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The UK votes to leave the European Union

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Respect

Member
If you think it's perfectly okay to discount people because they're older, I don't know what to say. The older generation only wants what is best for their children. I think it's downright shameful to discount them in so many ways. You don't get control of everything just because you're younger.

For the record, I don't have a horse in this race. Not from the UK. But as an outsider looking in, some of the reaction to not getting their way has been awful. Calling for more votes until you somehow get the result one side wants is the opposite of democratic.

So a campaign built on lies is preferable in your opinion? And to top it off, look at the disarray the government is in, the "winners" don't even have a plan....we won, someone else deal with the fallout, I'm going play cricket.
 

Jisgsaw

Member
Eh, I could see the markets bounce back a bit on monday as nothing has actually happened yet. The main effects of brexit won't hit till Britain actually leaves, though it will cause a large amount of uncertainty in the markets.

Meh, I think the complete lack of anything even ressembling a plan from the UK will scare the shit out of the markets. Probably why Merkel made her comment.
At least the EU has managed to look somewhat proffessional and ready to deal with Brexit, and least that's something.
 

Mr Cola

Brothas With Attitude / The Wrong Brotha to Fuck Wit / Die Brotha Die / Brothas in Paris
Yep, I'm much less trustful of strangers than I was before. Had to ask an older guy today for directions whilst walking the dogs, he was nice about it but I couldn't get it out of my head that he had a 70% chance of voting to fuck my entire future.

This comes across a huge amount like that South Park episode after Obama got elected

south-park-s12e12c04-celebrate-good-obama-16x9.jpg


One side hanging themselves, the other side saying its all gonna be great
 
It seems to me that your nation is nearly as polarized as my own, so I can identify with your plight. However, is these polarized environments, I've noticed that everyone has their own ''experts''. How do regular people know who to trust? Everyone has an agenda and a bias, so don't bother denying it.

You completely misrepresent the argument being made by phrasing it like ''calling for more democracy''. C'mon now. That isn't democracy. Democracy would be holding a vote, making the change and actually see how the UK adjusts and giving it a chance in the 21st century. If there's enough of a swell to vote again and change back, then that's a more appropriate time. It isn't democratic to just keep holding votes and strongarming the other side and they're bent to your will.

Of course everyone has an agenda, but that does not thus make all agendas equal, in both merit and intention. It's cowardly to hide behind that.

As for democracy. It is democracy, yup. But one reason people are so angry is that this isn't an election we can 'sort out' in 4 years time. It's, potentially, permanent, at least in all relevant periods of time, i.e. our lifetimes.
 

Alx

Member
I'm in a Remain constituency and yet I still find myself suspiciously eyeing up old white people as if they're evil incarnate. (I'm a terrible stereotyper, I know).

I don't think anyone could have predicted the extent to which this whole issue would draw these huge lines between race, class and age.

From an external point of view (not British here), I think that division is the first issue you should work on solving. You won't be able to focus on the other problems if you keep opposing Remainers and Brexiters. Not that I know how you'll manage it since the division seems to be very deep...
 
Had the same thing at a family party last night. Walked in to the pisser on my uncle and his friend basically saying they voted out because Immigrants have taken our jobs and now there is nothing left for young people.

I thought about starting a debate but then realised it stunk of piss so just went for option two. Pissed a little bit on my uncles shoes without him noticing. Felt good.
Me and my mum laughed at this for a good minute.
 

D4Danger

Unconfirmed Member
Can't believe it's nearly been three full nights and there's still no plan. There's nothing. Is Nicola Sturgeon the only politician doing her job? Labour is in disarray. The "victorious" leave campaign, short of confirming their campaign was a lie, have done nothing. The PM has quit.

This is terrifying. Thank god UK doesn't have guns, there'd a civil war by now.

Nothing is going to happen now until Cameron is gone. He's already said this is someone else's mess.
 

spuckthew

Member
I don't think anyone could have predicted the extent to which this whole issue would draw these huge lines between race, class and age.

The economy aside, this is the biggest issue and why I think it would better if our government - in whatever guise it must take - should just wake up, look at what's going on around them (online, on TV, in the streets), and call the whole thing off. Don't wait, don't discuss it, just fucking end it.
 
My sister-in-law is of Romanian roots and a high level manager at a major corporation that has an office in the north. At work, she was told by an employee that they voted leave because they didn't want to see their kids wearing burka's at school and they wanted the Poles and Romanians to go back home. She told her, "you do realise that I'm Romanian, right?" And no, she didn't. It amazingly didn't occur to her that someone she knew and respected could possibly be one of them. She was in tears after.
The fear and ignorance that led to leave is astounding.
 

illusionary

Member
Nope. Sorry I disagree - for the first time ever, I now feel utterly ashamed to be British. My country has just committed economic suicide on the world stage, backed by an agenda of racism and xenophobia. I don't understand my country anymore, and to use the right wing phrase - I want my country back.

