Britain is no more and no less bigoted/racist/xenophobic than any other country. (I say this as a moderately well-travelled Briton who recently left Blighty to

Britain is no more and no less bigoted/racist/xenophobic than any other country. (I say this as a moderately well-travelled Briton who recently left Blighty to live and work in Europe). The only difference is that it was decided that an exercise in direct democracy would be a good idea, and thus those with less savoury opinions were given an opportunity to popularise those opinions and enact social change, when in other countries they either don't need to because they rule the roost, or they don't get the opportunity to because other governments know that direct democracy is a stupid idea. > "formerly great" Define "great" – if you meant: "formerly the largest empire in history" – then I find your opposition to racism and bigotry rather at odds with that sentiment. You think Britons were less racist when they reigned over much of the world? You think colonial rule over "barbaric" nations was a mark of greatness? Or is racism justified when you have such power? Alternatively, if you meant "formerly a contented member of the EU, that appeared to be a champion of globalisation, diversity and tolerance" I fail to see how the country has lost its greatness. It's still a largely open and tolerant country, this hasn't changed just because a misinformed public voted to leave the EU. I would hardly say of the USA that it was "formerly great" because its citizens elected the current president into office. I believe the American people are still largely tolerant, those who are intolerant were so already. > "improper in this time and age" You overestimate humanity. -------- Ultimately, your mistake is to equate the UK's decline to its leaving the EU. The UK has been declining in influence for a long time. It was nearly bankrupt after WW2. The years after WW2 saw the continuing rise of the USA and the former USSR. The UK's empire has been dismantled over time and without the resources of the world at its disposal, the UK's influence could only decrease until it was at a level appropriate for a country of its size. The UK will probably miss its privileged membership to the EU, and it will decline more in the short and medium term, but in the long term it will bounce back. What the UK needs now is a government with some modern economic, political and technical acumen. Unfortunately I do not believe any party currently in existence in the UK can provide such government. I miss some things about my home land, but in so many ways it is stuck in the past, because government after government has dragged its heels when it comes to updating infrastructure and public services.