Re: Another remainer...
Oh how I wanted to type TL:DR; at this, but I actually read it.
You make a good point in the way that the EU is governed and governing. You look at how the EU (including the UK) treated Greece when they held a referendum about whether the country should submit to more of the austerity the EU said they needed in order to give Greece a loan so that the whole EU wouldn't sink. The EU basically said "we don't care what your people think, you're doing this". Likewise with the Lisbon treaty years ago when the Irish held a referendum, and a leading figure of the EU (the name escapes me, but it was a man) effectively said "You need to re-run that vote until it comes out with the vote we desire".
That's what the EU is. A group of people we elect who are either thirsty for power (Juncker) or are so devoid of respect for the EU they just turn up to collect their pay cheque (UKIP). Those who want power achieve it through the inaction of those who can't be bothered. For example, Junker was elected as President of the EU, but was the only person in the running for election. So he got it by default. HOW can that be allowed?
But the thing is, our problems with the EU start at home. UKIP are ever present in Brussells and hold the largest majority of votes from the UK to be our representatives in Europe. How does it make sense that to achieve change in the EU, to stand up for the country against EU regulations etc, we send a party that has absolutely no intention of reformation of the EU in to the EU as our representatives? They want the UK out of the EU, why would they try and work with the EU or change the EU when it benefits their party for the UK to be out of it? And how to do go about bringing that change in to your own country? Well you can draw your own conclusions on that.
But while this is a big negative of the EU, there are massive positives. Workers rights, for example, are protected by the EU - not the UK. There is an EU law that prevents employees from working more than a specific number of hours per week - I think it's 42 or something - and the UK adheres to this. However, there are ways around it, and employees "can opt out" of it. But from my experience working for Wetherspoons, if you didn't opt out you didn't get a job. Now imagine what the UK would be like, with the explosion in God awful zero hour contract culture, would be like to work in?
Furthermore, the rights of pregnant women in the work place are protected by the EU. Knowing that on the building sites up and down the country the workers there are also protected through various health and safety laws. Laws like that come about because people die, not because someone in a suit thinks a high viability jacket is a bold fashion statement.
But all of the EU laws that, apparently, are imposed on us is utter tosh. In the UK, as laid down by the EU, it's law that shop fronts and public transport systems must be easy for disabled people to use. The UK have done that, with very few places (AFAIK) still difficult for use by a person in a wheelchair. However, if you go to Paris there are around 6/7 metro stations in the capital with disabled access. But the same EU law applies to them, so what gives?
The UK treats the EU legislation as the gold standard. Not all other EU countries do. So who do we blame for that? Bullshit career politicians who are all too quick to point the finger at some one else for their own laziness and apathy.
And in regards to the NHS - it's under threat from Centralist/Right-wing politicians, not the EU. We live in a country where the people we "elect" are there because they have friends with deep pockets. But as we all know, if you do a favour for someone you know that some point down the line you'll need that favour returned.
"Hello, David Cameron? It's Richard Branson, I need to talk to you about cancer treatment in the UK"
From speaking to my girlfriends mother who has worked in the NHS for decades as a nurse, any private patient deemed too expensive to treat by the private medical company is sent back to the NHS for treatment. So they pay twice.
Let that last one sink in. Like the Anonymous Coward before me said: rise up. Not against the EU, its time will come, but against our own piss pot career politicians who are only in it to make a few quid for themselves and only care about you once every 5 years.