The Brexit Thread

[Nefertiti2]

We have an unelected government trying to drive through a no deal- regardless of parliament or a democratic vote.

I think we need mass civil disobedience - we need to learn from Hong Kong.

[Diable Rouge]

The whole "we don't want a hard border, it's the nasty EU who'll do that" narrative needs to be squashed hard and fast by the Irish Govt and EU, it's gaining traction up north and well as on Racist Island.

The worst of all is coming from Eoghan Harris et al, who seem to believe that any approach other than doing a side deal with the UK gives succour to Sinn Féin, effectively repackaging his copy-and-paste articles of the last 30 years.

[ursus arctos]

The absence of massive demonstrations is indeed striking.

You haven't even had the equivalent of a women's march.

[E10 Rifle]

There's been two big anti-Brexit demos. There needs to be bigger anti-racist ones in general. And bits of direct action here and there

[ursus arctos]

Yes, but not since Johnson has been PM, unless I'm wrong.

[Snake Plissken]

The guy behind the People's Vote marches wrote the playbook on how to ignore them when in Government.

Hell, he wrote the book on how to successfully ignore riots.

[George C.]

The absence of massive demonstrations is indeed striking.

You haven't even had the equivalent of a women's march.

Direct action would be a lot more useful at this stage, but unlikely given the apathy of much of the populace. Sadly.

[Amor de Cosmos]

From a distance this, unfortunately, feels about right.

A fog of fatalism descended. The nature of the question shifted from averting possible cataclysm to managing one that seemed inevitable.

[Etienne]

I think marches are pretty pointless right now. Everyone knows there are lots of people who think Brexit is a bad idea. Civil disobedience might be more effective, though it would have to be carefully choreographed to focus on outrages like the treatment of EU nationals not on the decision to leave.

[Nefertiti2]

I can think of lots of excellent targets for civil disobedience.. Probably best not to announce them on here....

[Nefertiti2]

Direct action would be a lot more useful at this stage, but unlikely given the apathy of much of the populace. Sadly.

People clearly aren't apathetic. So what will it take...

[The Awesome Berbaslug!!!]

So you know the way there's a huge market for what quaintly is described as "History" in the UK? Well the latest book in the genre of "You bastards should be more grateful for what the empire did for you" comes a tome from Jeremy Black His book "Imperial Legacies: The British empire around the world." has been enthusiastically praised by Anthony Robers Niall Ferguson, and Michael Gove. And it contains the following timeless paragraph. skip the tweet and go to the picture if you can manage it.

[URL]https://twitter.com/DJLdistraction/status/1164136063494950912/photo/1[/URL]

This doesn't help.

[ursus arctos]

You gotta check your galleys, man

[E10 Rifle]

"Oh come out you black and trans, come out and fight me like a … oh, this is confusing

[ursus arctos]

If there aren't multiple floats at Pride than people really have given up

[The Awesome Berbaslug!!!]

Who Knew that the british army was so woke in the aftermath of world war I.

[George C.]

People clearly aren't apathetic. So what will it take...

Sorry, don't share your optimism. Any great evidence of civil dissent?

[Diable Rouge]

Meanwhile, Merkel has done Johnson up like a kipper, as the latter now accepts he must come up with a solution to the Border within 30 days - OK, he could still go for no deal and blame the EU, but a long way from his bluster of a few short weeks ago.

[Guy Profumo]

Alternative possible, says proven racist.

Yes.

It's called "don't leave under a no deal Brexit."


https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-49427674

[Snake Plissken]

Really good piece on how Remainer zealots are driving us to No Deal. - https://news.sky.com/story/sky-views...nswer-11790224

Some quotes

The process of Brexit radicalisation which has yielded such a dogmatic zealotry on the Brexit side, which has seen some Brexiteers go from acceptance of the single market right through to no deal in barely more than a breath, has transformed the Remainers as well.

Now, nothing, not even a serious path to Remain, is good enough. It sees people like Jo Swinson brand Mr Corbyn a Brexiteer even in a week he has offered the best chance of averting it. It has blinded them to political possibility and entrenches them in the redoubts of their own self-righteousness, a series of gilded cages which will yield nothing but defeat.
[..]
The Remainers, like the Brexiteers, have gone down the route of forgetting other people have politics too, that that is perfectly legitimate and you have to accommodate it (and if you want to achieve your ends) navigate it, not simply demand that others submit.

That is literally what democratic politics is. The fact that (without irony) some can call for a "national unity government" which would be comprised of people who solely agree with them is testament to this sad transition.

[..]
But too many Remainers refuse to use him to achieve their objectives. It is not enough that Mr Corbyn gives them what they want, that he has moved to the position they sought because of his head. He has not given them enough of his heart.

He does not believe enough, which in this Brexit culture war is a graver sin than not providing the political means of getting what you want.

Every time he moves, the anger is that he has not moved quicker- that he should declare Labour a Remain party, that he should move straight to Article 50 revocation, that he must pledge in advance to campaign to remain against a deal of his own negotiation, that he cannot be allowed to balance delicate politics because the signal and the noise is more important than his direction of travel, that he must become an evangelical.

The Remainer Overton Window (range of policies they will find acceptable) continues to shift and Mr Corbyn can barely keep up.

[Diable Rouge]

It's unlikely, though, that even Hoey, Mann and Flint would vote for Corbyn in a motion of no confidence, so harder again to expect Grieve, Boles, etc to do so.

[Snake Plissken]

No, but those are 8 or so which can be counteracted by Grieve, Boles etc. There are plenty of Tory MPs to counteract the small number of Labour MPs.

Letwin today announced that he won't stand in the next GE - yet says he can't support a temporary Corbyn Government to stop No Deal. That is the problem right there.

[George C.]

Donkeys led by donkeys.

[The Awesome Berbaslug!!!]

In the 1948 general election, Fianna Fail lost their overall majority after 16 years of continuous power, but in order to do it, every other party in the Dail had to come together to form an inter-party govt. the problem was that Clann na poblachta refused point blank to sit in the same room as the leader of Fine Gael. Apparently Dick Mulcahy's past as Chief of staff of the IRA during the war of independence, and chief of staff of the Irish army during the civil war, meant that he had killed too many people near and dear to clann na poblachta. So Dick Mulcahy stepped down, as leader of Fine Gael, and instead became minister for Education and things carried on.

Why does Jeremy Corbyn have to lead this putative nonsense three day government? The other people in the remain movement do not trust him. They have no reason to trust him. I don't trust him. The last three years definitely happened. It shouldn't be important. make Lord fucking bucket head a proper lord and put him in charge. Do whatever it takes.

[Diable Rouge]

https://twitter.com/BrianOD_News/status/1164260186485399557