| Pages in topic: < [1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15] > | Off topic: How do you think UK leaving EU would affect our profession? Thread poster: Balasubramaniam L.
|
|---|
Balasubramaniam L. 
India
Local time: 00:04
Member (2006)
English to Hindi
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER SITE LOCALIZER | It took 9 months for India | Jun 23, 2016 |
Robert Rietvelt wrote:
As I read all the threads, I get the feeling that most people are highlighting the shortcomings of the EU, and hardly anyone is talking about what the EU has accomplished. Combining 28 countries (= 28 nationalities, cultures, languages, etc, etc,...) in one big union takes time...
It took India about 9 months to achieve a much larger and more complex integration process. At the time of independence from the British, British India was a mosaic of some 300 to 400 principalities or independant kingdoms, all of which were straining to become independant states after the British left.
Sardar Patel, with some help from the last British Viceroy Lord Mountbaten, got around to getting them to accede with India. He achieved it in a matter of 9 months, using the standard carrot and stick approach, and exercising some firmness in one case by sending in the police force to encourage a recalcitrant and troublesome Nizam of Hyederabad to accede.
For this remarkable achievement, he is remembered in India today as the Iron Man. The current Prime Minister of India, who incidentally is from the same state as Sardar Patel, considers him as his role model.
So what it takes for such integration is not time, but leadership, and Europe sadly lacks the leaders of the stature of Sardar Patel who could achieve such a seemingly impossible feat with ease and in a matter of months.
[Edited at 2016-06-23 04:46 GMT]
| | | |
Thomas T. Frost wrote:
Implementing a big union without massive, popular support is bound to cause tension. The EU's leaders are 'forgetting' that national sovereignty is vested in the people. They want it to be vested in themselves.
While I'm not versed in politics beyond having general opinions, this discussion is eerily reminiscent of something I read in The Transylvanian Trilogy, an excellent portrayal of pre-1914 Hungary by Count Miklos Banffy. He was an extraordinary liberal politician and nobleman, perhaps the last true Hungarian polymath, and also a former Foreign Minister in Istvan Bethlen's government.
How would anyone believe that any good was to be obtained by adding the Balkan states to the already unwieldy Dual Monarchy and so increasing the Empire to a hundred million souls with differing cultures and traditions? Of course armies could be recruited and young men could die, but great States evolved only through centuries of social tradition and mutual self-interest; they were not imposed by bayonets.
This book was published in 1934.
[Edited at 2016-06-23 08:36 GMT]
| | | | | | 2GT
Italy
Local time: 20:34
English to Italian
+ ...
| Why BR-exit? | Jun 23, 2016 |
Has Britain ever really entered the EU?
Cheers from the EU
Gianni
| | |
|
|
|
Heinrich Pesch
Finland
Local time: 21:34
Member (2003)
Finnish to German
+ ...
| Not much will change for me | Jun 23, 2016 |
If they vote for exit, nothing changes for tourists, because the UK does not belong to Schengen and you have to show your passport when entering. I don't translate into English, so I don't care.
I think all countries that do not want to join the Euro should exit. After the Britsh are gone there are 99 free seats in the European parliament.
The exit vote will take years to come into effect. The British parliament will not be able to do anything else than adapting the legislation. ... See more If they vote for exit, nothing changes for tourists, because the UK does not belong to Schengen and you have to show your passport when entering. I don't translate into English, so I don't care.
I think all countries that do not want to join the Euro should exit. After the Britsh are gone there are 99 free seats in the European parliament.
The exit vote will take years to come into effect. The British parliament will not be able to do anything else than adapting the legislation.
The pound will go down, that's good news for EU-tourists. We will have less British tourists in Tallinn, that's positive indeed. ▲ Collapse
| | | | | He picks the facts he presents carefully | Jun 23, 2016 |
As an expert, he also knows very well that he conveniently omits certain details that go against his conviction to Remain. He conveniently omits to mention that while in a nation state, it is the elected government, as well as any MP, that present draft legislation, in the EU, it is unelected civil servants, i.e. the European Commission, that do it – in tandem with the Council of Ministers – but he only mentions the Council, not the Commission, and he fails to point out that the European Parliament, contrary to a normal parliament, cannot present draft legislation. He does not mention that the Commission has the power to publish immediately binding Regulations, i.e. effectively to legislate.
He says the UK has major influence, but he omits the many times the UK has been voted down in the Council of Ministers.
The Council of Ministers is made up of national governments. That's all very well, but many EU citizens cannot vote because they live outside their native states (expat Brits after 15 years abroad lose voting rights, while expat Danes lose voting rights as soon as they emigrate). Such EU citizens are democratic 'pariahs', as their influence is limited to the EU Parliament and their local town hall. As such, they have no influence on the EU's draft legislation-presenting bodies, and they cannot vote in any EU-related referendums anywhere.
