It wasn't long after the official campaign officially began a few weeks ago that I began to feel uneasy that it was all going to turn on immigration - and so it was to be, despite best efforts on both sides to talk about the economy, a subject which, to our cost, goes over the heads of too many people. It's the simpler things like foreigners - 'us' and 'them' - that people seem to want to talk about, but carefully couched in terms not that far removed from "Some of my best friends are black but........." Some were disconcertingly frank - "Our British culture is disappearing!", "We're getting taken over!" "We can't recognise our town any more!" And for one of the 'Leave' posters to display a seemingly endless queue of Syrian migrants fleeing for their lives, crossing the border from Turkey as though they were all hell-bent on coming over to Great Britain, that really was the pits! I felt just sick to my stomach. The tragedy now is that such tactics seem to have worked.
Of course I can't deny that some on the 'Leave' side were every bit as sincere as those in the 'Remain' camp though, very strangely, I did find that when it came to their nailing colours to their mast, there wasn't a single one politician of the former group whom I admired or even liked. (There were plenty on the 'Remain' side whom I disliked as well, but they were a much more balanced, motley collection.)
I feel particularly aggrieved for the younger generations, many of whom didn't even have the right to vote, whose future has now been determined largely by a section of the electorate (i.e. my generation and older) who won't even be alive to see the effect they've made on those surviving after them. If those presently younger ones wanted to remove themselves from the European Union at a later date then that would be up to them, and good luck with that!
Anyway, can't do anything about it now. A result is exactly that and we have got to live with it for better or worse. However, one Mr D. Trump hails it as a 'great' decision - so that's all right then! May the gods help us!
I was in such a bad mood at work yesterday and I couldn't even explain to my coworkers/customers why, because most of them pay little attention past their own noses and have no idea what Brexit is. I hope (but am not taking bets) that we do better over here in the US and don't start 2017 with The Donald in office. The hubby and I had been making jokes (that maybe aren't) that if that happened, we would just move to the UK. Hmm, I wonder how cold it gets in Canada?
ReplyDeleteVery reassuring to hear that we are basically of the same mind, Sadie. If my financial circs were better I'd consider Canada along with you, but I'll just have to sweat it out here, alas.
DeleteThere's also a clamour growing to run the referendum again on the grounds that not enough voted for 'leave' and the total number who voted both ways was too low anyway. I don't think they've got a cat in hell's chance myself. Nice try, though.
Btw: 'Your' Trump is, as far as I know, still pontificating his head off in Bonnie Scotland right now. His remark that we've just had a 'great' result didn't go down well there as Scotland vote two to one in favour of 'Remain' and it brings the likelihood of Scottish independence from the rest of Great Britain that much nearer. So, wherever he goes, it seems he can't avoid his foot-in-mouth syndrome.
Yeah, if he were to "fall" into a loch and not return, I'd be okay with that!
DeleteTrouble is, Sadie, with all that hot air inside him, as well as those 'water-wings' on his head, he'd almost certainly float. :-)
DeleteThe world has gone completely insane, Ray - both my country and yours - and I feel very sorry for the young generation. I'm glad that I saw a more "normal" existence when I was young...and I truly pity those who never did.
ReplyDeleteMighty strange times, Jon. Sometimes it all feels like a very bad dream. I just want to wake up. (Pinch, pinch).
DeleteRay, it sure is going to be scary for the next 5 years. But now we have to put best foot forward, the politicians need to find some positives as do I myself. People are worrying about their passport, they should be more worried about the economy rather than if they can go on holiday. They may not be able to afford to go abroad! urgh. there needs to be a plan, a frame work they need to start sorting it all out.
ReplyDeleteYes, you're totally right, Sol, of course. We've got to put a brave face on it and stride forward. I think there's going to be a lot of frustration and regret when reality starts to bite, and not just on holidays, though that may well be the most obvious difference which people start to notice. The rest of the stuff - food and other prices rising, no discernible drop in immigration, no extra funds for NHS - may be more gradual realisations. I shan't be surprised when the first banners appear saying "I didn't vote for Brexit" - just as there were when Mrs Thatcher was P.M. and people were proud to boast "I didn't vote for her". Interesting times ahead. It certainly won't be boring.
DeleteI read that a petition has over 1 million names for a "do-over" vote.
ReplyDeletehere, it's "one and done", so DON'T VOTE THE RUMP!
That petition currently now has over 2.5 million 'signatures', A.M., and will certainly top 3 mill, even 4, possibly more. (For comparison, the one against equal marriage collected 400,000. Fat lot of good THAT did them!) There will doubtless be a debate in Parliament now. The referendum result does not HAVE to be binding on the government, in theory at least, but I think that for all practical purposes there's no going back, nor should there be a second referendum for a minimum of some decades, much as I would like to see one now.
DeleteAs for (T)rump, well we've just demonstrated how the unlikeliest things can happen so don't let up on the anti-(T)rump movement - not that I'd expect you to.
Ray,
ReplyDeleteLike many, I was shocked when I heard if the election results. First thing I thought was the Kesus quote as he was dying in the cross "Forgive them Father for they know not what they do". The only good thing that can come out of that disastrous election result would be to open the eyes of some of our Trump supporters and make them realize that elections have consequences. God help us (and the world) if That racist, soulless charlatan is ever elected president of the United States.
Ron
It seems that many on the 'Brexit' side have been thinking "What have we DONE?!", Ron. Bit late for that now as we are stuck with it.
