This is the most remarkable aspect, but it's far from the whole story. I regard it more as a symptom of the globalist, neoliberal economic structure ('world order'), that has inflicted great harm on vast swaths of humanity and set people at each other's throats, once it began to really unravel in the 2008 crash. The migration crisis is only going to ramp up with climate change and the inevitable military conflicts over diminishing resources. It is unmanageable now, and will become a whole lot worse.


 

That's an interesting point, but I think that the 'neoliberal' adjective is the most telling one. Racist-driven populism in all its forms, feeds on whatever targets are available. In isolationist states it turns on supposed differences within the 'indigenous' populations, whatever they may be. Probably the only effective way of combating racist-driven populism is by education combined with exposure to members of those other despised groups; effective but most definitely not infallible. Breaking down the old antagonisms between nations by education and exposure is one of the positive aspects of globalism, but when globalism is hi-jacked by the economic interests of ultra-rich individuals or corporations, it is just as good at spreading despair and hatred. It's complex though; I think it's a mistake to view globalist, neoliberal, economics as coherent. Quite often corporations who might be imagined to have an interest in national and international harmony will ally themselves with local nationalist causes and create discord simply because it gives a short-term profit, even when it might reduce longer term profitability. In this respect I think it's often better viewed in psychological terms than political or economic ones.  

Similarly the brexit argument isn't really susceptible to reasoned debate except on the margins where individuals have little investment in a particular view. For instance, my reasons for wishing to stay within the EU are largely ethical and emotional and I say that quite openly. I also happen to think there is a sound economic argument for remaining and that the sovereignty argument is a largely based on a fallacious view of what sovereignty actually is and what it has ever meant, but that is secondary to my main reasons. Incidentally, I think that one of the key aims of brexiteers, the end of free movement within the EU, is one of the saddest and most devastating losses to the UK. Unfortunately, economics has replaced morality as the only game in town (just as science has replaced religion) so all arguments centre on economics and any other areas of discussion are either secondary (defence, policing etc) or are dismissed as irrelevant, or abusive, or patronising or, or, or...

 

That would be true except: education has been steadily degraded to forms of indoctrination and vocational training -- not least in self-styled Western 'democracies'.

I didn't mean just school education, although properly done this can help. I meant education in a broader sense to include sources of information and, of course, the various media outlets treating people and customs that are different as different, but not weird, perverse, evil etc.* (some hope). I do agree that school education is constantly under attack from politicians who want their views and values promoted, or by businesses that want schools and universities to be labour-feeds. Then there are the other type of politico/economists who feel that education can always be done cheaper if only you do that magic bit of reorganisation that will make it somehow - um - cheaper.





*unless they are - FGM for instance.

Yeah I would hope that would work. The information is already out there, but the people who need to read it don't want to. I dunno how you deal with that.

The Greeks and their bloody democracy have got a lot to answer for.

> so the immigration card can't be played to the same effect as it was first time round.

///LOL!!///

Slaves something something

Aye, maybe so. Fucking hope not, though. Otherwise, what's the point of the kicking against the pricks we've done?

"How to pull voters back from the far-right brink? Look to Germany"

Article:

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/opinion/article-how-to-pull-voters-back-from-the-far-right-brink-look-to-germany/

Sometimes the only point is that frustration and rage need an outlet, though perhaps it can also serve as a lesson in what doesn't work.

Breakshit hitting the fan...

Poll:

Is teh

- watching with bated breath?

- watching with baited bear trap?

- tuning it out?

Massive defeat. Vote of no confidence tomorrow.
Messy.

Pretty much according to script.  :-&

In, out, shake it all about brexit?

Quite possible that we're going to sleepwalk right into a No Deal brexit. She'll survive the confidence vote tomorrow (Tories aren't going to vote against her and risk getting Corbyn, DUP have initially signalled they'll support her), EU aren't going to shift on the offer that's on the table so we're basically fucked on that front.

The only reasonable way out of this that I can see is May calling a second referendum. Everyone (well, a decent majority at least) agrees that No Deal is not a viable option, so perhaps a referendum on May's Deal or Remain? Really don't know where the fuck this is going to end.

watching it like a carcrash I think.

I wonder what awful turn of events will happen next. There's still a tiny tiny sliver of hope that someone will find a way to put it into the "we tried but it's not possible without fucking everybody over" bin successfully, ideally with a Corbyn government at the end of that somehow. Don't know how though!

I spent a year and a half working on the millennium bug and then, a few years later, I worked for the main contractor for the rewrite of the Customs and Excise IT systems including the huge SAP based systems that run the UK's tax relationship with the EU. 

I watched systems fail over and over using simple time-shifting simulations, so I know the millennium bug was a real problem that would have been a global disaster if billions of pounds and dollars had not been spent all over the world putting it right. When Jacob and Boris dismiss it as an illusion, I seriously doubt their grasp of the issues and maturity as decision makers.

I know that it took over 15 years before the Customs and Excise IT systems even felt like they could do the job and I'm well aware that a nudge can cause queues at ports, because we SAW queues at ports when tiny things went wrong. And that was with the 'friction-less'  EU. The idea that these systems can be supplanted at the drop of a hat with some magical technological solution is beyond laughable even if Boris and Jacob know all about IT having successfully installed apps on their iPhones loads of times.

The whole thing is too depressing for words.

Also, the government sneaked through a major change to pensions that will make the poorest married couples significantly poorer (by £thousands) if only one is of pensionable age, knowing that the issue would be overshadowed by the Brexit vote. I feel ashamed to breathe the same air sometimes.

I'd say it's time for a revolution, but I'm just so busy at the moment.

It's a bitch, isn't it?

Is your preference for a Corbyn government just that it will mean no more Tories? Or do you specifically want a Corbyn Labour government over say an alternative leader Labour government?