My belated condolences. I always enjoyed reading his posts and will miss his insight and wide ranging views. May hew…
Independence day.
I love Europe.
I’ve lived and worked in many parts of it and always counted myself blessed to savour the rich tapestry of it; eating a Sacher torte on the veranda of a rather elegant café in Vienna while sipping on a viciously chilled dessert wine, meeting the only woman taxi driver in Milan who was all tooled up in case my idea of a ride didn’t agree with hers but knew the only restaurant there that opened ridiculously late, a German who was convinced about the power of stones and gave me a special yellow one he’d picked up in Tanzania as a parting gift, a Spaniard waiter who with a wink at me flattered my wife outrageously to the point where she blushed with pleasure and the Montparnasse stripper in a dark but intimate dive who spotting us as honeymooners in Paris, insisted we both have a suck at either of her nipples.
We couldn’t keep our hands off each other anyway, but a certain Parisian naughtiness appealed big time to an ex-convent school girl and a young and a still wanting man determined to have the best week of his life. For her, but for him too.
That’s Europe, that’s its texture and there are no safe spaces once you get out of the seemingly compliant metropolises, or should that be metropoli? You are on your own and because I love it, I don’t want it standardised, buggerised and fuckerised by some lard-arsed bureaucratic monolith accountable to nobody. It’s so much richer than that. I’ve lived in various bits of it, learnt their languages and mannerisms, and loved it. I poked a toe into it but always in the end did the big swan dive into it. Every time, they adopted me as the clueless foreigner and were kind to me, and I loved them for that generosity.
I know the other stuff about it too, all the sordid and bad bits that nobody wants to look at, never mind acknowledge. I have learnt to armour up a soft heart but inside it all is a tender one which always watches and records.
I know I should be writing sober political analysis in the light of the Brexit vote, but after a night watching the will of the people manifest itself, despite a well-funded campaign that didn’t seem to have a moral floor when it came to anyone who wanted out of European political union, I think I’ll do a more considered piece further on down the line.
Once upon a time, a bunch of English-speaking settlers got pissed off being ruled by a distant unaccountable power over the sea they hadn’t elected and simply wanted to do their own thing, against the advice of all the play it safe experts. They were faced with the opposition’s version of Project Fear, yet still rose up and took to arms. They’d nothing on their side but hope. In a very 21st century sense, the Brexit campaigners went up against the might of something that looked a lot like the majesty of a king, but the commoners refused to kiss his pinky ring.
In a way, this is the old world talking to the new world. There was a sense that this was the last best chance for the unwashed common man to object to something that seemed massive and unstoppable. Perhaps it’s our last best gasp, but we still have the bollocks, we still have that fire in our belly.
Have you?
©Pointman
UK Election 2015 – The car crash of the chatterati against reality.
The loss of faith in the political class.
Click for a list of other articles.
Pointman's 
It’s not done yet. Recall the shenanigans with past referenda. They are humiliated but not beaten. Tomorrow the same revenues will flow into their coffers that did yesterday. Tomorrow the same apparatchiks will report to the same desks that they manned yesterday. They will disburse the same funds to the same Quangos and the NGOs tomorrow that received disbursements from them yesterday. They will appoint their classmates, chums, and families to the open jobs the same way they did before. They will send press releases to the same friends in the propaganda industry to whom they sent them yesterday. They are just as strong as they were before, and their humiliation will remove any restraint to how they employ their strength.
It’s not the beginning of the end. It’s the end of the beginning.
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So true. There is so much more to be done but now it is up to the British people……….you have sent those naysayers in Brussels packing.
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Tarran is right. The UK needs a say it like it is, Put UK First statesman (if that sounds familiar). They are likely to get is a climb the greasy pole politician who like all politicians will be malleable at a remarkably low price. The intent of the elite will be to throw grit in the gears – try another referendum as in Eire, delay and obfuscate. If a Put UK First politician were magically to be PM the first action should be to stop all payments to the EU. This would concentrate the minds in Brussels and Strasbourg as there is no benefit in stringing things along. Unfortunately, there is a dearth of statesmen wishing to put UK first. Perhaps a rich business man…
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France, Italy, Netherlands indicating they want a UN/ in/out vote also.
