As a British citizen, I am oscillating between sadness and rage: Brexit is the worst of times

[DonViejo]

A band of Britains succeeded in selling the myth that leaving the EU means "taking back control"

TOM HAMILTON

Brexit was the most significant vote in UK politics in my generation and the long-term effects on stability and security across Europe appear immense and deeply, deeply troubling.

Make no mistake, a band of thugs have won the day. Using a shameless, self-interested tabloid press, a feckless group of hypocritical elites (Boris, Farrage, Gove…) harked back to an imaginary British past of crumpets and glory, and succeeded in selling the myth that leaving the EU means “taking back control.”

Today is a victory for the far-right across Europe, for tribalism, divisive politics, irredentism, and an incredible rejection of evidence-based policy. This was not a courageous day. Common-sense did not prevail. This will be remembered as a foolish, over-zealous, icarus moment.

I am no political scientist, but looking at the demographic data of how people voted, it was the lower socio-economic groups in England, outside of major cities, who carried Brexit across the line; those with the lowest expectations for prosperity, the fewest qualifications, low-paying jobs and less opportunity for education. While Farrage celebrates this morning a new dawn for ‘real people’, he does not represent the true interests of the average British family. He found a convenient and susceptible constituency, then deployed the right mix of fear and wahey-I-can-balance-pints-on-my-head.

In reality, many Brexiters voted because they were told the EU was the source of all their ills. Many felt disenfranchised from politics, and that their concerns over immigration had been ignored. The UK has major socio-economic inequality and disparity between London and the rest of the country. The Leave campaign announced that all of these issues, including problems with the NHS and other strained public services, a housing crisis, and income inequality, were attributable to the EU. In fact, leaving the EU is likely to make some of these problems worse. Where will public discontent turn when it becomes clear that leaving hasn’t solved everything?

more
http://www.salon.com/2016/06/24/as_a_british_citizen_i_am_oscillating_between_sadness_and_rage_brexit_is_the_worst_of_times/

[Surya Gayatri]

1. ^^^This!^^^

Make no mistake, a band of thugs have won the day. Using a shameless, self-interested tabloid press, a feckless group of hypocritical elites (Boris, Farrage, Gove…) harked back to an imaginary British past of crumpets and glory, and succeeded in selling the myth that leaving the EU means “taking back control.”

[uponit7771]

2. we have to make sure the US media doesn't let the tRumpians spew their lies here unfettered

[spanone]

14. too late.

[SoLeftIAmRight]

49. lol

some just do not get it

[swhisper1]

51. I suppose these nefarious characters are also influencing Italy, Spain,Netherlands and all countries

declaring tomorrow

Not

Maybe people are upset that foreigners get housing and jobs before they do. Countries should take care of their own citizens before giving to untrained refugees. that isn't racism, it is survival

[SoLeftIAmRight]

55. AIR WATER FOOD

Air – Water – Food – Shelter – Income – Health – Education – Transportation – Energy – Relations – Entertainment

Get these working well and most other things will come easily.

I have strong utopian desires. My thoughts and hopes are distorted by this inclination. Still, most of my ideas were given to me by people that are smarter, more grounded, and have studied them thoroughly. For me, they seem like no-brainers.

I see that solutions abound and wonder at the slow pace of implementation. I am troubled that new assaults erupt at a pace faster than they are even acknowledged. Continued improvements in the provision and use of the basics must be the mission if we are to have a livable future.

Every person, school, business, organization needs to work actively to ensure that the things that they are engage in enhance or produce as little negative effect as possible on these resources.

[tonyt53]

3. All the stuff the UK buys from countries of the EU will now cost much more.

[swhisper1]

52. not true not for two years after declaration. It is not declared yet

[TubbersUK]

4. Thanks for posting

I'm fairly sure I've seen those carefully crafted, right wing talking points reproduced by more than one pro-Brexit poster on this site in the past few hours.

It's been a strange day.

[fasttense]

17. Think way back on when austerity was pushed by the EU and the UK

Remember how they forced the Greek people to pay back the illegal loans made by corrupt politicians and banksters? Remember when Greece voted to exit the EU too?

The corporate media is making it sound like it's all about bigotry and immigration. But the working class person knows it's about austerity. Did the oligarchs really believe that the working class forgot they lost their jobs, their children's tuition went up, the cost of health care increased and unfettered immigration decreased wages and reduced lower income jobs.