This is such a watershed in British politics and life (and possibly the end of British life given Scotland leaving). I honestly don't feel at home here anymore - this isn't the place I thought it was.
This has been me since Friday morning.

We went out for lunch today. It's crept up on me how often I find myself thinking "are they Remainers or Brexiters?" It's kinda bloody toxic.
Yeah, I'd have to admit to this crossing my mind a few times, too.


I missed this evening's Question Time and am planning to watch it a little later on iPlayer... but I just know that it's going to leave me feeling more worried. Maybe I should break out the Thick Of It box set for some light relief...
 
It fucking is. I've even eyeballed my neighbours thinking "Were you one of them?"

I was even a bit edgy when my girlfriend and I went out yesterday because she's French (well, half French) and I was worried that we'd get dirty looks or something.
Just imagine how frustrating it is to live here as a EU migrant right now.. Although I can find solace in the fact that about 70% in central London (where I work in a tech company) and in the borough where I live have voted for remain.
Still, I always felt at home here since the moment when I first set foot in the country, but not that much anymore.

While I'm aware that nothing has materially changed yet, I feel the toxicity, I find myself slightly annoyed at every British person I meet, thinking they might have voted Leave, I don't like that one bit and I don't see myself staying here in the long term as I wanted to until a few days ago.
 

TheFatOne

Member
I think it's quite peculiar how the interviewers make it all seem like an independent Scotland and EU member is such a preposterous idea that can't be entertained while the rest of the UK just kinda gave up apparently.
That was super annoying. Is this how most Brits view this? It was like the idea of Scotland's pm doing what is best for her people was mind altering. Like it was unthinkable that Scotland's wouldn't just follow along.
 

-Plasma Reus-

Service guarantees member status
The BBC keeps doing a breaking news bulletin for each resigning Labour cabinet member.
This is like the 24 one or something. lol
 

PJV3

Member
It seems to me that your nation is nearly as polarized as my own, so I can identify with your plight. However, is these polarized environments, I've noticed that everyone has their own ''experts''. How do regular people know who to trust? Everyone has an agenda and a bias, so don't bother denying it.

You completely misrepresent the argument being made by phrasing it like ''calling for more democracy''. C'mon now. That isn't democracy. Democracy would be holding a vote, making the change and actually see how the UK adjusts and giving it a chance in the 21st century. If there's enough of a swell to vote again and change back, then that's a more appropriate time. It isn't democratic to just keep holding votes and strongarming the other side and they're bent to your will.

If this starts going off the rails I expect parliament to act. Otherwise it can start working out what leave the EU means and try to sort it out.
 

Lime

Member
Must be hard being so terribly judgmental. Don't know how you managed this long.

I too would be pissed if a majority of voters tanked the economy, the UK is being dissolved, and emboldened the racists. Trump, Putin, Viktor Orban, Marie Le Pen, Gert Wilders, Golden Dawn, fucking Sarah Palin, are applauding what you've done.

Congratulations, you played yourself couldn't be more appropriate
 

avaya

Member
That was super annoying. Is this how most Brits view this? It was like the idea of Scotland's pm doing what is best for her people was mind altering. Like it was unthinkable that Scotland's wouldn't just follow along.

They are in denial. By all accounts she has the ability to stop this thing dead. She has the cards and she has the support of her country. She should do it.
 

Plum

Member
It seems to me that your nation is nearly as polarized as my own, so I can identify with your plight. However, is these polarized environments, I've noticed that everyone has their own ''experts''. How do regular people know who to trust? Everyone has an agenda and a bias, so don't bother denying it.

You completely misrepresent the argument being made by phrasing it like ''calling for more democracy''. C'mon now. That isn't democracy. Democracy would be holding a vote, making the change and actually see how the UK adjusts and giving it a chance in the 21st century. If there's enough of a swell to vote again and change back, then that's a more appropriate time. It isn't democratic to just keep holding votes and strongarming the other side and they're bent to your will.

The thing is ALL of the experts came out in favour of remain. We're seeing now that those experts are right. In Politics blind paranoia is sheer idiocy, all it proves is that you're so cocksure in your beliefs that you simply refuse to believe any of the "others" who might prove you wrong. I won't bother denying it, but like I said it's paranoia to think every single expert out there who predicted what actually happened was some form of shill.

