The Dance around the Golden Calf

in German published 2019-02

Weird relationship dramas are currently playing out in Europe. Although the starting position in Switzerland and the UK is different, there are striking parallels. In both countries, large sections of the population are against a new deal with the EU.
For the EU, enforcing its ideology is a priority, while EU citizens are secondary.

The EU is a project of do-gooders who take no account of non-members.

The EU has a democratic deficit!
What would the result be if all EU citizens were asked in a vote whether they want the EU to be a confederation or a federal state?

The EU has had bad experiences with direct democracy in the UK. The opinion will be consolidated in Brussels that the voters are not to be trusted.
The relationship between the EU and direct democracy is full of irritations.

The basic idea of the single market is widely accepted across Europe. But 
 u n r e s t r i c t e d  freedom of movement divides Europe. The EU's demand that everyone play only by its rules seems to be an imposition on sovereign nations that do not have to ask themselves if they share blame for the outbreak of the two world wars.

Countries that do not understand the inseparability of the four European freedoms are threatened with exclusion from the single market. The EU acts as a monopolist for the European internal market, but shows no trace of remorse. For me this is another example of how people who dogmatically support a “good” idea cause a lot of mischief.

If Britain and Switzerland do not comply with the dictates of the EU, they have to reckon with partial exclusion from the internal market. Prosperity may be less rapid in both countries for some time afterwards. Both countries do not know what “punitive measures” they can expect from Brussels, but since intra-European trade is also determined by WTO rules, the impact will be smaller than the EU supporters claim.

But is it the highest of all goals to optimize our wealth?

Is the dance worth it for the golden calf?

Are there no higher values than economic growth? Shouldn’t politicians advocate that the people can live according to their own rules and not be determined by others?

In the long term, however, prosperity will be higher if we don't become fixated on the golden calf.
Should we look at the planning of the Berlin airport, rigid French centralism or Italian chaos as a model? Isn't Switzerland the most successful European nation?