Two days ago ‘The Telegraph.’
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Denmark and Sweden aren’t happy with the EU either.
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Pointman,
The raison d’etre for any ordinary young Remaniac citizen invariably boiled down to … money. ‘What’s in it for me?’ – “How much will this cost me?’ – ‘I’ll lose my entitlement to travel the EU as I wish.’
Looking at the demographics in the vote, the 18/34 year olds are furious. They even want another referendum, signing a petition for one in their tens of thousands. Twitter quote: “Why should a 90 year old be voting on MY future?”
They don’t care about quirky waiters or cab drivers or the subtleties of culture or history or language – for them it’s either all about getting pissed on cheap grog, doing as they please when they want or … preserving their investment in a home or business on the continent and keeping their taxes low after they’ve already deserted the UK’s dodgy weather and congested motorways.
This is a new world that requires the attention-span of a gnat, is fast-tracked and furious, and requires few inner resources with constant distractions and entertainment by technology in every shape and form.
A thousand years of history (and what can be learned from it) means nothing to them. They don’t understand what they’ve gained, only lamented what they’ve lost, and their rage and resentment knows no bounds.
Time for a reminder. From the archives – 2008 …..
http://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/52947/Sold-out-to-Europe-Brown-makes-Queen-sign-away-our-sovereignty
“Mr Brown was last night facing widespread revolt and even the threat of further legal action after forcing the treaty into law without the promised referendum.
Tory Shadow Foreign Secretary William Hague said: “Gordon Brown has no democratic or moral authority to sign Britain up to what is a renamed EU constitution. This move is a total breach of trust with the British people and a flagrant breach of his solemn election promise. It is a sign of how arrogant and out of touch this Government has become that it is totally uninterested in what the British people want on Europe.”
It is THIS betrayal, by both sides of the political divide, that we remember – and Brexiteers won’t readily forgive.
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We’ve escaped from the asylum.
Pointman
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I have a very little Latin and even less Greek but polis (πόλεις) is a Greek third declension vowel stem noun masculine nominative singular. The plural form is πόλεις (poleis).
Britain was Great and a part of Europe long before the EU came along. The “Messiah” was a great cultural product of Christendom that didn’t need Brussels to regulate Europe in order for it to be created. A German (George Frideric Handel) became a great British composer two and a half centuries before the Common Market was founded.
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A very classy hint taken up and the fix applied. Thank you. Old age and memory betrays us all in the end.
Pointman
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Just found my own error—the singular is of course πόλις…I’m all thumbs with cut and paste at the moment.
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Pedantically and for completeness one should point out that the dual form (a number all but disappeared from English) is πόλει—polei.
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The last I heard,there were 160 odd countries who aren’t members of the EU.If that is correct,then the UK has all those countries that they can trade with.seems to me they should have “Dumped”the EU a long time ago.
Well done Nigel,Boris and all of the Brexieers.
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The cry from the Remainers for another referendum is typically EU. If you don’t get the “correct” answer – keep asking the question until you do. It is the anti-democratic nature of the EU that makes people all over Europe distrust it. If it had been 52% Remain I think Leavers would have been disappointed, Yes, but abide by the democratic decision.
The UK was sold a free trade area in 1975, and lied to about the constant ratcheting of loss of any say in the imposed laws. The ultimate goal is a European Superstate and we the Brits are not the only people in Europe who do not want that. Politicians in 5 countries have already asked for an EU referendum. The EU commission is not elected, just a pals nod of the head, and makes all laws. The elected MEPs can’t propose law or repeal it.
The British PM said vote to stay and we will get some changes made ( he has said that before) – the EU President (not elected) said “no you won’t.”
Immigration was an issue, and a number of the Remainers have thrown the “R” word around. The UK has never been a racist country in modern times. My view is that anyone who wants to live in the UK, integrate, contribute and become a citizen is welcome, regardless of race or creed. Few of us don’t have immigrants in our family tree.
I agree with Blackswan that the “needs” of the two sides are different. Young Remainers have no insight of what they would be losing or don’t even care, as long as their mobile phone bill is cheaper.