The media is feeding us propaganda and we have to look past it.

[TubbersUK]

38. I've been in the midst of it for weeks

I know exactly what it's about unfortunately. The central and recurring issue was, sadly, immigration - Farage and his noxious colleagues made quite sure of that.

That's not to say that working people and families in the UK aren't struggling, millions are and have been for years - including many members of my own family. It's frankly heartbreaking to see them juggling multiple low paid, insecure jobs and still sink into debt and despondency. The periods on benefits are unspeakable.

How has this happened? Because of the actions and inaction of successive UK governments. Because, Conservatives in particular, believe that the rich are motivated to work hard by more money and the poor by less money. Because they and the Blairites deliberately eroded the safety net while neglecting to plan, invest and manage the economy in the best interests of us all. You know the form. UK Conservatives and their ilk need no encouragement to put the bite on the most vulnerable and are prepared to justify it in any way they can.

Yet, they didn't really get fingered for any of this during the referendum campaign. Instead, Brexit made sure that the EU (which goodness knows is an imperfect thing) took the flack for the erosion of our quality of life - and the vehicle they used to do that was immigration. They threw in some other tidbits like imaginary £350,000,000 payments into EU coffers, but they majored on immigration. It's a time-honoured technique and, based on the many Brexit voters I've encountered, it worked.

That is my experience.

[swhisper1]

53. that was a disaster

[BlueMTexpat]

47. Ditto ... it seems that lots of

faux "progressives" still abound on DU.

Very strange remarks from some!

[whatthehey]

5. I don't understand LW support for this.

It will hurt the banksters! Nope. Other than some small UK only banks they'll be fine, the only impact to big boys like HSBC will be the costs to move their EU HQ to Paris, at the much greater and more germane cost of thousands of jobs and many millions in spending in the UK.

It means they are independent from unelected bureacrats! Nope. Always were. Not only did the UK have a greater proportion of votes in the very much elected European Parliament than their population as a part of the EU, but Cameron also recently negotiated a veto right in the attempt to avoid this clusterfuck.

The EU cost them more in contributions than aid! Sure, because they are, for now, richer than most EU countries so isn't that progressive taxation that we all claim to want? But even if you don't buy that, EU contributions are minuscule compared to the GDP loss that will come from losing tariff-free access to a 750MM person open market.

They had a trade imbalance with the EU! Richer countries usually do. We do. A trade imbalance also signifies demand for the debtor nation's currency. We can see from GBP exchange rates what just happened to that demand. Good luck paying for things in pounds now.

[justiceischeap]

6. The way I see it is they're cheering that Banksters/Corporations are finally gonna get theirs! Yes!

But in reality, the only people that will be potentially hurt in any significant way are the people that are already hurting. From what I'm reading and seeing this morning, Brexit is going to cost tons of jobs as Corporations decide to move out of the UK to EU countries. That just adds to more of the problem because any corporation that wants to remain in the EU will never move to the UK now. So, not only will they (the UK) lose jobs initially they may not be able to bring any in. Sadly, I think many had forgotten what the UK was like prior to joining the EU.

i.e. money: I've seen an uptick on DU during this election season that money is the enemy... as are people that want to make money or have it. Suddenly being prosperous is a bad thing among some. I don't get it myself. I'm never going to be "rich" but I don't begrudge anyone who is or wants to become so.

[whatthehey]

7. Minor quibble, possibly just inference

but the big corporations won't lose a huge number of jobs on the whole. Their UK locations will, but unless they were going to cut jobs anyway, those jobs still need to be done they'll just be done in Paris not London. The bigwigs will move, and the British little people will be unemployed while French, Swiss, German etc little people get new jobs.

[justiceischeap]

8. That's what I meant. :)

The UK will lose those jobs. I should reread and clarify since it wasn't clear.

[Boudica the Lyoness]

9. Because he hates Britain so much he should just bugger off.

I bet he's one of them who has other homes around the world. What does he care about the working class people!

I wonder if he was one of the Toffs screaming and making obscene gestures at our British fishermen.

I thought Democrats were for working class folk - what happened?

WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON?

[newthinking]

23. The media spin is interesting. They don't want to admit that part of the reason this passed

is because the EU was becoming an unresponsive and unrepresentative institution.

