The reason for most is a bit deeper than that, I think. Most of us will ping pong back and forth to the UK. Gone are the days when people emigrate never to be return. On top of that, regardless of where we currently live most of us are British and with British or Commonwealth ancestry who fought and in some cases died so that we and our descendants could be free from domination from foreign entities. There's no way in hell that I'm willing to squander that valuable legacy for anything - much less a fistful of euros and the convenience of travelling around member states without a visa. And never mind the fact that we're currently not living there. Our country of origin is not something we discard and cease caring about or relinquish the right to care about - just because we are abroad.

It's a trite phrase, but "you can't reason people out of a position they haven't reasoned themselves into" applies very much to the rhetoric around brexit.

Ah, I knew that the ECHR was a requirement for being in the EU, but I didn't know that bit. Thanks.

Was it your job that destroyed your empathy or did you never have any in the first place?

My job has nothing to do with how much or how little empathy I have about a number of subjects and I believe I have the right to have an opinion be it right or wrong. I notice you are not voting so what is that old saying if you don't vote then your opinion doesn't count?
Nobody knows for certain what will happen with a LEAVE or REMAIN vote its all speculation. Are expats living out of the UK really expecting a life changing decision either way?
So they decide to vote REMAIN and several years down the road the EU accepts several other countries to join the EU which have been identified as follows

Montenegro, Albania, Serbia, Macedonia, Iceland and Turkey
EU enlargement: The next seven - BBC News

So for arguments sake they get EU membership their citizens are then free to go to the UK. Several million more arrive in the UK ya think there might be some opposition and those who voted REMAIN are now wishing they hadn't or decide then not to go back to the UK. Hang on you voted for that to happen

If the vote is LEAVE which will take about 2 yrs for the UK to actually leave the EU will the UK sink and disappear and again those who voted now change their minds?

I find this interesting

To pacify his party and undermine the anti-European Union U.K. Independence Party, or UKIP, Mr. Cameron promised to hold the referendum should he be re-elected prime minister. So he wants to remain but calls a vote.

3 weeks to go.

There you go again with a variation on the "if it means so much" and "why is it so important?"...

Why does it have to be a life changing decision?

Is it a life changing decision every time you vote on something? If not why bother voting?

Do you go into a bout of depression if you vote on the side that loses or celebrate with expensive champagne if you voted on the winning side?

Or just think, Oh well or that's nice? Depending on how this vote goes, will you really not care or think "John back home will be happy" or "that will serve Fred right, the tosser" or some such?

Even though Im writing those words they are not my words regarding the vote.
Its the UK voters being told by both sides how important this vote is and what it might mean if either side wins. Now how credible those claims are god only know which are true or false. This vote is different to a general election as we all know whichever party gets elected they will break promises and raise taxes and fees eventually when saying they wouldn't.
I compare this vote to Quebec having their referendums when we all know that they wouldn't win another referendum unless something drastic happened.

It will be interesting to see how many votes are cast and the % who voted.

Okay, but you keep using them in reference to people no longer in the UK.

Err...not living in Canada. Look under my avatar, my location has been stated for many years.

No, in retrospect, a referendum on the EU is beyond the capability of 80% of the population. It may be a simple set of choices, but the impact is enormous and complex. Keep referenda for simple issues like fox hunting.

Eh. Who should get to make the choice then?

I know where my loyalties lie...

Where do you get the 80% value from? Who are the 20% who are capable of making such a decision?

Those who ride to hounds, of course.

No, no. That's the 80%. The country has gone to the dogs you know.

Where is the evidence that Canada does well?

Polymer bank notes.