DeleteNow our lame-duck, Conservative Prime Minister who's announced his resignation - but not until October (though few think he can cling on that long) will be remembered in history, not for his admirable sticking-to-his-guns on equal marriage, but for being the one who called and lost the referendum, which there was no real need to hold anyway, thus leading not only to our calamitous withdrawal from the E.U. - and possibly the eventual break-up of that Union itself - as well as the very possible and, indeed, likely, break away of Scotland from Great Britain. Not a positive legacy in anyone terms.
I fear that the supporters of Trump may well take heart from this, especially since he was a supporter of Brexit, and tactlessly hailed it as a 'great' result in, of all places, Scotland, where the 'Remain' vote was the highest out of any constituent part of the U.K. I imagine that even he will be gloating that 'All things are possible'.
But, as you suggest, it's a salutary lesson that if you don't vote you could well get what you least want.
We've got our own Trump equivalent in former London mayor Boris Johnson, leading Brexiteer and now favourite to become the next Prime Minister - complete with flyaway blonde hair as well. At least his act as hail-and-hearty bumbler and buffoon he's aware of, which is more than can be said for the Trump, who takes insults as hard as he's easy in giving them. A windy, rocky road ahead, Ron, which should not be boring for one minute.
Ray,
DeleteLet's just hope that this expression of anger against the "establishment" by your older voters who yearn for an all white straight England (which will never be again, the toothpaste is already out of that tube), will not cause a worldwide recession. And that bloviating ignoranmous Donald J. Drumpf (real name, his Getman immigrant father changed it) will be soundly rejected in this Novembrr's elections. We do live in interesting times don't we Ray?
Ron
It's shock-a-day times, Ron. Out of the over 60s, 60% of them voted 'Leave', a good many of them no doubt yearning for a return to the days of the British Empire, a fictitious age of happiness and prosperity which never ever existed, certainly not for everyone. And out of voters under 25, three-quarters voted "Remain", and it would have been even higher had the government allowed the demand for votes at 16 - it was, after all, the future of the young more than anyone else which we were voting on. The selfishness of the result tells its own story.
DeleteYes, interesting times, and very worrying too.
The U.S. stock market took a nose dive after the results were announced, and then we heard the presumptive Republican presidential nominee saying "Brexit" is a good thing. And the really scary part is that his supporters don't get it, and keep supporting him anyhow.
ReplyDeleteI recognise the psychology of obstinate Trump supporters, Carol. They see any deviation from unqualified support of their 'champion' as being equivalent to admitting a weakness in themselves, whereas in truth it can be a sign of maturity and strength. Theirs is a mindset - and we're ALL vulnerable to it - not very different from those who insists that their religion is the single true one, while all other claims to be so are fraudulent and invalid. When Trump loses in November (surely that must be a 'when' rather than 'if'?) we'll see how quickly those same present strong supporters of his candidacy fall away.
DeleteCarol,
DeleteThe "really scary thing" always has been about Trump is those who support him.
Ron
Ron, I find the scariest thing of all is that there are such large numbers who DO support him. Easily more than enough to carry him to power, Heaven help us all!
DeleteI think my comment didn't get posted.
ReplyDeleteIf not I will do so again.
No sign of it, Dr Spo. If you do care enough about the subject and have the time to re-do, I'm very interested to read your take on it.
DeleteNow I can't remember or recreate it.
DeleteI suppose it was about bewilderment and sadness of the folly of leaping before looking. And some elements of hoping people will just vote it back.
Not to worry. There's a growing movement for our politicians to ignore the referendum result, which isn't binding anyway. Though that won't happen it'll keep the subject alive at least until those who voted for Brexit see what they've done and the promises they were given start to unravel. I can't wait to see them turn on those who deceived them as our country turns away, lost and alone in 'splendid' isolation.
DeleteThis isolationist and xenophobic atmosphere really turns my stomach, especially here where we are ALL originally from somewhere else.
ReplyDeleteOf course, the Brexit only reaffirms my fire to keep The Rump outta the White House lest we have a USexit from rational leadership.
Bob, as so many of us feared but we never wanted to voice it, in the last few days since the result there has been a marked increase in incidents of racial abuse ("Go back home. We voted 'Leave'!") against not just those with non-white faces, but also against Poles and other Europeans, identified through their accents, or from owning 'ethnic' food shops etc. It's getting scarier by the day, and will only be a matter of time before some serious harm is done. There's no reason to think that if the Trump wins - or even as his 'doctrine' spreads, that similar events will happen in your country too - and with all the guns over there as well.....!
DeleteI am completely with you, Ray. And I'm laughing (tearfully) at all the leavers who now say, "But I didn't think it was really going to go through." Too bad choices were made based on so many lies and, mostly, on Xenophobia.
ReplyDeleteThere's already a swelling sense of betrayal building up among the Brexiteers, Mitch, as the leaders of that side are now rowing back on their promise to reduce immigration. and having lots more money to spend. In fact it looks very like tax increases will be on the way as well as reductions in government spending. In addition to that there's the realisation that we are not going to have just the best bits of what we got in the E.U. without having to pay for it, either by big monetary contributions or agreeing to free movement of labour. It was plainly obvious that that would be the case, but too many were fooled by the false promises. I'd like to gloat in a fashion of "Told you so" but the consequences are far too serious for that. It's frightening how the incidents of 'hate' against anyone looking or sounding foreign have increased since the vote, and I think that this sense of betrayal can only send a lot of those who voted for Brexit and are now feeling let down, into the arms of the extreme parties.
Delete