The idea of EU is excellent. But it has become a technocracy to populate ideas from the elite (like Austerity). It is not progressing as an institution.

If one listens to the narratives they will indeed think this is all about right wing groups. It wasn't. The right wing groups just started the ball rolling.

[phazed0]

10. "their concerns over immigration had been ignored" - Is this not true? nt

[840high]

16. It is true.

[pampango]

22. Most Trump supporters think "their concerns over immigration had been ignored".

Most liberals do not think "their concerns over immigration had been ignored".

[newthinking]

24. The EU situation is not the same as our situation

The media likes to paint it as that because they are invested in the status quo. But in reality common people are quite concerned in Europe about what the EU institution itself is becoming and they feel that it is distant and unrepresentative.

People love what it represents, but the reality has become quite different as it has become a technocracy.

How do you reform an institution like the EU when most of the organization behind it is not not a product of democratic will?

Most in the US have very little understanding of what the "EU" is. It is a superfederal government without accountability to voters.

It is the institution, not the community, that people voted against.

[pampango]

29. The "distant and unrepresentative" bureaucracy in Washington is what conservatives here always

complain about. Conservatives in the UK and Europe in general love to complain about the bureaucracy in Brussels.

If Boris Johnson succeeds Cameron as prime minister some Brits may long for the day of the "distant and unrepresentative" bureaucrats in Brussels. Johnson wants to turn the UK into a "hyper-capitalist island freed from EU regulation". EU mandated worker and environmental protections may not look so bad in the rear-view mirror.

[newthinking]

32. You get to vote for two houses and a pres and vp.

That is not the case with the EU (the institution). They are quite different.

[pampango]

35. But we don't vote for the bureaucrats. Conservatives love to complain about them.

If Boris Johnson is the new prime minister, Brits may get to "enjoy" a life free of bureaucrats "distant and unelected" or otherwise. A big win for conservatives.

[swhisper1]

54. almost a corporation

[phazed0]

26. To try and equate this to the US is ignorant of the situation, respectfully. nt

[pampango]

31. Older conservatives are uncomfortable with immigration all over the world. Immigrants

are, by definition, different. Older conservatives too often don't play well with OTHERS.

[phazed0]

33. The situation is a 'bit' more complex than that

and you are still equating the politics of here, with there.

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-34131911

[pampango]

36. Voters over 50 voted Leave. Voters under 50 voted Remain.

Trump's support comes mainly from older voters. Bernie's (who favored Remain) supporters came significantly from young people. There are patterns that transcend specific countries.

[phazed0]

37. Good lord, dude

There are more reasons, other than the stereotypes you offer, that people voted this way. You do know that "immigration" can actually be bad, right? I'm not stating that because I am blanket-against immigration but there is a line to be crossed with anything.

[pampango]

39. Immigration in the UK is less than every Western European country other than Finland and Denmark.

It is much less in the UK than it is in Sweden, Norway, France and Ireland, just to name a few.

https://data.oecd.org/migration/foreign-born-population.htm

Fear of immigrants seems to be much higher in the UK than it is in countries that actually have more immigrants.

Why is the UK more stressed out about immigrants than Ireland is? Ireland has a much higher percentage of immigrants than the UK has.

There are more reasons, other than the stereotypes you offer, that people voted this way.

Facts about voting patterns is not stereotyping.

[newthinking]

56. Have you read what the European Left is saying

They are not blaming it on the factors you mention. They are blaming the EU for being unresponsive and leading things to what happened. The EU was meant to be something quite different than it has become in recent years and many, including leftists, were not happy with it as an institution.

http://www.commondreams.org/news/2016/06/24/after-brexit-european-left-calls-massive-political-opposition

The Leave campaign won "because the EU establishment have made it impossible, through their anti-democratic reign (not to mention the asphyxiation of weaker countries like Greece), for the people of Britain to imagine a democratic EU," DiEM25 said, adding that the vote should motivate leftists across Europe to unite for a populist movement.

The group's statement continued:

We can proudly look the powers-that-be in Brussels, Berlin, Frankfurt, Paris etc. in the eye and tell them: “We tried to save the EU from you. But you have poisoned the EU so badly by silencing the voices of democrats that, though we tried, we could not convince to people of Britain to stay.”

We, at DiEM25, are in no mood for being downcast now that Leave won, against our better efforts. As of today, a new exciting challenge begins for our pan-European democratic movement.

