Hi David, Hi Harv, Hi All,
The question "Why should we care?" is pertinent if you live in a
democracy and care to show solidarity with other citizens of democracies.
I am a European Citizen, and I am facing the prospect of having my
rights and freedoms curtailed, my freedom of movement reduced, my
savings and assets devalued, my neighbours and friends driven out, and
my democratic rights rendered meaningless. I am also likely to face food
and medicine shortages, the destruction of major industrial sectors in
my country.
It's also worth remembering that Boris Johnson and the Brexiteers appear
to be a tentacle of an international network of authoritarian
plutocrats, whose immediate target is to damage or destroy the European
Union, using the UK population as the economic equivalent of suicide
bombers. That they happen to be active in Britain right now should be a
warning to citizens of liberal democracies everywhere - they're also
coming for you. It may be a mistake to cede territory to them now, and
wait until you're fighting on home soil.
Their effort is also a culture war - an attempt to replace liberal,
open, democratic societies with something far more primitive,
ethno-nationalist, tribal, and manipulable. This is a global information
war.
On the subject of "England" - I have to confess that I don't care about
it at all.
To me it's a fake nation - a confection of Empire that doesn't REALLY
exist. It's actually Northumbria, Mercia, Wessex, East Anglia, Cornwall
and more, all occupied by an entitled, postimperial elite that treat the
regions of the composite, hybrid nation they rule over with the same
contempt that the British empire treated its dominions. The whole thing
is a throwback that ought to have been reformed decades, if not
centuries ago.
I think I've said on this forum before that there's a great national
advantage to be gained from losing a war. It comprehensively discredits
established elites and gives the opportunity to replace or reform
outdated practices. It also tends to lead to a period of national
re-evaluation, and eventual renewal. Britain has not had this advantage,
and perhaps Brexit is the defeat that it needs. The benefits, though,
may be confounded by the fact that its victorious antagonist is itself.
Best Regards,
James
=====
On 01/09/2019 16:48, David Garcia wrote:
Hi,
just a quick question: Why should we care about Brexit and England at
all? It just takes so much energy and resources out of all of the
rest. I think we have much more important issues in EU. Who cares
about arrogant, failed and backward country that gets the backlash it
deserves? Scots and Welsh should separate and stay in EU, North
Ireland given to the Republic of Ireland - problem solved. And we have
the third class Singapore alike creation of what's left of GB.
Hi Harv,
just a quick response to your pertinent "why should we care question”.
Let me ask who is the ‘we’ you are refering to ? EU citizens ? Do you
include the millions of EU citizens livng in the
UK sometimes for decades who now don’t know if they are on their "arse
or their elbows"? Or maybe you are generous enough to
include the Brits who have made their lives in the EU countries and
whose world have been thrown into turmoil. Maybe its the 'we' who
have families with partners and children.
Sorry if me wanging on about the plight of millions of individual
citizens who are about to lose their rights seems to you of no
consequence (and compared with the plight of refugee migrants it can
seem like a marginal issue sure). Also the technicalities
can be quite boring and procedural I know unless you have some
interest in the variaties of constitutional law
when it falls into crisis. Quite nerdy I know but nettime is a space
where nerdy discussion and passionate politics can meet.. right?
More broadly there may even be something to learn from the particular
forms of populism that spring from politicians who hijack constitutions
and claim that “speaking for the people” using it to ride roughshod
over constitutional legal norms that have evolved over generations.
This has echoes in a number of other countries. But perhaps you are
lucky enough not to live in one of those countries and can simply
turn your back and say why should 'we’ care. Whoever this big “we” are
Best
David Garcia
On 1 Sep 2019, at 15:36, Harv Stanic Staalman <[email protected]
<mailto:[email protected]>> wrote:
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