Spiral Scribbles

Brexit mexit win for dumb fucks

So, the United Kingdom (UK) has voted by a narrow majority to leave the European Union (EU): a triumph for ignorance, nationalism, divisiveness, fragmentation and the scapegoating of ethnic and foreign minorities.

One look at the leading politicians in favour of a British exit (dubbed ‘Brexit’) from the EU would have been enough for any moderately clued-in person to vote against leaving: Nigel Farage (leader of the UK Independence Party, where right-wing conservatism shades off into nastier reaches), Boris Johnson (ex-Mayor of London, a populist and opportunist carefully disguised with genial buffoonery), Donald Trump (Mr. Dodgy, right down to his orange, spray-on perma-tan) and Vladimir Putin (Mr. Macho Man, Gangster-in-Chief of Russia).

But hey, folks, we’re not talking about moderately clued-in people when it comes to a significant proportion of the pro-Brexit voters. Hell no, we’re talking about a large number of dumb fucks: the ill-educated, more ignorant, racist, xenophobic and self-pitying.

This is the section of society from whose woodwork has always emerged, throughout history and when opportunity presents, the supporters of authoritarian and fascist rulers – the stern father figures who will look after ‘us’, banish and punish all the ‘outsiders’ (i.e. anyone that the clueless deem responsible for the ills in their lives) and give licence, subtly or otherwise, to the resentful, scapegoat-seeking feelings – violence, hate, intimidation – carried in their supporters’ hearts.

These are the dumb fucks who have now voted – tho’ they knew it not – for:

• The breakup of the UK (Scotland will now surely vote to leave and so re-join the EU).
• The renewal of terrorism and violence in Northern Ireland. The Irish Republic is strongly pro-EU, and Sinn Fein, which has MPs on both sides of the border, has already called for a vote on whether Northern Ireland should remain part of the UK or instead become part of a united Ireland.
• The ceding of Gibraltar to Spain (the Gibraltarians voted massively to stay in the EU).

These are the clueless citizens who have voted for the very possible fragmentation and eventual collapse of the institution – the EU – that was brought into being to make impossible ever again the outbreak of war within Europe. After the UK, Greece could well be the first to go … their economy has long been in tatters, defaulting on their massive debts via an EU-exit looks increasingly attractive to many Greeks, and leading Greek politicians have been cosying up to Russia for some time now.

And these – the Brexiteers – are the clueless idiots who have effectively voted for the encouragement of far-right groupings right across Europe:

• In France, far-right National Front leader Marine Le Pen was among the first to hail the Brexit vote with a cry of “victory for freedom!” Now, she tweeted, it was time for a referendum in France and elsewhere in the EU.
• In Holland, Geert Wilders – the leader of the anti-Islam, anti-immigration Freedom Party – was also among the first to congratulate Britain on its “Independence Day”. He promised that if he were elected the Dutch would be granted their own EU-exit referendum.
• In Germany, Beatrix von Storch, an MEP for the rightwing populist party Alternative für Deutschland, welcomed the result. “The 23 June is a historic day. It is Great Britain’s independence day”, said Storch, who was recently expelled from the Tories’ party group in the European parliament after suggesting German police might be within their rights to shoot refugees trying to cross the border.
• The far right Sweden Democrats, who hold the balance of power in Stockholm, tweeted: “Congratulations to Britain’s people on choosing independence! Now we are waiting for a #swexit!”
• The powerful far-right Danish People’s party congratulated the British people on their “bold” choice, which, it said, was a “stinging slap to the whole system”.
• In Athens, Golden Dawn, Europe’s most violent rightwing party, rejoiced at the referendum result. Predicting it would further empower “nationalist forces” across Europe, the neo-fascist group welcomed what it described as “the brave decision of the British people” and said it hoped a similar referendum could take place in Greece.
• Belgium’s Flemish nationalist party Vlaams Belang was overjoyed by the result of the Brexit referendum.

The authoritarian forces outside the EU are also delighted with the Brexit vote. In Russia, Moscow’s Mayor, Sergei Sobyanin noted that “Without the UK in the EU, there’s no one there who’ll so stridently back sanctions against us [imposed for Russia’s invasion and annexation of Crimea].” Meanwhile ultra-nationalist Russian MP Vladimir Zhirinovsky said the British public “had performed a heroic deed”.

So well done, all you dumb fucks. Your ignorance and stupidity has opened Pandora’s box.