And yes, it is democracy. If the UK truly wants to leave they would vote again to do so. Except now that's unlikely because we aren't being sold literal lies (and this isn't paranoia, most of the leave campaign's assertions were lies and this is true). The swell has come in the form of the mass hysteria, distrust, economic shit and more that's come only two days after the results.
 

Maledict

Member
From an external point of view (not British here), I think that division is the first issue you should work on solving. You won't be able to focus on the other problems if you keep opposing Remainers and Brexiters. Not that I know how you'll manage it since the division seems to be very deep...

People have had the rights they were born with removed by this. I literally haven't known anything other than being in Europe, and according to the polls most people my generation and below feel the same. At the same time, the vote revealed massive disparities across the nations, to the point where I now firmly believe Scotland should have independence (I, and my Scottish fiance, were both pro-union before).

I don't know *how* we come back from this. I'm not sure I even want to.
 
Not sure how people can't understand that this vote means that there is no credible argument against Scotland and Ireland leaving the union. And it is true that England has no credible political leadership but this was true this last general election. The only thing that made the previous election a stable leadership was the lib dems. The rejection of them for "collaborating" and making government functional was sad.
 

Polari

Member
Not only do you want to ignore a democratic decision, you're hoping that the police swoop in to deal with any protesters.

The irony here is absolutely destroying me.

You'd hope anyone regardless of their views on one particular issue would stand up to protect democracy.
 

Binabik15

Member
I did not vote leave, does not mean I cant find fault in both stances. I dont like Brussels bureaucrats who have no one on their back for accountabbility, I dont like the inefficiencies, but I also support people coming here to do work others wont and respect that. Some people just dont want to work.

If I could vote for free trade common market, but also no restrictions on EU labour movement, I would.

Its not always clear cut is it. I bet if that if the remain vote was free common market and free labour movement remain would of got 85 % and won a land slide...

Interesting. You seemed so supportive of Leave and getting a better deal with the EU as a result.

I have my fair share of issues with the EU myself (like countries using it to sent their politicians into exile or out to pasture...just look up the [slimy] clown show that is Günther Oettinger), but leaving the EU was evidently such a bad idea for practical reasons even if one is anti-EU and I think that having the EU around is better than not having it. Building a new EU wide organisation would be impossible today, so don't tear it down, try and change it.
 

Corto

Member
How I wish I was a fly on next week EU meetings. Awkwardness levels through the roof. No one talking with Cameron. Everyone picking up the tray at the cafeteria and leaving when he tries to sit besides you.
 

2MF

Member
We went out for lunch today. It's crept up on me how often I find myself thinking "are they Remainers or Brexiters?" It's kinda bloody toxic.

Thought the same a few times when walking my dog outside (I'm not British but I live in London). But more from the perspective of "are they thinking I'm an immigrant and want me out?".

edit - and to be clear, I don't think all leave voters want all immigrants out.
 

PJV3

Member
How I wish I was a fly on next week EU meetings. Awkwardness levels through the roof. No one talking with Cameron. Everyone picking up the tray at the cafeteria and leaving when he tries to sit besides you.


I hope they help him, we don't need this in Europe.
 

-Plasma Reus-

Service guarantees member status
You know when you're in the office and one guy makes a huge fuss and storms off.
The next morning, he comes in? That's what Cameron is doing Tuesday.
 

Xando

Member
So there is a conservative leave politcian from the UK (Anna Firth) which is totally getting destroyed by the german defense minister on German state TV.

Absolutely crazy display by her
 

Plum

Member
So there is a conservative leave politcian from the UK (Anna Firth) which is totally getting destroyed by the german defense minister on German state TV.

Absolutely crazy display by her

Any juicy excerpts? Come on man, give us them details :)
 
Thought the same a few times when walking my dog outside (I'm not British but I live in London). But more from the perspective of "are they thinking I'm an immigrant and want me out?".

I'm in the Midlands and I know for sure that a lot of them are Brexiters. However, my mother and step-father are not so who knows...

However the old guy opposite them certainly is, but he took down his union jack bunting and flags pretty quickly after it all.
 
The vote was fundamentally flawed, the Leave campaign was based on blatant lies that they couldn't even stick to for a week, and the whole thing was advisory anyway. I'm flabbergasted they haven't reversed course already. There may be some outrage by Leaves, but the alternative is much worse, and it's pretty easy to tell them, "Look, what these people told you about leaving, what they slapped on busses, was a lie. They had no plan for this, it was all a power play. You were lied to, and you need to vote again with a clearer understanding of what's going to happen."
 
change emotional to racist

Hang on a minute. Just because of recent events, it doesn't mean we're a country of racists.

