An American political analyst has told the story of Britain’s rise within the EU and bizarre turn against it in a bid to make voters think again about Brexit.

The Washington-based Brexit expert has condensed five decades of history into 47 tweets that shows the madness of quitting a body it Britain did so much to build and make better.

As the battle over the minutiae of Brexit rages all around us, a timely reminder from across the Atlantic to look at the bigger picture…

1. Hello, United Kingdom, it’s the United States of America here, and we need to talk. — Steve Analyst (@EmporersNewC) July 10, 2017

2. We understand that you chose to split up with the EU, and we’re cool with it, but we thought we’d tell you how we see it. — Steve Analyst (@EmporersNewC) July 10, 2017

3. When you entered the Common Market you negotiated the creation of Regional Funds. pic.twitter.com/NN5ed159lD — Steve Analyst (@EmporersNewC) July 10, 2017

4. In 1979 you began pushing a policy involving further coordination of Foreign Policy in Europe. pic.twitter.com/PGzWw0Hi5t — Steve Analyst (@EmporersNewC) July 10, 2017

5. In 1983 you renegotiated the Common Fisheries Policy. pic.twitter.com/w5EJOVRZkr — Steve Analyst (@EmporersNewC) July 10, 2017

6. In 1987 you were leading the way in Cap Reform. pic.twitter.com/GgRX2NJilz — Steve Analyst (@EmporersNewC) July 10, 2017

7. Remembering 1983, the year that you were so proud that you had played your part cementing peace within the European Community. pic.twitter.com/jJ67pgjSPQ — Steve Analyst (@EmporersNewC) July 10, 2017

8. In 1988 you were excited when you launched the Single Market. pic.twitter.com/nQERCqwDCb — Steve Analyst (@EmporersNewC) July 10, 2017

9. In 1991 you secured an agreement that would see community members fined if they did not live up to their responsibilities. pic.twitter.com/kAm4luKPJB — Steve Analyst (@EmporersNewC) July 10, 2017

10. In 1992 you set the EU on the route to further expansion. pic.twitter.com/hpcTGSX5tZ — Steve Analyst (@EmporersNewC) July 10, 2017

11. It was 1992 when you also began to push for the ex-Soviet states’ entrance to the community. pic.twitter.com/xT6Yi78Npw — Steve Analyst (@EmporersNewC) July 10, 2017

12. In 1997 you pushed for a reform of voting involving the use of QMV in areas that were unanimous before. pic.twitter.com/iswSNxsqsO — Steve Analyst (@EmporersNewC) July 10, 2017

13. In 1998 you were instrumental in bringing WEU defence programme into the EU, and led greater defence collaboration. pic.twitter.com/RCggrZwD2U — Steve Analyst (@EmporersNewC) July 10, 2017

14. By 2001 the budget was starting to come down year on year, and it wasn’t the first time. pic.twitter.com/NkpTVyvcSQ — Steve Analyst (@EmporersNewC) July 10, 2017

15. In 2005 you voted to speed up Turkey accession, and by 2010 you were the only country fighting for that. pic.twitter.com/V1TLw3S5yE — Steve Analyst (@EmporersNewC) July 10, 2017

16. In 2006 you began convinced the EU to adopt energy efficient lightbulbs. pic.twitter.com/GgtfoGwp0u — Steve Analyst (@EmporersNewC) July 10, 2017

17. By 2010 you had secured some new opt outs. pic.twitter.com/wjNKTeEYPE — Steve Analyst (@EmporersNewC) July 10, 2017

18. The open voting reform you sought was in place. pic.twitter.com/fXS0uOonhC — Steve Analyst (@EmporersNewC) July 10, 2017

19. We were all delighted when you seemed to be taking the mature step of taking control of your destiny. pic.twitter.com/YgccKot4QI — Steve Analyst (@EmporersNewC) July 10, 2017

20. Then one day you said you needed to chat and you met up with the EU to discuss your issues — Steve Analyst (@EmporersNewC) July 10, 2017

21. I was under the impression the EU gave you almost everything you asked for, including additional security measures. pic.twitter.com/eyMhTrgLNh — Steve Analyst (@EmporersNewC) July 10, 2017

22. Then you went away and announced that you were leaving, which is totally cool, we respected that. — Steve Analyst (@EmporersNewC) July 10, 2017