His so-called evidence of the benefits of membership boils down to having asked selected groups what they think, and as he claims they are happy, there is no problem. Hardly scientific evidence. One can get the answer one wants by choosing whom to ask.
He starts out by comparing the EU Treaties to other international conventions and rightly says they all require some pooling of sovereignty. That is indisputable. What he fails to point out is the massive pooling of sovereignty in the EU compared to other international obligations. It's not the shared sovereignty in selected areas that is the problem but the massive extent of it in the case of the EU.
He omits all discussion about immigration, Schengen, the euro, a federal union, a banking union, a common army and all the other political elements of the Union.
None of his facts are incorrect, but he selects his facts so as to present a ‘Remain’ image, while leaving other facts that could point to a ‘Leave’ image unmentioned.
Don’t get fooled by experts. Even though they are knowledgeable, they are still subjective, and they are knowledgeable enough to pick their facts so as to present the image they personally prefer.
| | | | | Leave has won | Jun 24, 2016 |
And so leave has won. Do people seriously believe that Britain will now forge ahead and prosper while Europe sinks into the mire?
| | | | Balasubramaniam L.
India
Local time: 00:04
Member (2006)
English to Hindi
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER SITE LOCALIZER | Uncharted territory | Jun 24, 2016 |
Olly Pekelharing wrote:
And so leave has won. Do people seriously believe that Britain will now forge ahead and prosper while Europe sinks into the mire?
We have now entered uncharted territory, both for EU and for UK. So prediction is completely impossible. But signs are not good, the Indian stock market has tanked 1000 points and has still not found the bottom. Probably other stock markets are in the same mood. It is going to be difficult times ahead, but let us hope something good will come out of the confusion and both the EU and UK will emerge stronger out of the chaos, and not work at cross-purposes to weaken each other in order to prove the other wrong. That would be the path to certain disaster for all, as we are now a connected world.
[Edited at 2016-06-24 05:32 GMT]
| | |
|
|
|
Tom in London
United Kingdom
Local time: 19:34
Member (2008)
Italian to English
| The immediate effect | Jun 24, 2016 |
In economic and social terms, what is laughingly called the "united kingdom" has been hit by the equivalent of the nuclear weapon that the Americans dropped on Hiroshima: the immediate effects will be dramatic and the long-term effects will be painful.
In the immediate future, i.e. today, for UK-based translators the fall in the value of GBP means that everything we buy will cost about 25%-30% more - from computers to food.
I worry now about my EU friends living and wor... See more In economic and social terms, what is laughingly called the "united kingdom" has been hit by the equivalent of the nuclear weapon that the Americans dropped on Hiroshima: the immediate effects will be dramatic and the long-term effects will be painful.
In the immediate future, i.e. today, for UK-based translators the fall in the value of GBP means that everything we buy will cost about 25%-30% more - from computers to food.
I worry now about my EU friends living and working here in the UK. What position will they be in? ▲ Collapse
| | | | Balasubramaniam L.
India
Local time: 00:04
Member (2006)
English to Hindi
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER SITE LOCALIZER | A parallel concern | Jun 24, 2016 |
Tom in London wrote:
I worry now about my EU friends living and working here in the UK. What position will they be in?
A parallel concern would be the some 2 million UK citizens living in the various EU countries like France, Italy, Spain, etc. The real fallout will be for these two unfortunate sets of people.
| | | | | What is the key to prosperity? | Jun 24, 2016 |
Olly Pekelharing wrote:
And so leave has won. Do people seriously believe that Britain will now forge ahead and prosper while Europe sinks into the mire?
The key to prosperity is economic freedom and also freedom of individuals to lead their lives as they wish and pursue their dreams. Unfortunately, the EU today is a machine that constantly churns out new law and eagerly prints euros to feed our politicians' adiction to deficit, control of the individual, and social engineering.
The original goal of creating a space for economic freedom and liberty for the individual is all buried deep under a big pile of paper (both EU law and euro notes), and that barely helps in making Europe a space of prosperity. It is making Europe a space of public debt. It is sad to see the UK leave, but I can understand the decision.
| | | |
Eagerly looking forward to those in the UK and EU waking up and posting their thoughts on the referendum.
My own two cents is that the UK has a very good chance to prosper from this, especially if they can negotiate favorable terms for their withdrawal and survive another potential Scottish independence vote. Post-1980 Hong Kong (without the political problems of recent years) may be a good example of what the UK could potentially achieve in the coming decades: a financially strong... See more Eagerly looking forward to those in the UK and EU waking up and posting their thoughts on the referendum.
My own two cents is that the UK has a very good chance to prosper from this, especially if they can negotiate favorable terms for their withdrawal and survive another potential Scottish independence vote. Post-1980 Hong Kong (without the political problems of recent years) may be a good example of what the UK could potentially achieve in the coming decades: a financially strong, albeit small entity positioned to benefit from its access to a much larger, economically stronger entity (Mainland China for Hong Kong, the EU for the UK).
