But I think the choice to become a minor power is a valid one.
Why the fuck should this tiny little island be one of the dominant powers in the world?
Why can’t we just be some little country up here?
After all, we were hardly the good guys when we ran things, were we?
As much as Brexit was wrapped up in all that colonial nostalgia bullshit, maybe it’s finally the opportunity the UK needs to just fuck off into quiet irrelevance, maybe we’ve had our time…
Well, take solace in the thorough job the Conservatives are doing in fulfilling that priority.
I thoroughly agree with every word in this post.
Blockquote Yes, I know… lower income people feeling disenfranchised looking to make a point.
It can be more than that. Those lower income people have often had their lives messed up by globalisation, and hence an anti-globalisation vote can make a lot of sense.
For myself, I felt really informed about the issues. I’ve been employed on EU research projects as a software engineer or researcher for many years, and seen a lot of the inside working of the system.
I was still very much on the fence about how to vote.
I did vote to remain, but it was a last minute decision, and some of my nerves were caused by the very real corruption that I saw in my EU-funded work. For example, several companies that we worked with were given millions of pounds of taxpayer funds, produced nothing for the money, and spent it on other work. I was really shocked by much of what I saw in my time on those projects, and it did really harm my faith in the EU.
Yeah it is great that all the exploitation of less “developed” countries is just historical, we’re all so much fairer nowadays.
Great chat, I’m off to buy the new iPhone now.
I’ve got bad news for you. This also happens in countries that are not in the EU.
thanks for sharing that, provides an interesting perspective and some much needed granularity in the political deliberation that took place for some during this issue beyond just “my team / your team.” Personally, I’m a happy and committed European and have benefitted immensely from the European Union, but there’s no doubt in my mind that the governing bodies and principles of the EU could be MUCH improved and are even potentially damaging to itself and its member states in the long run.
but that makes it sound as though there were some Captain Oates-like dignity to the decision to wonder out into the obscure wasteland.
that wasn’t the case though was it? For most it was almost the precise opposite—a belief that we were still capable of significance exclusively on our own terms; that we were exceptional enough to defy reality.
Brexiteers weren’t choosing to diminish the UK’s standing. They were choosing to restore it.
They were just wrong.
Globalisation is a significant factor in man made climate change, and numerous ecological problems yet is conveniently unreported on by most outlets.
The bodies in control of all this stuff make the rules and control the discourse and “solutions”.
Until that changes nothing else will.
Because we’re massively over-populated, and have a class system, and have minimal industrial self-sufficiency?
Never said it was. Thought I’d addressed that in my post.
Would be a nice byproduct though.
Not sure I agree.
Too many people living in cities and chronically underfunded services isn’t the same as too many people. Either way, a bunch of them will fuck off to the next place once they realise we’re old news.
Who doesn’t…
Agreed, this is problematic.
…it’s complicated, is it?
I appreciate that, I just felt that you were letting the leavers off the hook a little.
And whilst I agree that we need to accept we’ve no divine right to be of more global significance than any other small island with limited natural resources, I’d contend that a much better way of manifesting that acceptance was by allaying ourselves with our closest neighbours and accepting a small corner in their tent, rather than wondering out in the arctic blizzard with a thin vest on.
Tents are for cowards.
Bivvy or die!
Lateral thinking beyond countries should IMO be at least considered re global affairs.
The below chart is just something to contextualise, there are varying versions but it’s reasonable to suggest that the Central Banks will be able to exert huge control, as will the groups and families below them.
I personally don’t believe our governments are operating without these influences.
Or put more simply.
Banks run things.
But everyone already knows that, so…
You say that but not many hold that thought when they view world events or even national events.
Because they don’t want to think about how banks run everything.
Because they’re pretty sure there’s nothing they can do about it.
Because there’s nothing they can do about it.
Governments are just the public facing side of policy, it isn’t conspiracy theory to say that, yet by simple ridicule of such things people are reluctant to be labelled a tinfoil hat wearer, a great bit of propaganda, aided and enabled by extremists…
