This isn't something I usually do (posting on forums in general isn't something I usually do) but this seems as good a place as any to get my anxious and frustrated thoughts out there. I can't promise a good debate or even an adequate response to anyone who wants to voice disagreement but that doesn't mean I won't at least consider your point in private. I might end up editing this post a bunch or not even looking at it again so w/e here I go
I'm very disappointed we are probably going to be leaving the EU at this time.
Ideally I am all for a reformed EU but it would require a heavy dedication to the cause from across all the EU which I don't think there is at this time and the UK is certainly not in the unity mindset needed to instigate that.
I fully understand wanting to leave the EU, as I understand it, it is hideously undemocratic. You vote for parties, not MEPs. The whole of the executive body are appointed by those MEPs not by the electorate. Voter turnout is awful. Reasons like this are why I think people are angry about the EU 'threatening our sovereignty' and I think that is totally justified, but I don't understand how these people can be angry about that, then look at our own system and think it's fine? It is just as bad, it shares the same problems. I strongly believe we should have overhauled our own system before this because as undemocratic the EU was, it was a safeguard to keep the UK from doing anything exceptionally shitty and did a some good I feel as I'm sure you've heard countless times by now for worker's rights and protecting vulnerable people.
I believe we should have focussed on fixing our own democracy first because it is closer to home and has far more an impact on our law than EU, obviously. I've always been somewhat in favour of some form of proportional representation but it wasn't until the last general election and this referendum that made me truly believe it was something we needed. I'm understanding now that a fair and just political system needs, among other things:
1. a well informed electorate, or at the very least an electorate that knows the basics of how their political system works and has easy access to the information if they wish to inform themselves more and is encouraged to do so.
2. a proportional representation system that encourages consensus politics so that there is little to no room for a tyranny of the majority or the minority. politics is not a game to be won or lost it is a system that must work for the people.
3. to embrace more forms of direct democracy and especially utilise the internet for things such as petitions and online voting. petitions should be taken very seriously and not essentially brushed aside as it seems they are now.
Because what won the EU referendum I don't feel was a sense of genuine understanding that we're better off out, it was a sense of fear of the 'other', I'm going to be honest and say I didn't follow the run up to the referendum as closely as I would usually due to (mental) health issues but whenever I did of course immigration was a big topic with accusations that it's the immigrants fault they're used as cheap labour and I think it's wholly disingenuous at best to take what really should be a worker's rights issue and turn it into an immigration one. I don't know exactly how true it is but it wouldn't surprise me people coming from poorer countries willingly work for less so they have job security and I don't blame them, I blame the system that allows this to happen. I blame the system that let's these people be exploited. Of course, it's unrealistic to think that every immigrant is a golden egg but I think the direct negative impact of immigration has been grossly exaggerated in this regard.
I don't feel confident enough in my economics to form what I feel is a 'good enough' opinion on the potential long term or short term economic effects but it seems plain we're in for some unstable years if we follow through. I very much hope our democracy does something right and the petition for a second referendum with actual sensible thresholds (seriously why isn't this standard for referendums?) succeeds.
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As slippery as a used condom.
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