I feel like you collate a lot of right wing stuff here with “should the UK stay in the EU?”

I do this because the Brexit movement in the UK is largely a right wing movement, not a left wing movement. It is domineered by assholes like Aaron Banks, Andy Wigmore, Nigel Farage, Robert Mercer, Steve Bannon and Boris Johnson.

For Socialism we have to leave the EU it enshrines the right of free flowing capital throughout the EU

I agree with that. I also say that leaving the EU encourages the flow of capital between the UK and USA. In trade negotiations one thing the USA wanted was an introduction of the drug patent system into the UK, which would facilitate the price-gouging of life-saving drugs necessary to people’s lives. There is also a threat to the National Health Service not just because of our own government’s zeal for privatisation, but also corrupt American big pharma corporations who wish to purchase and monopolise it. I’m lucky that I live in a country where I can get healthcare for free, albeit usually with extremely long waiting lists. Apparently it is considered normal in the USA to deprive people of things like insulin, the lack of which can lead to arterial blockage, ulcers and necrosis of the toes, feet, legs, fingers and hands, requiring amputation of said body parts in order to prevent sepsis. I don’t want to die because the CEO of UnitedHealth says I haven’t worked enough hours on minimum wage to be awarded with chemotherapy.

so to stay in the EU is to remain wedded to the status quo in the hopes of what?

I don’t think what I expressed was the status quo at all. You can vote against Brexit cynically and pragmatically whilst not holding the status quo, and that is what I did in 2016. And what do you hope will come from Brexit? Since the vote has already concluded and Brexit is almost certainly going to happen, I’d like to be reassured as to what we will gain. I admit to being a “defeatist”, as you said I was. Being optimistic is hard these days.

This is telling people to vote for Clinton because “trump is worse”.

I could similarly argue that supporting Brexit is the same as saying “vote for Trump because he rejects the capitalist liberal status quo”. It makes no difference to me because I’m not in the USA and I will have no impact on US politics. But if I were, I would vote tactically against the person who wants to run concentration camps to put foreigners into, and periodically spray them with the toxic and corrosive gas HDQ Neutral. That would not mean that I support Hilary Clinton 100%, even if I did end up voting for a Democrat.

I agree with everything you said about the EU in relation to Yugoslavia, Greece, Catalonia, and France. What I would also add is that the UK didn’t give two fucks about any of that oppression either.

If we stay in the EU what is even the point of electing a left wing government - may as well just resign ourselves to liberalism.

I don’t see it like that. First get a left wing anti-imperialist government into power, then when the EU pushes back, then leave the EU. Leaving the EU under the helm of a racist, sexist, homophobic capitalist government intent on threatening immigrants is not good praxis IMHO.

…to meekly resign yourself to being wedded to the EU for fear of “hurting ordinary people” ignores the fact that ordinary people are hurt by the EU everyday.

I have to stress that I started my original comment talking about the people who have been hurt by the EU.