exactly the same problems Japan faced in the 90s and is doing precisely the same things, namely lowering interest rates and introducing quantitative easing programs while hoping that inflation will return.

The European internal market is strongly dependent on external factors. If the ECB fails to keep the euro devalued the way it is or runs out of funds to subsidise certain businesses, like the car industry, you can bet your sorry arse that internal European suppliers will go bankrupt.

EU is a pointless organisation that fulfills its own agenda instead of what the ECC used to fulfill perfectly. It's proof you can't give Germans any sort of oversight when they can potentially outsmart other members of their organisation because Krauts are too autistic to factor in human retardation and greed hence why their shit always inevitably goes to hell. Plus the frogs are cunts.

[Grace O'Malley]

I don't want to be going back and forth on this. Let's agree to disagree and see what is the outcome with Brexit.

[Pater Patota]

Only, Cyprus could reunify, I'm a strong supporter of that.

[Tooting Carmen]

@Sean: what you said about Eastern Europe (which is economically very diverse itself) being wealthier than most of Wales is an exaggeration, although I do remember reading that Slovenia - one of the wealthier accession countries - has a higher GDP per capita than Anglesey, which is even poorer than other parts of Wales due to its over-dependence on sheep farming.