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Comment by kukkeliskuu | Hacker News Reader

As an European, I know many who oppose EU membership, but most educated people would not express it publicly because they are harrassed if they express their opinion -- supposedly only "less educated people" -- i.e. idiots -- support it.

It appears that opposing EU membership is kind of a taboo, and many educated people are afraid to express their opinion on the subject. Which tells you all you need to know about the legitimacy of EU.

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And what are their arguments?

They don't want to become like USA, that is the easiest argument. We see how USA went the slippery slope of removing states rights and expanding federal power, people in the EU don't want that.

To prevent that from happening there needs to be a resistance to EU expanding its power, and the most effective way countries can do that is to threaten to leave.

The US seems like a success model if anything. Wonder how much better would be the lives of Californians or Louisianans if they were their own country.

Why do you ask? One often encounters an argument that if I cannot make up a rationale that you consider as reasonable, then it means I am wrong. The problem is that the polarization means that neither side can rationally understand the argument of the opposing side. The fact that you don't consider the argument of these people as reasonable does not prove anything.

I have not reviewed all the arguments.

One is simple. EU does not have a single language. There is are shared values, shared vision, shared culture, or shared identity among regular people.

The cards are stacked against EU being succesful.

"is are" => "are no"

The UK complained at length about the EU for decades including educated people so much so that they decided to leave and are now out.

Both the far right and far left opposes the EU openly in France. Even amongst EU supporters there is a fair deal of criticisms levelled at the organisation.

I think your alleged taboo is very much self imposed.

Maybe it’s self-imposed because those mentioned don’t want to be lumped in with these extreme groups? I.e. the shy voter phenomenon.

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