Yes, it's embarrassing what's happened, but UK is and will always be a multicultural society, which in turn, breeds racism in a very small minority.

Everyone else might be writing my country off, but I'm not.
 

Lime

Member
So there is a conservative leave politcian from the UK (Anna Firth) which is totally getting destroyed by the german defense minister on German state TV.

Absolutely crazy display by her

I really want to see it - will there be a link at some point you think?
 
The thing is ALL of the experts came out in favour of remain. We're seeing now that those experts are right. In Politics blind paranoia is sheer idiocy, all it proves is that you're so cocksure in your beliefs that you simply refuse to believe any of the "others" who might prove you wrong. I won't bother denying it, but like I said it's paranoia to think every single expert out there who predicted what actually happened was some form of shill.

And yes, it is democracy. If the UK truly wants to leave they would vote again to do so. Except now that's unlikely because we aren't being sold literal lies (and this isn't paranoia, most of the leave campaign's assertions were lies and this is true). The swell has come in the form of the mass hysteria, distrust, economic shit and more that's come only two days after the results.

That's fine. I don't watch the BBC, except for Sherlock, and I only have basic knowledge of what's happening on your side of the pond. I just have to disagree on principle in terms people trying to change the vote. I've heard that your news channels are flooded with pundits talking about another vote right now. To me, that comes off like a concerted effort to subvert democracy. It's also why I find it utterly despicable that the Republican party here in the United States might actually try to push Trump out for someone the powers that be in the Republican party wants in, completely ignoring who the people voted for. That makes my skin crawl.
 
Any juicy excerpts? Come on man, give us them details :)

Well firth said that she thinks that the new treaty will take more than 2 years so there is no hurry to invoke Art. 50. Von der Leyen said that if she thinks that negotiating treaties within 2 years is not possible than she should have thought about that before campaigning for brexit
 

liquidtmd

Banned
Can you lot please stop pretending we all want to overturn the referendum results?

True not everyone does but if they aren't overturned, this country will see the biggest fucking exodus of business, money, brains and good people witnessed in modern history.

And I am not being hyperbolic.
 

geordiemp

Member
Interesting. You seemed so supportive of Leave and getting a better deal with the EU as a result.

I have my fair share of issues with the EU myself (like countries using it to sent their politicians into exile or out to pasture...just look up the [slimy] clown show that is Günther Oettinger), but leaving the EU was evidently such a bad idea for practical reasons even if one is anti-EU and I think that having the EU around is better than not having it. Building a new EU wide organisation would be impossible today, so don't tear it down, try and change it.

You see, our views are not so different. But how do you change the bad things in EU and keep the good things ?

I am trying my best to see positives that can be done, listening today to Tony Blair (god I could not stand that guy at the time), I now wish he would come back and lead us. We need a wise calm head to shake things up.

Maybe the wiser heads like Merkel and others thinking maybe Eu project needs toning down a little (some noises have been made), and maybe UK can have a general election in a few months with new mandates and we can stay.

But things need to change here a well, big time. Whether its France, Germany, USA with trump or UK, far right is getting more than just a few nutters, and that worries me for society. Its not just a UK problem.

Maybe a few financial things failing over coming months will be a good force for change and people cant just blame it on the Poles coming here to do shit jobs like working at 4 am in starbucks at an airport - nobody British wants to get outta bed lol.

Sometimes I look at Boris and think he wanted to change EU for the good but not leave....so he made a statement by standing.....but never thought he would win...Would explain how he never rejoiced and looked as if he had indeed lost the next day.

In an ideal world you would want to show Eu it needed to change without blowing everything up.....Fucked up world....
 

Anarion07

Member
I still can't believe that really happened. Watched the John Oliver bit on BREXIT yesterday. Pretty sad.
But the song was awesome.

The good thing I as a German take from it: This will be taught in history/economy books in a couple of years. And we sat there and watched and read an over 200 pages thread on GAF about it.

I don't even know how to feel. Of course I wish the British all the best.
But at the same time, I don't. They have to fail for the EU to succeed.

As a biologist/patent guy what's really sad is the whole university/pharma thing...
 

Lime

Member
Hang on a minute. Just because of recent events, it doesn't mean we're a country of racists.

Yes, it's embarrassing what's happened, but UK is and will always be a multicultural society, which in turn, breeds racism in a very small minority.

Everyone else might be writing my country off, but I'm not.

Like so many other countries, the U.K. is a racist society.

This vote just prove that a significant portion of the voting population are willing to tank the economy and dissolve the UK because of fear of Eastern Europeans and brown people.
 
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