In large part because the US and EU diplomats were only interested in spreading “Capitalism”, not democracy.
Well, the modern analog is that about two years ago it became apparent that my parents, whose property line was effectively city limits of the fifth largest town in Arkansas, were never going to get even the most rudimentary form of broadband.
Stop! That’s the sum of the planning that anyone did. No galaxy brain shit needed. The English Tory party decided that Brexit was more important than the union - membership polling showed this very strongly - so fucking the DUP over big time was done first thing after Al got into power.
I still think a hard border is on the cards as smuggling and money laundering are really the only actual plans the English Tory party have for the future and the EU won’t stand for Ireland being used to launder goods into the single market. And that, not the Good Friday Agreement and Irish intransigence, has what the argument has always been about. Ireland wanted a good deal with soft everything for England desperately. It’s more important to us than anyone else.
But the English billionaire press missed the point as usual and blamed us for the English Problem.
I’ll start with a /s tag just in case…
Well, let’s hope that when the ‘loyalists’ and ‘republicans’ in NI start to calmly consider their reactions to an Irish Sea border and/or Ireland being forced to erect a physical border in due course, their calmly considered and selected targets for political persuasion (a.k.a. bombs) are those very same English billionaire press gang members.
How tragic for Orban that his country does not speak English and inhabit the eastern shores of the Atlantic. That would get him a sweet trade deal and plenty of money, stat.
How tragic for the UK that our country does.
Of course, Leaver fantasies aside, the UK will be screwed long and hard in any trade deals that they are going to have to make after the Brexit. You’ll be in the position of weakness, and for stupid, completely avoidable reasons, so everyone will be looking to squeeze the most out of the UK for a best deal for themselves.
Holy shit. Hard Brexit coming, Scottish independence on the horizon, new problems for Ireland, and a death sentence for hundreds of billions of dollars of financial transactions being centered in London.
I honestly didn’t expect the UK to beat the US to the punch in the race to see who could dismantle their world status faster, but here we are.
In the same vein, we might wind up with just Britain and States. Part of me really wants to move, but where?
Fascists on the march everywhere these days, including in “last bastions” of liberal democracy like Germany and Canada and New Zealand. And the “free”-market fundies continue their assaults on social democratic programmes in those countries, too. There are no perfect places, just less f*cked ones. And, to be clear, the UK just shoved a red-hot iron poker up its own arse.
Finally!
The british electorate had every chance to stop this … and they failed for the third time. Illusions of grandeur from past centuries beat facts. Apparently they want this mess. Let them have it.
Good for us, the rest-EU.
Hopefully in a few weeks I don’t have to see examples of their idiotic domestic politics and the ramblings of their chief-buffoon on the daily news anymore.
Is this truly realistic or a revenge fantasy of bitter remainers?
Here in the US, Democratic machine politicians are just as staunchly against moving away from FPTP as Republicans. They would far rather see Republicans in power than loosen their grip on the party machine that keeps them in power.
I’m trying to care, but I’m sorta woozy by the fumes of our own dumpster fire.
Good luck, Britain!
Maybe the sequel to Brexit could be called “Scot-Free”?
Apparently multiple polls over the last month have shown support for Reunification in NI around 50/50. Which is pretty unprecedented. Its sat around 70/30 against practically forever.
It’s certainly messy, and there isn’t a clear answer on “how would that work” yet. But there’s much better reason for it now, and the ideas out there are a lot more practical than they were last time. Plus the EU has been dropping hints about fast tracking them back into the EU.
1 There’s been long standing suggestions of a Gaelic/Celtic league/block of the non-England bits of the UK and Ireland. But it mostly seems to be dismissed as pointless. And in the Brexit context I’ve mostly seen it pitched as an alternative to the EU. Mostly by pro-Brexit types arguing Ireland should leave the EU too for… reasons. Johnson’s been doing a lot if that sort of shit. But also as a potential solution to Scotland (or Wales) going to the back of the line on EU membership.
Basically the idea being if Ireland is in the EU, and the other parties aren’t. Then a trade union of some sort between your North Atlantic nations mitigates the damage and makes Ireland their pathway to the EU market. It won’t happen and won’t really work, because it’s basically asking Ireland to prop everyone else up while they un-fucked their shit. And Ireland does not want to do that. That possibility is a major source of resistance to Reunification in Ireland.
But there’s already a legally established, on the books, and presumed to happen eventually process for Reunification in Ireland. Backed and supported by the EU. And that lets NI just stay in the EU.
Such a construction isn’t possible according to EU treaties.
Yeah there’s that problem too.
It’s one of those magical ideas where other countries will just do what they’re told and the EU will make “deals” outside their own interests and rules because obviously the UK is so important. Which seems to be why it’s mostly a feature of the pro-Brexit side. And before Brexit it was a Eurosceptic pipe dream.
Discounting the Scottish Independence versions I don’t think I’ve seen it proposed in a form that didn’t include the UK/England in a long time.
And a lot of the time lately I’m seeing the Scandinavian countries and Iceland rolled it.
They don’t ask - It’s arranged at a select few (strategic) locations where voters get to mark a 2nd card and place it in a second sealed ballot box (outside of the voting place itself). Exit polls: How accurate are they? - BBC News
Not necessarily - Alexander Boris de Pffifel Johnson is a socially liberal Tory - he’s a Europhile, but not an EU-Phile, and with a majority he doesn’t need the votes of the lunatic fringe of his party. So a closely aligned, cooperative relationship is possible - and referenced in his speech today.
I’m being positive today! There is hope: Boris Johnson’s big majority could unleash the social liberal within | Simon Jenkins | The Guardian
One last point about a broken electoral system - 14.8M votes went to Pro-Brexit parties, 16.4M went to remain/2nd referendum parties - and that is somehow an endorsement of “Get Brexit Done” ?
I could foresee a United Kingdom^H^H^H^H^H^H Republic of Ireland, Northern Ireland, and Scotland coming into being as a result of all this. Mostly I kid.
Pffft! Frivolous spoilers for people who want to get to bed and for newspapers to make their print deadlines. The election results are the elections results, wait for the real ballots to be counted.
Looks like Putin is now in charge of the dis-UK as well