[....] As of today, DiEM25 will seize upon the OUT vote to promote its radical agenda of confronting the EU establishment more powerfully than before.

The EU’s disintegration is now running at full speed. The DiEM25 campaign of building bridges across Europe, bringing democrats together across borders and political parties, is what Europe needs more than ever to avoid a slide into a xenophobic, deflationary, 1930s-like abyss. In this endeavour, British progressives will be at the heart of DiEM25’s campaigns.

[pampango]

57. The Left imagines a "more democratic EU". So do I. The far-right imagines no EU at all.

... building bridges across Europe, bringing democrats together across borders and political parties, is what Europe needs more than ever to avoid a slide into a xenophobic, deflationary, 1930s-like abyss.

... though we tried, we could not convince to people of Britain to stay.”

I could not agree more. And I am heartened that the Left campaigned for Remain. I agree with them on that, too.

The question is whether the victory for Brexit brings a "democratic EU" closer or whether it brings the far-right vision of no EU and a xenophobic hyper-nationalism 1930's-like closer. The fact that the Left campaigned for Remain answers that question but does not change the victory for the far-right. We need to deal with that.

A more democratic EU would lead to an open, liberal continent governed together in the long run. The far-right would hate that and will work for their own "Brexit" referendums in the near future. The momentum is now on their side.

[newthinking]

34. People are really caught up in the narrative.

And it is hard to move past the sound bites. Our narrative based media is so fucking awful anymore. It just keeps getting worse.

[auntpurl]

11. Jesus, this. nt

[elmac]

12. As I understand it, its just a mandate by the people

and has a few years before it actually becomes "law" if thats the word. I'm thinking, somehow, someone will find a workaround.

[davidthegnome]

13. Hard to believe...

Hard to believe that Britain voted this way. I remember being a younger American and always thinking to myself that the British had several things much better figured out than Americans. The conservative movement since that time has really grown into some kind of monster.

I'm sure various people had various reasons for voting as they did... but the simple facts of the matter are that this is going to ultimately really hurt the economy of the UK. It's going to be felt across the EU - and around the world to a certain extent as well. If the immediate, significant drop in the stock market is any indication... then the effects of this decision are already being felt, pretty much immediately after the vote.

I don't think that this event alone will send the world into another global economic crisis... but some times something like this has a rather large ripple effect. Will other Nations leave the EU? What will happen if they do? Will Britain now promote a more isolationist policy? Are they going to withdraw from various trade agreements? There's a lot of questions that could be asked here.

As someone who is unemployed, uninsured, broke and injured to boot... I can say with some authority that this kind of stuff matters. The housing and various other economic issues that led to a global economic crisis previously... was pretty devastating in terms of money lost, jobs lost, homes lost - poverty, struggling and suffering. Under current regulations however, there is little to prevent such a thing from happening again - and republicans (and sadly, even some democrats) are pushing to further de-regulate the already poorly regulated market.

Let's all have a look around. Trump is the presumptive Republican nominee. We are still engaging in this global war on terror that is draining our resources. Our public education system is on very shaky ground. Our media is deceitful and controlled by the corporate world. Our infrastructure is crumbling. Citizens United gave greater power to wealthy special interests - to the extent that they can often write our legislation at this point. Then we have the immigration issues, the environmental issues. We have hunger and homelessness in many states (my own - Maine, is enduring a great deal of hardship under Governor LePage and various other assholes). There is great tension with Russia, with China, North Korea - and various other powers in the world.

What would it take to set off another economic crisis that would greatly dwarf the "great recession"? I'm no economist, I only went to college for about a year before I ran out of money and ended up in great debt instead. Still, it seems to me that our Country - and perhaps the world at large... are on shaky ground. In a time when our primary focus should be on resolving climate change and preserving our world for future generations, instead, we are all caught up in ideological warfare.

It's enough to make a sane man depressed - and I never claimed to be very sane.

My sympathies to those in Britain who are struggling with this - wish I could help out, but in spite of recent comments made here - I still think America is even dumber than Britain.

[tclambert]

15. Next thing you know, they'll want you to build a wall.

Where this wall will be and how it will protect you from immigrants . . . well, those details won't be discussed in much detail. Anyway, they will promise someone else will pay for it.

