1. The end of Johnson and Brexit Finally, after a 24-hour period like nothing ever previously experienced in British politics, Boris Johnson resigned as prime minister. Sort of. The “end” was unedifying, both for him and the country, as it was always destined to be.
"In other words, it ironically took Brexit to happen for Britain to ape the very worst elements of continental politics. "
Um, you do have noticed that it's not 1820 any longer? There are no emperors in EU.
Brexit Britain is aping the very worst elements of British politics and society:
visceral, irrational hatred of anything foreign, even when it's self-damaging
a small elite - very small Eton-bred elite - leading the country because they're "Good old boys" so no written rules are necessary; and people brainwashed by tradition and Sun just go along with it
Battles between parliament and PM, or different groups of powerful elite - because Magna Charta was battle between parliament and monarch, but Brits never got around to seeing the People as sovereign, with guaranteed written constitutional rights, so normal Brits can never go to Court to get their basic (human) rights (unless via EUCHR).
Media stoking both apathy and ignorance about all things political (because of elites responsible), laying the swamp of hate on which populist lies bloom, and directing that hate on to certain groups, coupled with misunderstanding the most basic things about democracies - like: rights for all, not just for proper English people; politics based on facts, not lies or reality-denying ideology; rules binding all, not just low-class people.
To me, in order to take any attempt at rejoin seriously, British people - mostly Remainers - need to start a thorough reform of society and the political system; Labour and LibDems are necessary to get the necessary laws through.
So: stop with two-class education (best abolish all private-paid schools, but at very least, make them all take standard tests, not pass because Daddy paid enough).
Stop newspapers from printing lies
Bring BBC back on fact-based reporting (stop all those talk shows where lies are said without consequences)
education beyond school, at all age and education levels, about how important human rights, written down and taken to court, are for democracy; how facts matter; how rules and consequences apply to everybody
practical education to get qualified, skilled british workers without college degrees, to get your economy out of the slump
this will take a few decades. Then, once your country is stable, reliable, economy working and majority of people are willing to actually cooperate instead of dominate, because they understand that life and running a country is not a zero-sum game where one either rules or is ruled, but a win-win game of cooperation of equals - then rejoining is both a real possibility, and a minor technical matter.
Good luck if Labour ever switches from full socialism (Corbyn) or "Manual workers party" into "Human Rights for all" party and wants to get along with this reform plan.
Interesting analysis. I knew that both you and Chris Grey would have a lot to say about Keir Starmer's speech on Labour's Brexit position - and I'm reassured that you both seem to think it a wise (if, in Chris Grey's analysis, overly cautious) first step. It seems like your word of the week this week is "brutal", especially in regards to election campaigns. you refer to it twice here to describe a potential way of hanging the effects of Brexit on the Tories, and of how the campaign could go the other way if the Brexit Fantasists could manage to convince the British People that a return to the debates and confusion of May's parliament was on the cards under Starmer. I think you are essentially right that most of the country is "We're sick of talking about Brexit to the exclusion of all else", which is why "Get Brexit Done" worked so well for Johnson in 2019.
"In other words, it ironically took Brexit to happen for Britain to ape the very worst elements of continental politics. "
Um, you do have noticed that it's not 1820 any longer? There are no emperors in EU.
Brexit Britain is aping the very worst elements of British politics and society:
visceral, irrational hatred of anything foreign, even when it's self-damaging
a small elite - very small Eton-bred elite - leading the country because they're "Good old boys" so no written rules are necessary; and people brainwashed by tradition and Sun just go along with it
Battles between parliament and PM, or different groups of powerful elite - because Magna Charta was battle between parliament and monarch, but Brits never got around to seeing the People as sovereign, with guaranteed written constitutional rights, so normal Brits can never go to Court to get their basic (human) rights (unless via EUCHR).
Media stoking both apathy and ignorance about all things political (because of elites responsible), laying the swamp of hate on which populist lies bloom, and directing that hate on to certain groups, coupled with misunderstanding the most basic things about democracies - like: rights for all, not just for proper English people; politics based on facts, not lies or reality-denying ideology; rules binding all, not just low-class people.
To me, in order to take any attempt at rejoin seriously, British people - mostly Remainers - need to start a thorough reform of society and the political system; Labour and LibDems are necessary to get the necessary laws through.
So: stop with two-class education (best abolish all private-paid schools, but at very least, make them all take standard tests, not pass because Daddy paid enough).
Stop newspapers from printing lies
Bring BBC back on fact-based reporting (stop all those talk shows where lies are said without consequences)
education beyond school, at all age and education levels, about how important human rights, written down and taken to court, are for democracy; how facts matter; how rules and consequences apply to everybody
practical education to get qualified, skilled british workers without college degrees, to get your economy out of the slump
this will take a few decades. Then, once your country is stable, reliable, economy working and majority of people are willing to actually cooperate instead of dominate, because they understand that life and running a country is not a zero-sum game where one either rules or is ruled, but a win-win game of cooperation of equals - then rejoining is both a real possibility, and a minor technical matter.
Good luck if Labour ever switches from full socialism (Corbyn) or "Manual workers party" into "Human Rights for all" party and wants to get along with this reform plan.
I thought he was talking about Hitler when he said that - though I guess Napoleon works too, since he specifically mentioned an Emperor.
Interesting analysis. I knew that both you and Chris Grey would have a lot to say about Keir Starmer's speech on Labour's Brexit position - and I'm reassured that you both seem to think it a wise (if, in Chris Grey's analysis, overly cautious) first step. It seems like your word of the week this week is "brutal", especially in regards to election campaigns. you refer to it twice here to describe a potential way of hanging the effects of Brexit on the Tories, and of how the campaign could go the other way if the Brexit Fantasists could manage to convince the British People that a return to the debates and confusion of May's parliament was on the cards under Starmer. I think you are essentially right that most of the country is "We're sick of talking about Brexit to the exclusion of all else", which is why "Get Brexit Done" worked so well for Johnson in 2019.
Starmer is just trying to make the best of a Bad Job, or if you like, a Boris Johnson Bad Job.