So there seems to be some debate about how much we should pay as part of Brexit

[Burney]

A Europe with an artificially un-mighty Germany in it was even less safe. The story from unification to surrender in 1945 was one of Germany finding its rightful place as a major european power and economy.

Italian nationalism was pretty destabilising, as were the artificial nation states imposed at Versailles that created such easy prey for Hitler.

the problem is that we never wanted this to be our problem. We only ever got dragged in to sort it out and, from day to day, wanted nothing to do with them. We still dont.

Arguably the right thing to do was never join. Or at the very least, to leave before Maastricht.

Oddly enough, Europe's never been more peaceful than when Germany was divided. No sooner does Germany reunify than Yugoslavia kicks off in no small part because that fat-headed cünt Helmut Kohl - in a moment of post-unification hubris - unilaterally decided to recognise Croatia and Slovenia.

The Cold War - for all its faults - kept everything nice and stable.

And yes, we'd love to leave well enough alone, but long experience tells us that if we don't at least keep a watching eye on our European cousins, sooner or later they'll come after us and have to be slapped.