I have been returning to the much smaller world of mid 17th century England by going back to John Aubrey. His diary snippets suit my limited attention span, and are a much-needed diversion from the daily - and nightly - coverage of the biggest self-inflicted cock-up in history, which is Brexit. We have one year left to go, and still there are hourly revelations about the damage to come as a result of allowing a bunch of ill-informed bigots to persuade turkeys to vote for Christmas.
For the first time ever, I found myself agreeing with Tony Blair when he said that there should be a second referendum to allow people to decide which sort of exit they would prefer out of about four options - once the British government has cobbled some together which are acceptable to the rest of Europe.
Jeremy Corbyn has always been a keen Brexiteer, and now more than ever. He is just biding his time whilst waiting for the Conservative Party to completely fall apart, then he will take up residence in Number 10 - following another 'popular vote' by the other half of the nation who voted to stay, plus several hundred thousand teenagers who joined the party for £3.
Can you think of any other moment in any other previously proud nation's history when things have been reduced to such a prolonged, stupid and expensive mess?
The thing which could bring it all crashing down is the dilemma of hard or soft borders between the British territory of Northern Ireland and the member state of the E.U. - the Irish Republic. I think 99% of Northern Irish voted to stay, because they foresaw the problems long before they were explained to the mainland. It is their doorstep after all. A lot of work went into softening their borders during the Peace Talks before soldiers with guns took down the checkpoints, got off the streets and returned to barracks.
As well as assisting Corbyn in his ambition to become Prime Minister, the Brexit vote will be very useful in implementing a system which has, since it was first thought of, been unthinkable to the Right-Wing - Proportional Representation.
British and American politics will never be the same again now that career politicians have gambled with the popular vote - and lost.
I just can’t bear to watch or read a word about any of it. Tony Blair uttering on anything now will just have the opposite effect.
ReplyDeleteAs you say and I totally agree career politicians have by gambling on getting re elected and conscious of their expenses and pensions have shafted us all. I said only the other I am no longer proud to be British, how sad is that?
LX
As Rachel says, it is bringing out the worst in everyone who still could be proud to call themselves British. To make anyone ashamed of their country is a fundamental mistake in government.
DeleteIt is bringing out the worst in everybody, whatever side they are on. I no longer listen to it nor follow it. Everybody is a bigot whatever side they are on and everybody is horrible to the side they are not on and thinks they are right.
ReplyDeleteIt is no longer a question of who is right and who is wrong. I think that it probably never was. The ones who said that the E.U. is a corrupt and bureaucratic Leviathan seeking a federal government of Europe were right, but choosing not to reform it from the inside was a mistake. Did we really think they would give us an easy passage to independence? The politicians were not very clever and I blame them and not the voters.
DeleteOf course it is not the voters fault. The politicians were as thick as shit to ask us.
DeleteThe problems began when the EEC started to call itself the EU. The Germans were desperate to form a massive, unified social group, rather than just concentrating on trade and economics. It should have remained a counter-balance to the U.S. dollar.
DeleteIt started to go outside its remit of being a common market 'The Common Market" and the rest is history as they say. Well not quite history yet. It probably never will be.
DeleteWhen countries have free trade there is no need for war - or punitive tariffs. We spent hundreds of years fighting the Dutch, the French and - latterly - the Germans, and it was all over trade and territory. Trump's latest declaration regarding the U.S. steel industry has knocked millions off the stock market. I wish he was at that school where the gunman went mad, and I wish he had behaved like the hero he says he is by going in to confront him. Money, money, money.
DeleteMarket reaction is nothing more than knee-jerk.
DeleteTrue, but just wait and see what sort of tariffs China and India imposes on U.S. exports by way of revenge. The U.S. imports a lot more steel than it produces.
DeleteJust back from the pub: whichever way you look at it
Deleteshibadeed or sober it is a monumental cock-up. David Cameron should bow his head in shame! So sure of what the public think and want, how arrogant is that? In the short term he achieved his goal to get re-elected but at what cost? Is it any wonder so many are completely disenchanted with politics?
