Leavers beginning to realise EU states see EU *fundamentally* differently from how Leavers see it. THREAD 1/9

Some Leavers believe UK’s economic/political interests/qualities are fundamentally different from France & Germany. But this is so daft & so close to obvious extreme nationalism it never explained the EU’s existence for them 2/
But if UK isn’t fundamentally different from Germany & France. How to make sense of German / French EU membership? 3/
One Leaver coping strategy was “EU is bad idea for all EU states”, just they haven’t realised yet (not as clever as Brits ssh) and their bad establishments are suppressing bold independence movements 4/
But hoped-for Brexit copycats haven’t arrived. Greece seems determined to stay even as its economy improves. Anti-EU forces don’t win, or win but don’t try and leave. Remember how Hungary & Poland were going to back UK? Anyone? 5/
Another theory is EU as a Germanic (+ Frankish) Empire, exploiting. But instead of throwing Ireland under a bus (remember Irexit?) Leavers are mostly struck dumb at the solidarity. 6/
Leavers are all out of non-daft arguments for why 30 states want to keep Single Market so much they’ll take the economic hit of not letting UK cherry pick. 7/
Leavers will keep at it: “Germany France tried to make UK a vassal state”. But UK won’t be a vassal. Just 98% outside the SM (N Ireland *waves*) 8/
But, if No Deal happens, millions of Leavers will be thinking about this. Why is there a GB-EU border - but no FR-DE border (or even an NI-IE border?)

Millions will find new answers... 9/9

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This is a piece I've been thinking about for a long time. One of the most dominant policy ideas in Washington is that policy should, always and everywhere, move parents into paid labor. But what if that's wrong?

My reporting here convinced me that there's no large effect in either direction on labor force participation from child allowances. Canada has a bigger one than either Romney or Biden are considering, and more labor force participation among women.

But what if that wasn't true?

Forcing parents into low-wage, often exploitative, jobs by threatening them and their children with poverty may be counted as a success by some policymakers, but it’s a sign of a society that doesn’t value the most essential forms of labor.

The problem is in the very language we use. If I left my job as a New York Times columnist to care for my 2-year-old son, I’d be described as leaving the labor force. But as much as I adore him, there is no doubt I’d be working harder. I wouldn't have stopped working!

I tried to render conservative objections here fairly. I appreciate that @swinshi talked with me, and I'm sorry I couldn't include everything he said. I'll say I believe I used his strongest arguments, not more speculative ones, in the piece.

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