BREXIT: WHAT IS WRONG WITH ENGLAND?
It’s a question that has often been asked and will, no doubt be asked many times again.
Contrary to what this map of the results tells you (c/o BBC News), it isn’t about something congenitally wrong with the minds of the English. I think. It is about the control of the message people hear, a corrupt media in cahoots with an equally corrupt and lying political class; it is about nefarious corporate and post-liberalism, neconservative, political interests who get to set the agenda. And everyone falls in line. Or else.
It is about the potency of propaganda. Of fear. Of prejudice and hate. It is about knowing how people are hard-wired and how to play on fundamental human insecurities about jobs, home life, space, sovereignty, economics, "others", outsiders, the unknown. Yes, believe it or not in 2016, this crap from the Crusades and the holocaust used to whip up hysteria - it still works a charm. After all, it’s a well tried and tested formula. One of the real unspoke reasons Leveson 2 will not be implemented is this map. This is real power. What can be achieved by the media and political class, from a standing start. There is no moral, social, civil rights, economic or intuitive case for Brexit — every argument hurts the person voting for Brexit. Being able to achieve 17.1 million votes under those circumstances is truly remarkable. Who would handover such power without a fight?
It's possible a general election is due in the coming weeks this summer.
A new PM needs a fresh mandate for EU negotiations, and the Gove coup de grâce against David Cameron sees him now leaving office before October. I was assured by a senior Tory that should Brexit win, it may be “weeks”.
#WhatHaveWeDone has trended in the hangover of the EU referendum party. As the fog now clears, people are coming to realise that voting Leave was a huge, foggy-minded, angry, utterly ill informed, mistake. It wasn’t a protest vote. You don’t vote for racist groups, falsehoods and outright lies and that Farage poster in protest. There really are no excuses for being so weak of character and so feeble-minded.
Get organised. Be angry. Let the fires in your belly burn bright. Make a noise. Rally support for the anti-austerity, progressive Left. For social justice you need to go Green, SNP and Corbyn Labour... just do what you can to change things.
And keep hope alive. Never stop believing. Change is the only constant.
First published 24 June 2016: Medium