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What Happens Brex’t?
Global financial panic, Sterling collapsing, and Scotland — possibly Northern Ireland, too — apt to break away. Quite a day’s work.
A striking aspect of the results is the extent to which the vote represents a victory of the old over the young. “Young voters wanted Brexit the least,” as the Mirror put it, “and will have to live with it the longest.”
The final YouGov poll before the referendum showed 72% of 18 to 24-year-olds backed a Remain vote – with just 19% backing Brexit.
Brexiters were led to victory in the referendum overnight by triumphing in Tory shires and Old Labour heartlands in Wales and the north of England.
But the Kingdom is no longer United after London, Scotland and Northern Ireland all backed Remain.
The more damaging legacy, however, could be the staggering difference in how people of different ages [voted].
The final YouGov poll before the referendum showed 72% of 18 to 24-year-olds backed a Remain vote – with just 19% backing Brexit.
Lib Dem leader Tim Farron said: “Young people voted to remain by a considerable margin, but were outvoted. They were voting for their future, yet it has been taken from them.”
I hope that the optimists are proven right and that this is the first day of a bright new future for Britain and Europe. But unless it is — and unless the gain that justifies the pain comes sooner, rather than later — Britain (or what’s left of it) will experience an unprecedented generational war. Or at least, I’m racking my mind, and I can’t think of a precedent, can you?
Adam Newman@NewmanDipFa I’m so angry. A generation given everything: Free education, golden pensions, social mobility have voted to strip my generation’s future.
The pain will certainly be acute in the immediate term.
Now we’ll watch Europe’s biggest divorce case since Henry VIII. I posted this a few months ago, but it’s worth dusting off and watching again. This is from Open Europe’s simulation post-Brexit negotiations. Former Chancellor Norman Lamont is playing the role of the UK:
As someone who wishes Britain and Europe well, I hope very much that Britain withdraws in an orderly way and recovers as quickly as possible, leaving behind a Europe that’s better for the experience. I hope the rest of the EU learns and benefits from crisis and failure. And if it neither learns nor survives, I hope Europe’s reversion to a gaggle of fractious, quarreling states goes better than history would indicate.
Whatever happens, I’ll report. If you make a contribution this week, it will be earmarked for a chapter of Brave New World about Brexit and its consequences. Please contribute! This story is getting more and more interesting by the day — but I’m still well away from the goal.
Published in General
What is all this criticism of Claire’s living in France and not assimilating? It’s not like she’s an illegal alien in France who wants to live there forever but not accept French culture and values. As long as she follows the rules for expatriates living in France, why can’t she just be an American living in France?
I think what may cause the response to Claire that we see here is that she is or may be an American expatriate, who is here as a contributor to conservative conversation, but also seems to be a Europhile. Since many here, maybe even most, think we have abandoned much of our Constitution while trying to turn America into a western hemisphere Europe and want to see some restoration as opposed to ‘leaving’, thus conflict with Claire’s positions.
Yeah, what’s she supposed to be doing? Instigating surreptitious sandlot baseball games and teaching kids to switch hands with their forks before they take a bite?
That’s cute, but you don’t use a fork to eat a baguette sandwich.
Hah. You don’t.
And are we all agreeing that Claire is not assimilated into French culture?
There’s enough rudeness going on around here that I’m not sure there is anyone who hasn’t been assimilated into French culture.
Let me just say that I like Claire’s conversation while sometimes not agreeing with her and I think I would like her when we meet personally. But I don’t like how Europeans govern their part of the world so I don’t like the idea of those ways prevailing in America.
Americans in Paris? They are there to win the heart of Leslie Caron.
Good grief, are you serious?
EJ,
Leslie Caron!?
I bet they’re asleep in New York. I bet they’re asleep all over America.
Regards,
Jim
That is how I read it too.
Right. Not only is there the unanswered “what have you done for me lately” question that matters a great deal in the military, there’s also this: the author doesn’t seem to esteem the opinions of those who have served in the US military as much as somebody whose grandfather once served in that of a foreign country.
Claire, you’ve really stepped in poo here. I recommend admitting it — retract the comment, wipe it off your shoe, and enjoy the rest of the day.
I’ll offer a second, more general answer: the moment you draw your first breath.
I think it’s reasonable to assume that an (I think) Australian telling an American to become French if she wanted to live in Paris because failing to do so was responsible for recreating the conditions that almost killed her grandparents (in Paris) would be beyond irritating. Her response was, frankly, restrained.
I guess it is a good thing that isn’t what he said.
Thank Heavens. He lost me there, but I don’t wish to be disagreeable. Zafar, I think you are providing rather more of the facts than you are reporting.
What is this all about again? Someone is arguing Claire didn’t assimilate, someone is arguing she’s too Europhilic, someone thinks she shouldn’t mention her grandfather’s experience.
There are certainly differences in French and American culture, and in the respective national personalities. But an American in France need not “assimilate” to French culture, per se. We share in the greatness of Western culture. The French have their ways, and we have ours. Can’t the same be said of New Jerseyans and Mississippians? One gets used to it. No assimilation necessary.
Not true. Someone, several it seems, think that she shouldn’t use her grandfather’s convictions as proof of her own.
IMHO, conservatism rests upon acknowledging and appreciating with humility the gift bequeathed us by our forebears, and admitting our unworthiness until proven otherwise. This is quite the opposite of taking credit for those acts by the departed. Very much the opposite.
My grandfathers and great-uncles (not all of them, natch) fought in World War II — all of them on the right side, I might add. They and their brothers as Americans gave me much. It implies nothing of my fitness or honor. That’s up to me, and SHAME if I claim their honor as my own.
I don’t expect Claire to hit the frontlines — there’s a place for everybody, although I understand her brother is married to a lady who fights for something under UN auspices. Frankly, I would be happy if most reservists in a combat zone carried no weapon, just ammo (I might need it), so not everybody needs to be in a foxhole.
But pride and gratitude are opposite of claiming that one’s virtues are to be assumed because of the virtue of a forebear.
There. Now if you disagree, that’s fine. But please let me know if you do not understand this point of view about grandfathers, etc.
I didn’t take it that way. I took her example of the treatment her grandfather had at the hands of the French government as her reason for not becoming French now.
The problem I have with that is she is equating the lack of honor of a collaborationist government (Vichy France) with the post war France.
While I have nothing but contempt for the post WW2 French government, I at least draw the distinction between it and the puppet Vichy regime. In no way would I use the dishonorable treatment of my grandfather at Vichy hands as the reason not to assimilate.
Wasn’t it Claire who coined the phrase “boring, repetitive and tense?” I think it applies here.
Flag it then. No one is stopping you. BTW, nice to see you back.
Thanks. Not flag worthy. Just very “over.” What I really ought to do is unfollow this thread. The interesting discussion on it ended two days ago.