Brexit: not the will of the people – my 2017 post summarised by AI
People are still claiming that the 2016 EU referendum demonstrated ‘the will of the people’. Meanwhile, not a single person has ever challenged my 2017 post claiming that this is simply not true – perhaps because it was too long. So I have just used the AI feature of the ideas-modelling application TheBrain to produce what I hope will be a helpful summary. Here it is, exactly as generated:
Britain’s Exit from the EU
The article argues that Britain’s decision to leave the EU, often cited as “the will of the people,” is based on a false premise. It outlines several reasons why the 2016 referendum result should be questioned:
- Misleading Campaigns: The Leave campaign allegedly used lies, incited xenophobia, and dismissed expert opinions.
- Public Misunderstanding: Many voters were unaware of the EU’s complexities and implications.
- Subsequent Developments: Changes in the global political landscape, such as Trump’s election, have altered the context.
- Unforeseen Consequences: The Brexit process has not been smooth, with negative impacts on the NHS and economic negotiations.
- Democratic Concerns: Issues like data mining, dark money, and media influence may have skewed the democratic process.
- Electoral Issues: A significant portion of the electorate did not vote for Brexit, and polls suggest a shift towards Remain.
The author expresses concern over the divisive and potentially undemocratic nature of the Brexit process, emphasizing the need for responsible debate and reflection on the broader implications for democracy and society.
Direct link to the original 2017 post to see the arguments in full, and the reactions.
Xit
Goodbye Twitter. RIP. You are now X Twitter. I’ll miss you. Honest injun.
Opposite is my final tweet after many years. Posted a couple of weeks ago. And as usual, apart from from one or two old friends, it didn’t attract much attention – at least not in the few hours before I worked out how to delete my account. (You ‘deactivate’ it and it is wiped clean, so it says, a month later. Phutt…)
So if any of the 332 ‘followers’ I somehow built up over the years have found their way to this humble blog then welcome indeed. I will try to remember to ‘enable comments’ when I write these things so that we can chat about them Sometimes. Perhaps. If you want to.
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My Dream Manifesto
On last weekend’s Sunday Morning on BBC ONE, a senior member of each of the three main British political parties was interviewed in turn by Sophie Rayworth, and they all avoided mention of what are actually the most important issues of the day. It seems that it is only ordinary people like me who remain free to refer to a whole list of unmentionable Elephants in the Room
So I have compiled the following manifesto for my ‘Dream’ political party:
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The importance of being honest.
My teenage grandson called me 10 days ago saying he wanted to talk about the BBC relay of Prime Minister’s Questions that he had been watching earlier (at school – don’t ask, but he is doing Politics and Ethics).
He wanted to discuss the matter of our nation’s Prime Minister lying through his teeth. Again.
So, after we’d growled together about that for a bit, I asked him, hoping it didn’t sound patronising, or grand-patronising, whether he thought this behaviour was setting a terrible example to young people,
Yes, yes, exactly. Absolutely. And what’s more – and to me even more importantly – he absolutely agreed that the leader of the opposition, Keir Starmer, across the House from Johnson, was a patently honest man.
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Generally Speaking 