If Remainers can bare to watch – they should even now view BREXIT – The Movie. They might just begin to question why the EU is not a benign, beneficial project.
The fact that Switzerland has abandoned all thoughts of joining the EU should give people pause for thought.
I believe that the UK should immediately announce that it wishes to continue trading freely with the other 27, after all we buy more from them than they do from us. Germany has already warned against punishment for the UK – well 20% of German cars are bought in the UK. It is in nobody’s interest to start throwing tariffs around. We need a Norway/Switzerland type arrangement.
Last year we celebrated the 800th anniversary of Magna Carta. It is the basis for a number of constitutions around world, not least that of the USA. How the US President could tell us to stay in a setup that few Americans would endorse for themselves is amazing.
For any Americans who view this – imagine the USA joining Canada, Mexico and all the countries of the Americas in an ever tightening political unit (not a free trade area). The HQ would be in Honduras with its “parliament” of which less than 10% would be US citizens. There would be free movement of labour throughout the whole of the Americas. The USA would be one of the few contributors with nearly every one else drawing cash out – BUT the HQ would tell you what 50% plus of your laws were and fine if you didn’t comply.
Ultimately Leavers want to trade with all the world (not possible in the EU), including EU countries – we don’t want to be ruled by an unelected elite that we can’t vote out of power.
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Tuesday 28 June 2016 by Formelia Alberthine
3.9 million sign petition to replay England vs Iceland
Football petition
A petition set up by disgruntled England fans to replay their side’s 2-1 European Championship defeat to Iceland has reached 3.9 million signatures.
The petition, which now triggers a debate in parliament, challenges the methods in which results of football matches are determined, particularly those which end in an unfavourable reverse.
England fan and petition owner Simon Williams felt that the failure of the England players to deliver when it mattered most necessitated a re-write of the rulebook, with a rematch being for the good of European competition.
“The result is unacceptable, unstomachable – no one wants a tiny isolationist island getting through to the next round – it must not stand,” he told us.
“No-one told the players they needed to do their bit on the pitch and score more than the opposition – in a situation as important at this the other team should have to score at least two more than England in order to secure a victory.
“It’s just so unfair that the result isn’t the one I wanted – can we go back to the bit when we were still in Europe, please?”
UEFA have dismissed the request stating early investigations had revealed 35,000 of the signatories could be traced to a team bus exiting the Nice area of France in a directionless fashion.
A spokesperson added, “You cannot change the result, even if it was clearly determined by morons who didn’t seem to know what they were doing.
“And no, we wouldn’t have played Rooney in midfield either.”
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Listen to Peter Hitchens and ignore the Guardianist token dolly. He’s right on the knuckle.
Pointman
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Hitchens certainly nailed it. He could equally have been speaking about the US and Australia or for that matter pretty much anywhere else.
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Trust Sir Humphrey to give us the best EU overview we’ve heard yet …..
“Minister, Britain has had the same foreign policy objective for at least the last five hundred years; to create a disunited Europe.
In that cause we have fought with the Dutch against the Spanish, with the Germans against the French, with the French and Italians against the Germans, and with the French against the Germans and Italians.
Divide and rule, you see. Why should we change now, when it’s worked so well?
We had to break the whole thing up, so we had to get inside.
We tried to break it up from the outside, but that wouldn’t work. Now that we’re inside we can make a complete pig’s breakfast of the whole thing.”
http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/tv-and-radio/how-yes-minister-predicted-brexit-20160626-gps1pj.html
Dontcha just love it when a plan comes together?
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The matter was further developed in a later chapter—
Sir Humphrey: Why do you suppose we went into it (the EC)?
Jim: To strengthen the brotherhood of free western nations.
Sir Humphrey: Oh really, we went in to screw the French by splitting them off from the Germans.
Jim: Why did the French go into it then?
Sir Humphrey: Well to protect their inefficient farmers from commercial competition.
Jim: It certainly doesn’t apply to the Germans.
Sir Humphrey: Well no, they went in to cleanse themselves of genocide and apply for readmission to the human race.
Jim: I never heard such appalling cynicism.