[newthinking]

25. It's not really "just" about immigration. That is a "Narrative".

It is easier for the media to spin out an emotional narrative (and better for ads) than to try to explain what is really behind this.

This sentiment did not happen overnight and there are multiple reasons behind different groups that voted for it.

[mr blur]

18. It seems that some are already regretting their votes.

Mandy Suthi says that she her family voted for Brexit but they've changed their mind now that she's seen what's happening.

She told ITV she is full of regret and, along with her two sisters and her parents, would vote differently if given a second chance.

"The facts are coming in now and our eyes are actually open," she explained. "We're actually seeing what's happening."

Ms Suthi said the biggest shock was David Cameron resigning, and that her and her family didn't expect it to happen.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/06/24/im-full-of-regret---extraordinary-moment-brexit-voter-changes-he/

These idiots actually believed the propaganda that the racists were spreading last week!

[hatrack]

40. Well, Mandy, too freaking late now!

You couldn't be bothered to learn, and you voted "with yer gut", and now you're sorry you did.

Tough.

Suck it up - and maybe the next time there's an election, do a little homework before stepping into the voting booth.

[Spitfire of ATJ]

19. Trump is happy. That should say it all.

[workinclasszero]

27. Thats all I need to know

If Herr Trump is for it, its got to be bad!

Does fox 'news' like it as well?

[Spitfire of ATJ]

41. Dunno, but the "leave" crowd....

....can't wait to vote for Trump in England.

[Fritz Walter]

20. Don't take this personally, but...

Your fellow subjects wiped out a good chunk of my retirement savings. In one day.
I may eventually forgive, but I will not forget.

So spare me!

Henceforth, no Brit can ever look down her/his nose at USA citizens. No more snide comments, witty put-downs or unvarnished insults.

We will deal with Drumpf on our own!

/s/ a great-grandson of Irish hunger immigrants

[former9thward]

42. The market was down about 3% today.

So 3% is "a good chunk of my retirement savings."? Strange math. You think the market will never go back up? Unless you cashed out all your savings today you have lost nothing and will lose nothing as a result of Brexit. Brexit will have no long term effect on the U.S. economy.

[Fritz Walter]

43. 3% can be significant

When you're this close -> <- to retirement age, and most of your portfolio is comprised of index funds.

[former9thward]

44. So you really do think it will never go back up...

If you are "this close" to retirement age you should not have that much in equity funds.

[Fritz Walter]

46. I never say "never"

But people who are in their 60's don't have the luxury of time on our side. I look at how long it took for my savings to recover from the Great Recession. Years.

And with all due respect, I take my investment and retirement planning advice from a certified financial planner who is paid a regular salary (not commissions or fees) by my credit union. Not from strangers on the Internet.

[newthinking]

21. The media does not do a good job of explaining why this all is happening

Part of it is right wing fear. But the real reason this has succeeded is because much of the population sees EU governence as being undemocratic and unresponsive.

They love the idea of visa free travel etc but they were losing democratic power to a large federal bureaucracy filled with professional elites.

How do you make an institution like the EU, which is an upper layer that is not a democratic institution, change when it is not an elected body? Reform will be needed so that it becomes a more democratic institution or this will continue to happen.

[phazed0]

28. +1

[Hydra]

48. You state it so simply

But the bitebacks you've gotten say it all- the support for the idea of a technocratic big brother to "protect and guide" us all seems to have many more adherents than I ever would have believed were there.

[katsy]

30. Ha! The correct question right there.

"The Leave campaign announced that all of these issues, including problems with the NHS and other strained public services, a housing crisis, and income inequality, were attributable to the EU. In fact, leaving the EU is likely to make some of these problems worse. Where will public discontent turn when it becomes clear that leaving hasn’t solved everything?"



1. Public discontent should focus on their vile, bought-off politicians and they should clean house.

2. The EU, should it want to exist, better take heed and put proper social safety nets in place before disasters happen instead of burdening the already working poor for their own short-sighted fuck ups.

[enid602]

45. vultures

I'm just surprised how quickly the vultures are lining up to feast on Britain's carcass. Scotland ready to seek independence again to keep in the EU. Speculation among the Sinn Fein, hoping for a United Ireland. Paris, Frankfort and NYC ready to pick off London's financial sector. Even Argentina is researching how it can reassert itself in the Falklands.

[Cha]

50. Thank you for this, Don..