[ExI] Cosmopolitanism, collective epistemology and other issues

[Anders Sandberg]

On 2016-07-10 15:16, spike wrote:
> BillK, I don't see why this is considered a big crisis. If the Brits 
> collectively decide this was a bad idea, they can vote to rejoin the 
> EU, ja?

Not really. Joining or leaving the EU is a very complex legal and 
bureaucratic process, so if Article 50 gets invoked there will be at 
least 5+ years of no free trade and endless diplomacy for the 
leave/rejoin process. And invoking another UK referendum before that 
would require political capital none of the parties have: they are both 
near splitting right now, and any PM triggering a new referendum would 
likely also trigger the final breakup of the current parties.

In theory it is likely as easy as California leaving or rejoining the 
US, I guess. (OK, that is an exaggeration, the US is a bit more tightly 
integrated).


I am feeling smug I applied for a position on an EU ethics board on the 
referendum night with both my UK and Swedish office addresses; I might 
end up commuting by train to Brussels to do EU work from a non-EU country.

-- 
Dr Anders Sandberg
Future of Humanity Institute
Oxford Martin School
Oxford University