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A <<50% majority of the population elected a parliamentary majority to allow India and Ireland independence; it would similarly now be the obvious mechanism to
by eynsham 5y ago
A <<50% majority of the population elected a parliamentary majority to allow India and Ireland independence; it would similarly now be the obvious mechanism to allow Scottish independence, and if there were to be an Act of Union would be the obvious mechanism there. An elected government has the right to pass legislation, and in Britain legislation can do and is everything. Cameron promised a referendum which, not in law but in practice, would be binding. We voted for the referendum, and voted the wrong way, alas.
Brexit is certainly national self-harm, but that’s the right of voters. If they don’t want to use their brains, or to prioritise ends alien to people like me, that’s also entirely within their rights. There is no national consensus that we should move to any other constitutional régime, and in the absence of one, absurd as they are, our Diceyan notions are not so beyond the pale that simply in themselves they are illegitimate. If I am prepared to recognise the Thatcher ministry as having a legitimate democratic basis—and I certainly am—then the far more limited damage of Brexit certainly doesn’t make me inclined to question these aspects of the British democratic setup. (I do have some sympathy to attempts to smuggle in a constitution through the backdoor via the Act of Union and Scots law though.)
- KennyBlanken 5y ago> Brexit is certainly national self-harm, but that’s the right of voters. Are people really not aware that the brexit referendum and last two US presidential elections were heavily manipulated by Putin to weaken NATO and the EU so he could do exactly what he's doing right now?
- blibble 5y agocan you explain how having the UK inside the EU would have prevented Putin invading Ukraine?
- gadders 5y agoI think that is a conspiracy theory. Russia certainly seems to be doing better under Biden than Trump.
- eynsham 5y agoAs I said, if fellow voters don’t wish to use their brains, that’s up to them. Of course, I regret that they have caused themselves harm—I also regret that they have caused me harm to some extent, although probably less, due to my socioeconomic position. Focusing on Putin is the infantile response of, in my case, a British élite who have run out of ideas and who would rather put up with idiocy like Brexit than implement a proper welfare state.
- moltke 5y ago>to weaken NATO and the EU Halting immigration would do more for nationalism and unity, not weaken it. These might sound bad but you need them badly if you're planning on any real wars.
- yucky 5y agoPutin invaded Ukraine & took Crimea in 2014 while Obama was President. He invaded again recently with Biden President. As far as I know, he didn't invade anybody while Trump was President. I wouldn't exactly give Trump credit for that, but I think we need to be honest about the timeline here..