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A comment on Brits would quite like their private messages to stay private. Parent comment

Re:Brits would quite like their private messages to stay pri... by roenxi on Sunday August 30, 2026 @09:18AM (#49498388)
Did they even have a referendum on joining the EU? Just skimming through, it looks like [0] they only had a referendum on EEC membership which sounds like it would predate the EU. It is a bit of an unfair ratchet where people can sidle in to the EU but require strong consensuses to leave. It should be symmetrical.

Particularly when the scope of the EU seems to be a bit vague and regularly expanding to micromanage various aspects of life. It looks like they might be trying to rebuild the US federal government.

[0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Kingdom_membership_of_t...

[ Parent | on HN ]
Re:Brits would quite like their private messages to stay pri... by kQq9oHeAz6wLLS on Sunday August 30, 2026 @09:47AM (#49498631)
This brings to mind the government set up in The Moon is a Harsh Mistress: it takes 2/3rds to pass a law, but only 1/3rd to repeal it.

The thinking being if a law isn't good/useful enough to garner 2/3rd support, it shouldn't be law. And if a law is so bad that it can't even get more than 1/3rd the people to support it, it should no longer be a law.

Sadly, I don't think it'd work today. People are too divided, it's too easy to import the votes you need, and people are too lazy to understand a law beyond the headline or what the news tells them about it.

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Re:Brits would quite like their private messages to stay pri... by TulliusCicero on Sunday August 30, 2026 @11:18PM (#49505211)
> And if a law is so bad that it can't even get more than 1/3rd the people to support it

What? That's not what you wrote. If it only takes 1/3rd to repeal a law, then you need to keep up 2/3rds support indefinitely, not 1/3rd.

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Re:Brits would quite like their private messages to stay pri... by nobody9999 on Monday August 31, 2026 @06:42AM (#49508104)
>Sadly, I don't think it'd work today. People are too divided, it's too easy to import the votes you need, and people are too lazy to understand a law beyond the headline or what the news tells them about it.

And who and from where might folks "import" such votes? I don't understand what that means. Please do elucidate.

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