(Vague memory that someone used this to avoid paying a bill, because refusing a cheque when offered counted as discharging the debt it represents (if I have the right terminology), and as cheques could be written on anything they chose to write it on a car that physically would not fit through the door).
Famously bereft of a written constitution, the closest single document along these lines which the UK had for a long time was ("the") Magna Carta, which basically exists because King John's lords were tired of King John directing the courts that King John personally owned to not hear cases against himself.
But if your point is that some constitutions may as well be toilet paper for how much the people with power care about their contents, then I agree.
Even if you take the European Union alone and ignore all the other European countries, the EU only legislates over a subset of things for member countries.
AFAIK, not even that. This topic came up in relation to Hungary (before Orban was gone). What I understood from the discussion is that a country can only be punished by not giving them EU funds, etc.
As opposed to what? Armed invasion?
1. https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48423657
I mentioned that Europe is a lot more than the EU, and even within the EU member countries diverge.
2. https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48423908
trumpdong then makes a comment that I interpret as saying the EU doesn't have a lot of power over member states, and saying that the worst which could happen to one of them is to be kicked out of the EU.
3. https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48424244
Slightly shocked by the idea that the EU should be doing something worse than expelling a member for not following the Union's rules, I use a _reductio ad absurdum_ and ask if they thought the EU should be harder and actually perform an armed invasion of a member state that didn't follow them.
4. https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48425100
To my shock, trumpdong literally says "yes".
5. https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48425487
I, due to the shock described above, decide to question again in more words if that's actually what they mean.
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Hopefully that responds your question. I see no straw man, but if you still do, please present it.
"ask if they thought the EU should be harder and actually perform an armed invasion of a member state that didn't follow them."
You asked this:
"> the worst they can do is kick them out of the EU
As opposed to what? Armed invasion?"
Where trumpdong reploed with a affirmative "yes". So the worst they can do is kick someone out. No one demanded the EU should do armed invasion.
I don't know why you're taking their pain.