Brexit... · 2:37pm Jun 24th, 2016
This morning saw a new record for the number of expletives on my Facebook feed. Among the gentler language used to describe the current situation were phrases like 'shot in the head'
To my international friends, especially Britons living in other European countries, and citizens of other EU states living in Britain, I am sorry. We tried.
This is especially hurtful because there has been so much misinformation, fantasy and outright lies from the Leave campaign. You should have read some of the leaflets I had pushed through my door, such as the claim that voting leave was essential to 'save my local hospital'. While I am sure some people who voted leave did so fully understanding the risks, but they felt it was still worthwhile, it seems most were just chasing a wild fantasy of 'taking back control'. Sadly this type of post-truth-politics is not just a British phenomenon, indeed it seems to have been inspired by a certain US presidential candidate.
This is not good for British science. Judging from the way the currency and stock markets have fallen, it will be very bad for the British, European and world economy.
On the positive side, it is quite nice weather today.
It's a sad and stupid thing that happened there. Well, at least we Europeans might get Scotland as consolidation.
Also on the plus side, I'm curiously waiting if there'll be a new story by Estee today.
At least the weathers nice. so small pleasures I suppose.
The not-mad people of the UK have my hopes and sympathies
I've been in a funk all day over this, and I dread what the long-term consequences will be for the entire Western world. I can't help but think that this is how world wars happen.
As an American, I can sympathize with a country which was frustrated by being controlled by another bureaucratic force across the water from them, imposing taxes, regulations, and immigration on them in a fashion which permitted no dissent and no ability to oppose their imposition by democratic means. My only criticism is that Brexit was not conducted on a date much more applicable to the situation being discussed.
July 4.
My condolences... speculating about the effects of a possible Brexit is one thing, seeing it happen is quite another. Collective madness. I have some friends in Wales who are utterly devastated today. Wales voted for leave. Wales. Fucking Wales! They just gutted their little country, cutting off a lifeline of billions of EU structural aid they received due to their status as a priority one area in the EU structural fund. It was already one of the poorest areas in Europe. Westminster has never given a fuck about Wales and they certainly won't now.
4046140 You just summed up many of the leave campaign's ridiculous talking points. With all due respect, you have no idea what you're talking about. It is much, much more complicated than that.
I suppose the Leave campaign supporters were disillusioned for good reason, but leaving the EU isn't going to solve the plethora of problems that they claim to be caused by the EU.
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The greatest irony is how they talked about both "Independence Day" and the return of the good ol' "British Empire", most likely in the same speeches and reports even. Independence is always nicer when it doesn't happen to someone else, I suppose.
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I hereby invoke Poe's Law!
I am certain Georg was speaking in satire.
I understand one of the biggest points of the Leave campaign was just admitted to be a
liemistake. Right after the vote was finished.:/
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To be fair, I am pretty sure the UK had agency in the decisions made by the EU. The American Colonies did not.
Too bad you guys are not going to be part of a future empire. Yet. Don't get me wrong I like independence but being part of an evil empire is cool too. We the USA learn from the best. On the bright side at least no one can say that the UK is a bunch of pussies for going it on their own.
The EU and the world still respects your country. Hell, I think the US respects you more now. Your economy will be fine in the long term and there is no reason why funding for science will go down. The rest of the world (that counts) wants to be friends. You're not going to go to war with the mainland . All and all this just mean there's more work to keep your political leader busy and un-idled. Idle hands are work of the devil.
If wrong, I'll buy you a drink in hell.
Well, the vote went through, and despite what all the creamers and deniers and neighsayers are spouting off, it hasnt dont nothing to UK in EU as of this moment, because it relies on months of paperwork and argument.
Voting these days is like pressing the power switch on an electrical item. What you are merely doing is signaling to the object in control that you wish it to change state. Whether it does so, in what manner or at what tie is completely up to it, and if its in a fit state to carry out the operation as well.
Scotland wanted to leave the UK, now they want to stay in the EU. they can not only carry out both, but expand their economy by oil rig into deep ocean wind turbines, Carbon sequestration into empty North Sea oil fields, and even Trumps golf course into a Spaceport.
Of course, then you have the problem of england being allowed to access the Chinese space station, but not having a space industry, no matter Surry satelites, and Scotland being in the EU not being able to access it even though having a spaceport.
I still prefer the research that shows the optimum trade off between beurocratic complexity and waste, and size of economy, is the city state. Which then trade between each other, and use evolution as growth, not expansion as growth.
Musnt forget planning for at least 10 metre sealevel rise. All those cities to move or alter to handle it.
So, why should a change have any alteration, effect, except by coersion?
Us British are an infant. An infant throwing an tantrum in our pram (EU) because we cannot get all the sweets (advantages) in the shop without giving something up.
In the tantrum, in smug glee of protest, the infant throws it's toy (power/say) out of the pram. Realisation draws across the infant's fact as it has no toy, no sweets and is still tied to the pram.
Dear United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland;
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Good thoughts from across the pond. It's gonna get wild.
It's only the global economy with a side of keeping Europe stable (or not). No biggie. It's not like an unstable Europe has ever caused anyone any problems.
My condolences for suffering through such a deeply-divided debate. The split is both heartbreaking and tragic, but look on the bright side. It's not like the UK voted to leave the planet Earth (even though it feels that way). At the end of the day, Europe will still be in the same place it always was. All of the businessmen, financial experts, and foreign leaders who urged for Brittan to remain now have a vested interest in ensuring that none of the doom and gloom predictions they made will actually come to pass.
The financial markets might be reeling, but nothing has actually changed yet. You won't know the real impacts until the terms of the departure have been negotiated, which could take up to two years. How that plays out will depend on how the other members in the EU react. I think they all agree that the UK is still a great nation that's worth keeping good relations with, but if individual members struggle with independence movements within their own countries, they may be under pressure to make a Brexit as painful as possible so as to set a bad example.
The US is still in full support of the UK, at least. Mr. Obama made that clear, as did those running to replace him (even if Mr. Trump would rather talk about his golf course
. A business trip is a business trip I guess.)
Good luck, and here's to hoping that you can heal the damage caused by the extreme vitriol in this divisive campaign. You're going to want to be united as a nation in facing the challenges yet to come, though if the murmurs of Irish unity and Scottish independence pan out, you'll likely have an uphill struggle there too.
Good job, UK. Now Texas is starting to get antsy again thinking they can pull the same stunt. Truly we are in the darkest timeline.
I wrote this to an English friend about BrExit. It is on-topic, so I repost it here:
For a decision as monumental as seceding, you should require a supermajority ⅔rds plus + 1 vote. Because of meh-ers who just happened to come down slightly on secede, you are in for hard times. This is something you need to be certain you want to do before you do it. Here is a breakdown for you:
* Less than < ⅓rd means that things are great.
* More than > ⅔rds means that things are so bad that you would be better off from day 0 if you secede.
* Between ⅓rd and ⅔rds means that you have problems needing addressing before they get worse, but at this time, maintaining the union is better than the disruption of secession.
Is it too late for Ireland to join the Commonwealth?
Condolences and sympathies. This is one situation where nobody really wins, except maybe Vladimir Putin, and [BUY SOME APPLES] him.
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Well, only in the sense that a distracted and/or divided EU, focused on its own internal issues, is in Putin's interests.