Hard to see this as anything but a major loss for the EU, as there's almost no way to put a positive spin on the EU losing its second biggest economy, especially at a time when it's facing so much economic uncertainty.
BUT, for those across the pond down about this result, taking a moment today to read US domestic news should make you feel a bit better: our Supreme Court, missing a justice for months now because of partisan politics, just tied 4-4 (we're supposed to have 9 justices, not 8) on one of the most important immigration/executive control decisions of the last 10 years. Meanwhile, Democrats on the House of Representatives staged a rather pointless, but politically expedient sit-in because Republicans continue to take the stance that gun violence and gun ownership are somehow completely unconnected.
Oh, and our next president will most likely be Hilary Clinton. Then again, it's also possible that Hilary Clinton will be on her way to prison by November, in which case we get Donald Trump.
So could be worse!
[Edited at 2016-06-24 06:58 GMT] ▲ Collapse
| | |
|
|
|
| Well, well... | Jun 24, 2016 |
I wonder what will happen to the four freedoms of movement.
Words from an old movie, spoken by a judge, come to my mind (cannot recall the name of the film though): "You wanted to be independent? Be independent now!"
People's opinion must be respected, but facts are facts: the somewhat exaggerated populism may plunge Britain into this:
- More isolation
- De facto Exodus of the foreign capital
- Less purchasing power
- Probably no more "c... See more I wonder what will happen to the four freedoms of movement.
Words from an old movie, spoken by a judge, come to my mind (cannot recall the name of the film though): "You wanted to be independent? Be independent now!"
People's opinion must be respected, but facts are facts: the somewhat exaggerated populism may plunge Britain into this:
- More isolation
- De facto Exodus of the foreign capital
- Less purchasing power
- Probably no more "cerveza barata" in Spain or Italy
The only thing we need now is Communist government in Spain, just to make the things perfect.
It took me quite some effort to build my business in the UK. Will I now have to move it elsewhere? The only "harm" I am causing the British people is paying corporation tax in the UK and pay some money to a British accountant.
Ireland? ▲ Collapse
| | | | Dan Lucas
United Kingdom
Local time: 19:34
Member (2014)
Japanese to English
| Hiroshima, really? | Jun 24, 2016 |
Tom in London wrote:
In the immediate future, i.e. today, for UK-based translators the fall in the value of GBP means that everything we buy will cost about 25%-30% more - from computers to food.
Let me correct that for you. Many things we buy from abroad will begin cost more. However, this will have two other very positive effects.
First, starting today, the weaker pound makes UK products and services - such as my translation services - cheaper in comparison to those of translators outside the UK. That gives me and other UK-based translators a competitive advantage, should I wish to use it. For example, cars made by Nissan and exported to Europe will immediately be about 6% cheaper, which is the amount by which the euro has moved against the pound. This will stimulate the UK economy.
Second, also starting today, the weaker pound means that revenues from UK products and services sold overseas will bring in more money in sterling terms.
For example, if I receive 100,000 from a Japanese client at this morning's rate of 140 yen to the pound that translates to £714. Yesterday, at 156 yen to the pound it would have resulted in £641. So there's an immediate gain that puts money in my pocket and makes me think that I might go out and have dinner tonight at the new restaurant in our local town, thus putting money into my local economy.
The same effect will also help anybody working with clients in the eurozone and being paid in euro. It's worth pointing out that these effects are possible only because, unlike unfortunates such as Greece, the UK still has its own currency. Currencies allow shocks like this to be mediated.
Of course, many concerns remain. This will be a long, occasionally acrid but mostly amiable divorce.
Regards
Dan
[Edited at 2016-06-24 07:08 GMT]
[Edited at 2016-06-24 07:09 GMT]
| | | | Tom in London
United Kingdom
Local time: 19:34
Member (2008)
Italian to English
Dan Lucas wrote:
So there's an immediate gain that puts money in my pocket and makes me think that I might go out and have dinner tonight at the new restaurant in our local town
That restaurant is going to be paying more for all the ingredients it uses, its gas, and its electricity, and if you want a bottle of wine, you'll pay considerably more for it. You have gained nothing.
| | | | | Pages in topic: < [1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15] > | To report site rules violations or get help, contact a site moderator: You can also contact site staff by submitting a support request » How do you think UK leaving EU would affect our profession? | Anycount & Translation Office 3000 | Translation Office 3000
Translation Office 3000 is an advanced accounting tool for freelance translators and small agencies. TO3000 easily and seamlessly integrates with the business life of professional freelance translators.
More info » |
| | Trados Studio 2022 Freelance | The leading translation software used by over 270,000 translators.
Designed with your feedback in mind, Trados Studio 2022 delivers an unrivalled, powerful desktop
and cloud solution, empowering you to work in the most efficient and cost-effective way.
More info » |
|
| | | | X Sign in to your ProZ.com account... | | | | | |
Login to reply/comment 
Translation news
