No, not everybody drinks in the Eurosceptic propaganda, jake. But not all of us believe everything else we are told about it either.
I appreciate your stance, especially bearing in mind your career. Of course the US sees the UK as part of “Europe”. It’s the definition of “Europe” that perhaps those in the US are not quite aware of. Businesses make decisions that are best for their customers, their shareholders and their staff (usually, but not always in that order of priority). Most of them really don’t care too much for political ideology. Unfortunately the same cannot be said of the EU aristocracy.
There can be little doubt in anybody’s mind that they harbour grandiose plans of ever closer EU integration and many of them will not be satisfied until the EU becomes a united state in its own right, with one government, one fiscal system, one army, one foreign policy, in short, a single sovereign entity. Unfortunately (or perhaps fortunately, depending on your viewpoint) they are not too accomplished in their aims as the Euro debacle will attest. Their political dogma overrides their common sense and untold damage ensues as a result. Even as I write, further value has been wiped off global stockmarkets (probably your company included) whilst the Eurozone dithers over what to do about the finances of a country which should never have been allowed to adopt the Euro in the first place and has adequately demonstrated why not in the past few months. But, hey-ho, they were allowed in because it showed the world how committed the EU, or at least its politicians were to enlargement and integration. And all of us - you and your US employer included - are paying a heavy price for that flawed decision.
There is no evidence whatsoever to support your claim that “Leaving the EU would be devastating to foreign investment in this country” – if for no other reason that it has not been tried. Outrageous as it may seem (and for this there is evidence), countries outside the EU – both near and far – manage perfectly well to trade with each other and we with them. Many of them have no difficulty in attracting foreign investment. Trade and investement between EU countries would not suddenly cease if the EU ceased to exist. Businesses and the markets run trade and investment, not politicians.
Your contention that a vote should not be held because one has been held before (albeit 36 years ago) is a bit misleading, gromit. As I said earlier (possibly in response to another question) the situation with the UK’s relationship with Europe is completely different to that which prevailed in 1975 – mainly because of the duplicity of politicians of all parties in many European countries in the intervening period.
But this is really a simple matter to resolve. Just ask the electorate what they want.