23. But then you said the EU gave you nothing, and you couldn’t protect your borders. pic.twitter.com/BeBpsIfx72 — Steve Analyst (@EmporersNewC) July 10, 2017

24. You said it wouldn’t reform, you had lost 76 out of 2466 votes, and it forced you to do things you didn’t want to. — Steve Analyst (@EmporersNewC) July 10, 2017

25. The irony that you only knew that because of the reform you got did not escape us in the USA. pic.twitter.com/50EOPgjsME — Steve Analyst (@EmporersNewC) July 10, 2017

26. Largely because that 76 number included votes you didn’t take part in because they were in the area of your opt outs. pic.twitter.com/PtnnIj57uN — Steve Analyst (@EmporersNewC) July 10, 2017

27. We thought you were just having a funny 5 minutes, until you said you didn’t have control of the direction the EU was taking. pic.twitter.com/euLVvZNk91 — Steve Analyst (@EmporersNewC) July 10, 2017

28. That you don’t like the EU forcing those energy saving lightbulbs on you. pic.twitter.com/hnuRgp86xA — Steve Analyst (@EmporersNewC) July 10, 2017

29. That you want to leave the EU because it is pushing for Turkey to join. pic.twitter.com/yovZfoiAJb — Steve Analyst (@EmporersNewC) July 10, 2017

30. That the EU budget only ever went up. pic.twitter.com/bR7mTJsfx1 — Steve Analyst (@EmporersNewC) July 10, 2017

31. That you had no idea why the EU needed a military, and why it was pushing for further defence collaboration. pic.twitter.com/gywsmDnfBE — Steve Analyst (@EmporersNewC) July 10, 2017

32. That the EU had forced you to replace unanimity with QMV. pic.twitter.com/lawu0AgCPo — Steve Analyst (@EmporersNewC) July 10, 2017

33. That all the ex-Soviet citizens that are now in your community is all the fault of the EU. pic.twitter.com/1DyG11lL6M — Steve Analyst (@EmporersNewC) July 10, 2017

34. That too many countries have joined and are joining the EU pic.twitter.com/GxgzE46How — Steve Analyst (@EmporersNewC) July 10, 2017

35. That you don’t like being held accountable and fined by the ECJ. pic.twitter.com/SLA6GnVSMs — Steve Analyst (@EmporersNewC) July 10, 2017

36. That all this regulation coming out of the EU is strangling you, and the scope keeps increasing. pic.twitter.com/EOZQ8BZia3 — Steve Analyst (@EmporersNewC) July 10, 2017

37. That the European Community had nothing to do with peace and it was all NATO. pic.twitter.com/H6bi6Ue9e8 — Steve Analyst (@EmporersNewC) July 10, 2017

38. That CAP has always been bad for you. pic.twitter.com/gHGIqhjRGN — Steve Analyst (@EmporersNewC) July 10, 2017

39. That the CFP deal the EEC forced on you damaged the fishing industry in the 1980s pic.twitter.com/KzWxfAe7oY — Steve Analyst (@EmporersNewC) July 10, 2017

40. That it is a disgrace that you have to collaborate in certain areas of foreign policy. pic.twitter.com/j3nSM7aP1B — Steve Analyst (@EmporersNewC) July 10, 2017

41. And… That regional funds are stupid and you should be allowed to spend your money how you like. pic.twitter.com/PwqIqvInMG — Steve Analyst (@EmporersNewC) July 10, 2017

42. Now, I hate to cast aspersions, but are you absolutely sure the EU is to blame? — Steve Analyst (@EmporersNewC) July 10, 2017

43. To be honest, some think you are pandering to a part of you that blames anybody but themselves when things go wrong. pic.twitter.com/Xdcwxt2Ffz — Steve Analyst (@EmporersNewC) July 10, 2017

44. So, I am asking you to do some soul searching and rethink this whole thing. — Steve Analyst (@EmporersNewC) July 10, 2017

45. Just to be clear, we’ll still be friends, and it doesn’t matter if you decide to leave the EU, or not — Steve Analyst (@EmporersNewC) July 10, 2017

46. But if you leave for the reasons you have stated, you will not be respected in the global community for many years to come. — Steve Analyst (@EmporersNewC) July 10, 2017

47. Oh, and I heard you were talking about WTO reform. Seriously? After this?!? /End — Steve Analyst (@EmporersNewC) July 10, 2017

They say you don’t know what you’ve lost until its gone.

But we can’t complain we weren’t warned…