LX
He didn't achieve any goals at all. He jumped ship through shame, plus he knew what a monumental fuck up would mean for his successor.
DeleteI am not an expert on Brexit but then again neither are the politicians dealing with it. Keep in mind though that I am a citizen of a subversive country(Canada) according to Trump. People here are really mad about the steel tariffs.
ReplyDeleteNobody is an expert on Brexit. It has never happened before, let alone been analysed in advance. There were no models you could compare this situation to. Canada is still benefitting from its long association with Cuba, and the U.S. is still suffering from the embargoes which Obama was in the process of easing.
DeleteI totally agree with every word for am utterly dismayed with the UK Gov never would I in my wildest thoughts ever wish upon it to fall into such a mimicry of its self.
ReplyDeleteI totally agree with every word for am utterly dismayed with the UK Gov never would I in my wildest thoughts ever wish upon it to fall into such a mimicry of its self.
ReplyDeleteIt is far from a perfect situation, no matter your leanings.
DeleteI feel sorry for May, she seems principled
ReplyDeleteBut she's inherited a total fucking mess manufactured by a total lack of information
May is principled? Like Groucho Marx, "I have principles, and if you don't like them I have others." Check her record during her six years as Home Secretary. Disgraceful. She was a member of coward Camerons's government so could not be ignorant of the false information promulagated by the Brexiteers like Boris Johnson, Gove etc. She wanted power even though she is/was a Remainer but too dishonest. She is propped up by a cowardly Tory government who want her to take the flack for Brexit before they shoot her down. Or stab her in the back as per normal Tory practice. Read my lips (hahaha.)
DeleteI think she is
DeleteAsk yourself this question: Who, in their right mind, would take on a poison chalice such as Theresa May has if they were not utterly obsessed with holding ultimate power? Do you think that she believes she can save the country? Do you think that she even believes she can save the Tories? Do you think that she is planning for retirement by compiling loads of after-dinner speeches?
DeleteGod is guiding her
DeleteSadly I think the vast majority of politicians are in it solely for self glorification... Oh and the perks! Think Tony Blair and snouts in the trough come to mind. I can hardly believe back in the day I was over the moon when they won. I felt very different when protesting outside the Chilcott Inquiry on that bitter cold day. Tony Blair was giving evidence, telling the ‘truth’ as only politicians know how.
DeleteNew Labour's honeymoon didn't last long.
DeleteCivilization is slipping backwards. Trump is a jerk. America does not have the capacity to produce the steel he has just stopped us from importing. And I could go on, but we all know and agree what an effing mess we face.
ReplyDeleteSadly, I agree.
DeleteTom - the sun is almost below the horizon now. I used be sad that all my children had emigrated, now I am glad.
ReplyDeleteWe cannot just go somewhere else as if the grass is greener, even if we are young. I love this topography, and I intend to die in it.
DeleteI still sometimes find it hard to believe that it happened, even the word Brexit itself seems so stupid, whoever thought that one up? I can hardly bear to listen to or read anything about it as nothing I hear gives me any hope that anyone will be better off afterwards - after all, money is what it is all about. At the same time I feel compelled to listen and read all about it, grasping at straws for a glimmer of optimism.
ReplyDeleteUgh, it's all too ghastly. And this crap weather is just about finishing me off.
I will try and take our minds off it with the next post.
DeleteCould the UK not sell Northern Ireland to the Americans in exchange for some trade deal? They've always been great supporters of the Irish (and the IRA), and they could now own their own little bit of it. Our responsibilities would then be over, and Chump could build another wall.
ReplyDeleteThey probably do own a little bit of it already. NORAID was one of the biggest romantic misconceptions of all time. The US generally likes the Royal Family, so I wonder how they felt when they inadvertently helped to blow up Lord Mountbatten.
Delete'inadvertently'?
Delete