After repeatedly trying to discuss "what does the EU actually do, how does it actually work" with people, I can really only draw one conclusion: it's not that the anti-EU folks don't understand, it's that they *want* to keep believing the anti-EU rhetoric because it gives them someone to blame for everything as an easy answer, whether it is true or not.

(This is only about specifically anti-EU stances that usually come with some sort of nationalist rhetoric, not general anti-government or anti-hierarchy stances which are much more varied)