Two recent events which have awoken me to the precarious state of affairs in this part of the world, as if I needed any more examples.
Now I have always had a good chuckle watching Nigel Farage chew up the pompous blowhards in the European Parliament as he has a vicious tongue and it is a real joy to observe it used against parasitic bureaucrats, but the man is a dangerous idiot. As is that lumbering bag of cottage cheese ex-mayor of London Boris Johnson. I woke up yesterday to discover to my absolute amazement that these two cretins had actually convinced 52% of the UK voters to vote for Brexit, this after going to sleep peacefully the previous evening having being informed by the exit polls that Remain held the lead and all was well. Even Nigel Farage had forelornly admitted things were not going his way. I have come to the conclusion that polls are for dogs.
The UK has had a day to reflect upon the consequences of this vote and eyebrows are starting to twitch and noses curl at the can of worms that has been opened. What have we learned?
Attempting a spectactular save the idea is now being floated by some that the referendum is not legally binding and is just a suggestion requiring further negotiation. Infinite negotiations. The Danes have had eight referendums on very specific questions regarding the EU after all. And this is why Jean-Claude Juncker and pretty much everyone else in a EU leadership position are saying clearly and loudly that it's a shame you voted to leave but get it over with and lets move on. You have two years.
Well done lads, well done.
<EDIT> Now they want a 2nd referendum. 2.5 million sign a petition to redo the thing.
- First was the recent vote in Russia's State Duma regarding ultra-conservative Irina Yarovaya's anti terrorism bill which is a hugely repressive bill that should have all Russians feeling the fear. But it's what was stripped from the bill that is the eye opener and promises that there is more to come in future. From the link:
Revoking people's citizenship. Before the second reading of the legislation, Yarovaya and her coauthors proposed various grounds for revoking Russians' citizenship. This would have applied in several circumstances, including anyone convicted of terrorist or extremist crimes, and even Russians who cooperated with certain kinds of international organizations.
Revoking people's right to leave the country. The legislation's first reading also proposed banning foreign travel for anyone who received an “official warning” regarding “the inadmissibility of illegal actions committed.” This would have applied extrajudicially. For the second reading, lawmakers changed the amendment, proposing foreign travel restrictions only on Russians with outstanding or unexpunged convictions for certain crimes (namely, terrorism and extremism). In the end, the State Duma decided to drop these reforms altogether.
Why these amendments appeared in the legislation after its first reading and disappeared on the eve of the second reading remains unknown.
If you aren't a Russian living/working abroad You probably won't see how dangerous these two amendments were, but trust me. It's bad.- The second is the Brexit win in the UK's referendum.
Now I have always had a good chuckle watching Nigel Farage chew up the pompous blowhards in the European Parliament as he has a vicious tongue and it is a real joy to observe it used against parasitic bureaucrats, but the man is a dangerous idiot. As is that lumbering bag of cottage cheese ex-mayor of London Boris Johnson. I woke up yesterday to discover to my absolute amazement that these two cretins had actually convinced 52% of the UK voters to vote for Brexit, this after going to sleep peacefully the previous evening having being informed by the exit polls that Remain held the lead and all was well. Even Nigel Farage had forelornly admitted things were not going his way. I have come to the conclusion that polls are for dogs.
The UK has had a day to reflect upon the consequences of this vote and eyebrows are starting to twitch and noses curl at the can of worms that has been opened. What have we learned?
- Well, to no ones surprise far right leaders across Europe are now clamouring for their own referendums. From the Netherlands Geert Wilders, Hungary's Victor Orban to Frances Kremlin financed Marine Le Pen. Soon to come Austria, Italy, Greece... everyone else? Putin is rolling around on the flying deck of one of his yachts off shore of one of his palaces Silvio Berlusconi helped him purchase rubbing his hands together at the self-destruction he is witnessing. "Sanctions, what are these sanctions of which you speak?" Followed by insane laughter as he peels off his shirt and leaps into the Med to wrestle a Bull shark.
- The UK is by no means uniform in it's desire to leave which is normal enough. But since the UK is cobbled together in a rather messy fashion it should surprise no one that Scotland wants to stay in the EU and to accomplish this now wants it's second referendum on leaving the UK, Ireland is talking about reunification between North & South meaning, well who knows? London wants to be a city-state remaining in the EU. New desires are manifesting themselves by the minute.
- Taking the prize for short sightedness Cornwall which voted Brexit expects the subsidies it used to get from the EU development fund to now be financed by the British taxpayers. Between 2007 and 2013 alone, the region received 654 million euros (512 million pounds) in subsidies, with an additional 604 million euros planned by 2020. That's just Cornwall!
- And it's hard not to note how society has been split by this issue, this referendum result. This poorly conceived power play by David Cameron. Old and young, regions and cities, political parties. Yes, quite a mess that will now have to be cleaned up, but by who?
Attempting a spectactular save the idea is now being floated by some that the referendum is not legally binding and is just a suggestion requiring further negotiation. Infinite negotiations. The Danes have had eight referendums on very specific questions regarding the EU after all. And this is why Jean-Claude Juncker and pretty much everyone else in a EU leadership position are saying clearly and loudly that it's a shame you voted to leave but get it over with and lets move on. You have two years.
Well done lads, well done.
<EDIT> Now they want a 2nd referendum. 2.5 million sign a petition to redo the thing.