– The Devil You Know
Oh and yes I always love it when the plan comes together.
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Now I’m thoroughly confused after reading the following article …
http://www.msn.com/en-au/news/australia/brexit-what-does-it-mean-for-australians-living-in-europe-and-the-uk/ar-AAhCfcw?ocid=spartandhp#page=1
Has the British Establishment gone stark raving mad? Foreign citizens, some holding dual nationality passports, and with only temporary residency visas were given a vote. WTF? Most were foreigners living/working/studying in the UK and ALL were given a vote.
They even allowed foreigners to cast Proxy votes for other foreigners “who used to live there a few years ago”, but don’t any longer.
Australian journalist Emma Channon has been living and working in the UK for 18 months.
She voted — and also voted on behalf of her brother, who lived in London a few years ago and was able to vote by proxy — to remain.
I must be dreaming.
Australian-born UK resident Elliott Rossi, who works in marketing, said he had spent the past 10 years trying to obtain Italian citizenship so that he could stay anywhere in the EU.
The Remain voter, currently holding a five-year UK ancestry visa, is fearful the country might change laws that threaten his residency application once the visa ceases.
Another Australian living and working in London says:
“A British passport was something that I worked towards with the main idea being that someday I’d use the benefits of it and go and work elsewhere in Europe,” he said.
“Now I have very little interest, as I can’t really see any value in having it.” Mr Fisher “proudly” voted on his way home from work on Thursday.
Proudly voted? Now has little interest?
Then bugger off, you Aussie moron – do the British a favour and go “elsewhere” – sooner rather than later (but preferably don’t inflict yourself on Australia any time soon).
How many of the 15 million Remainiacs were British citizens at all? Could Cameron and his Coterie of Betrayal have done any more to skew the vote in their favour? What utter bastardry!
That makes the Brexit vote even more stunning, more significant and ultimately more heart-warming than it already has been.
Rule Britannia!
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Believe you me Swanny, if there was a way of fixing the vote, they greased its arse. And they still lost. And now they’re whingeing and wanting a rerun and another one until they finally get the result they want.
Which bit of “no” didn’t they understand?
Pointy
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Gotta love this lad …. his unblinking, lip curling, sneering delivery is pure gold. LOL
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Brussels has ended up with a bloody nose and put to ridicule, but instead of asking itself where it went wrong, the unelected bureaucrats have initiated a harsh tyrannical onslaught on the UK, threatening its people with everything in Brussels’, Obama’s and (that modern version of Fagan a.k.a.) George Soros’ might. Brexit has shown what Brussels’ unelected bureaucrats really are, a bunch of dictators full of hatred towards those people who have been for long forgotten by them. Those who cannot afford to heat their homes on a harsh freezing wintry day, those who’ve seen their standards of living crash, lost their jobs to the Chinese, Indians and Turks while having to support an invasion of Arabs who had to escape certain death because Europe did nothing to help solve their massive problems, but instead stood watching Assad and ISIS murdering, nay, exterminating whole communities , destroying cities and causing mass migration towards the northern Mediterranean shores.
The United Nations is really to blame for this mass migration northwards, having stood by doing practically nothing at all egged on by Obama to let the murderers succeed in their genocidal missions.
The EU has failed miserably. The UN has failed criminally in my opinion and now the people have told them where to go.
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Of interest, Switzerland defends its culture from a militant minority who want to settle within its borders. I think it’s about to become the template.
Muslim teens’ citizenship process halted after refusing to shake hands with female teachers – http://nytlive.nytimes.com/womenintheworld/2016/04/21/muslim-teens-citizenship-process-halted-after-refusing-to-shake-hands-with-female-teachers/
Muslim girls who refuse to swim with boys denied Swiss citizenship – http://nytlive.nytimes.com/womenintheworld/2016/06/29/muslim-girls-who-refuse-to-swim-with-boys-denied-swiss-citizenship/
Swiss state passes law banning women from wearing a burqa in public – http://nytlive.nytimes.com/womenintheworld/2015/11/24/swiss-state-passes-law-banning-women-from-wearing-a-burqa-in-public/
Pointman
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