Britain is, and was, deluded about its negotiating power with the EU

Delusions are hard to get rid of. Leave campaigned on lies, voters swallowed them, and the government is now bound to try and live by those lies.<p>Like all delusions, this will continue to entrench itself against reason. When the negotiators fail to reach their delusional goal, the deluded will formulate a conspiracy narrative to protect their delusion.

It&#x27;s truly ironic (and unfortunate) that the UK&#x27;s tribulations to leave the EU have such close parallels to its difficulties joining its predecessor. In many ways, it demonstrates the weakness (both now and then) of the British economy and (peaceful) political force projection when pit against a united continental core -- led then by France and Germany, nowadays by Germany and France.<p>The UK has much more military leverage than economic leverage. The question of the common market is an economic matter, but the free movement of peoples can go either way. There are factions in all states that would rather treat the latter issue as a matter of civil defence, but that would require the UK engaging in force projection so close to home, which it has for almost half a century closely avoided.

Why can’t the U.K. just leave? Say we are gone, we are not giving you any money, and unilaterally state a position on trade terms?<p>I realize this may sound naive, but I’m just curious.

Well argued POV. However, the article overlooks the role of the Profumo Affair in ending the MacMillan govt. Another relevant precedent is the EZ negotiations with the Greek Govt over the sovereign debt crisis.

Is undoing brexit (fully or partially) still an option? If not, is it because the UK government is still committed to brexit or is it because what has been done so far is irreversible?

the EU is rapidly turning in to a union with few willing and satisfied participants<p>the EU would be much better off letting disgruntled states go, even if it diminishes the size and prestige of the remaining union, unless the bureaucrats relish spending the next fifty years in endless, pointless debate and hand-wringing<p>the UK isn&#x27;t alone. I doubt the EU will see 2030 in its current form.

Or, the EU is deluded about its worth in the modern world.

Note that this article was published on Nov 9th. That&#x27;s old on the timescale relevant to this topic.

Brexit is bad for the UK. We can all agree on that?<p>But it&#x27;s also a TRAGEDY for the EU. They&#x27;ve lost one of their principal contributors, as well as prestige and status. This is generally not talked about.<p>The EU are negotiating HARD. Why? Because they are in a position of weakness. If they were in a position of strength then they would let the UK go easily.<p>Everyone knows this.<p>The complications are that the UK political establishment and business community don&#x27;t actually want to leave the EU. Hence the desperate attempt by UK negotiators to keep as much of the old system as possible, to the anger of the proletariat.