We note a rising panic on our street on behalf of Remain. Apparently the Labour faithful are not responding to the cool economic arguments Remain has orchestrated. Down with Them Foreigners – that’s the winning one. Our sceptred isle is now encircled and infiltrated by loadsa terrorists and criminals and other high-speed novelties and bewilderments, all swimming about like sharks. That’s the one. Let us and our corrupted press fight, fight, and fight again to protect our truth-free comfort zone.
I wonder if I am unusual in finding it hard to engage in all this.
I think the main reason for my difficulty is that this referendum has no meaning or integrity of its own. It was imposed on us as a frivolous Cameron ploy and party-trick. Years ago he forced it into all our diaries to deflect some die-hard Tory MP’s and supporters from the allure of UKIP. The re-opening of the EU membership question, this dreary wound, was just temporarily useful for Davie-boy’s own party-political ends, to buy him a bit more time in power.
Since then, the whole of Europe has been made to perform to the bogus self-interested Davie-boy script, while he engaged them in his photo-shoot charade of a “re-negotiation.” And now it’s the UK electorate’s turn to join the charade. And just look at the murk and poison welling to the surface as the various players in this ghastly referendum “debate” call in the whirl-wind to aid their various purposes and dodgy motivations.
Of course, it is crucial that we “Remain.” But it is hard to say so with real conviction, to engage whole-heartedly, knowing that Davie-boy set up this whole predicament and uncertainty, this baiting of the untameable, without regard for the interests of the country at large. Whatever the result of our unnecessary referendum, he should be punished for his action in bringing us here so irresponsibly, along with so many other actions of his that are equally inexcusable and unforgivable.
In the next few years, might it suit Boris’ or Georgie-boy’s interests or personal ambitions to call a referendum on whether England’s shires should separate and stand alone against the tide of modern life and its uncertainties? Or how about resurrecting the armed borders of Mercia, East Anglia, Northumbria, Wessex ? Might President Rump find it worth his personal while to hold a referendum on the de-unification of the United States ?
Although I know that, in terms of consequences, this issue – despite Davie-boy – is deadly serious, neither “side”of the UK referendum debate commands my respect or loyalty. No vision is being offered that can fire or inspire. Many of the arguments used or topics chosen by each side seem specious, contrived and mean-spirited. Often they are deliberately misleading and/or manipulative. Flagrant lies are offered up as arguments and it is these lies that seem to be winning over a growing number of the electorate.
This is not a real debate, in fact. It is just a bunch of sleek, dishonest, rapacious rude-boys engaged in a street fight, using the weapons that are familiar to them and characteristic of them. They excuse it as “the rough and tumble of politics.” Just a jolly good dust-up. Like football hooligans in expensive grey suits. And are their amoral techniques not also the characteristic weaponry of a certain gentleman from deep down under, Lynton Crosby, OBE, spiritual advisor to the Head Rude-boy of Blingland himself ? Is he to be seen off, at the last, by his own weapons used against him ? And what rough beast will then follow him into the empty, silent chamber ?
However it concludes, the referendum seems significant chiefly in showing us how plain frightened, reduced, muddled and essentially leaderless we are and what a mess we have made of “Democracy” and “Free Speech” – these words we flag up as reasons to be proud of ourselves and of our systems, somehow justifying Western assumptions of superior virtue.
For is the way the EU debate is being conducted in the UK any cause for pride and belief in our way of life and governance, any inspiration to our youth ? On the contrary. It is cause for despair, exhaustion and disgust.
But through all the fog, the unworthiness, the lies, the dishonour, one thing seems clear. I have no doubt that we need to remain, and will suffer badly if we do not, for one simple but over-riding reason.
And this is that “leaving ” means the creation of a new frontier, and hence yet more division. Yet more Them and Us, when already there is so much Them and Us. Frontiers perpetuate division. Another “Them” to blame. Another “Them” to fear. It is the wrong direction to go in. Even Davie-boy, who has done so much in this country to re-open and encourage Them/Us, knows that here is one prospective division and frontier too many.
And of course, once started, the fracturing and splintering will continue. UK out of Europe, will mean Scotland severed from England, in order not to follow this cross-eyed Tory dance. And then Wales ? Ireland ?
Islands become islets.
Conversation and debate become howl and no-go.
You become one of Them.