Keir Starmer is not blameless when it comes to Brexit, but he is moving in the right direction. Even the Tories attacking him know that, says Guardian columnist Simon Jenkins
Do you agree that Brexit has been “a pointless waste of time, money and effort”?
I hated Brexit when it happened and I hate it still. I knew exactly what would happen to the UK the moment it was brought to my attention, and couldn’t believe it even managed to pass.
I forgot how easy it is to rile up people for a cause they’re ignorant on by simply lying to their faces. It’s much easier to shout along with some fucking twat screaming about how “immigrants are bad!” than it is to sit down and actually read anything established economists are publishing about the matter.
It was a complete waste of time the moment the notion was even brought up, and the regret was inevitable.
I forgot how easy it is to rile up people for a cause they’re ignorant on by simply lying to their faces.
Not just lying, remember these are military psychological operations tactics being applied to the general populace. These messages, channels, and everything about it were gamed specifically to attack those who were most vulnerable to them.
Aaron Banks (now currently a Reform politican, thankfully he didn’t win a seat) and Cambridge Analytica wrangled the vote with illegal campaign spending and manipulation through targeted Facebook advertising (you can tell whatever lies you like if you only tell them to people who don’t question) in 2016. Then they assisted Trump in his 2016 election. Then Cambridge Analytica was disbanded, but the same people were in the background in the 2019 UK election, and again in the 2024 US election. It’s all the same backers, employing the same tactics both sides of the pond - like how they accused Jeremy Corbyn of antisemitism, then shortly afterwards tried to pull the same stunt on Bernie Sanders.
They only do that because people are lying to them. If you limit the lies told to them by people with special interests that don’t include reality, you get people that don’t go against their own self interests.
Someone has to talk another person into hammering their big toe repeatedly. People figure it out on their own pretty quick. Unless they are constantly being bombarded by lies.
I hated Brexit when it happened and I hate it still. I knew exactly what would happen to the UK the moment it was brought to my attention, and couldn’t believe it even managed to pass.
I forgot how easy it is to rile up people for a cause they’re ignorant on by simply lying to their faces. It’s much easier to shout along with some fucking twat screaming about how “immigrants are bad!” than it is to sit down and actually read anything established economists are publishing about the matter.
It was a complete waste of time the moment the notion was even brought up, and the regret was inevitable.
“Fed up of experts”
Sums the whole thing up.
Not we question experts. Or even why are they experts. All valid questions that can be resolved one way or another.
But instead a call to glory in their own ignorance.
Not just lying, remember these are military psychological operations tactics being applied to the general populace. These messages, channels, and everything about it were gamed specifically to attack those who were most vulnerable to them.
Aaron Banks (now currently a Reform politican, thankfully he didn’t win a seat) and Cambridge Analytica wrangled the vote with illegal campaign spending and manipulation through targeted Facebook advertising (you can tell whatever lies you like if you only tell them to people who don’t question) in 2016. Then they assisted Trump in his 2016 election. Then Cambridge Analytica was disbanded, but the same people were in the background in the 2019 UK election, and again in the 2024 US election. It’s all the same backers, employing the same tactics both sides of the pond - like how they accused Jeremy Corbyn of antisemitism, then shortly afterwards tried to pull the same stunt on Bernie Sanders.
The biggest flaw of living in society is just how easily people are swayed to go against their own self interest.
Nothing new, the ancient Greeks and the Romans had their fill of demagogues.
They only do that because people are lying to them. If you limit the lies told to them by people with special interests that don’t include reality, you get people that don’t go against their own self interests.
Someone has to talk another person into hammering their big toe repeatedly. People figure it out on their own pretty quick. Unless they are constantly being bombarded by lies.