I agree, this is an incredibly important thing. And, eventually, the politics and international relations side will be resolved. The sad thing is that, however this ends up, whichever ‘side’ wins, the country will be worse off for it, in terms of the way we feel about each other, what it’s like to actually live here. This is about the only place I feel able to talk about Brexit, except when I am asked about it when I’m overseas. I would never mention it down the pub. We are close to the days of Roundheads and Cavaliers, the Red Rose and the White Rose. I don’t think it will get anywhere near violence, but the divides won’t be healed in my lifetime, we distrust each other much more than we distrust the EU.
But probably all these divides were always there and this EU bollocks has just brought them to the surface. The divisions are about have/have not; ethnicity; geography; outlook; aspirations; attitude. In no particular order. The crash of 2008 and the total failure of those in power around the world to address the fault lines in society that this brought to the surface, preferring to prop up a corrupt and moribund system instead, that is our most recent collective cock up, missed opportunity.
I’m ****ing sick of it. It’s hard to admit that the country is a worse place for my kids to make their lives in than it was for me. Because I have contributed, mostly unwittingly, to where we are now. The light at the end of the tunnel is that I know that men like Col, Stainsey, Strolls and DT, and many others who post on here, though they come at things from different angles and I disagree with all of them on some things in different ways, are honest men with a powerful sense of justice, of right and wrong. People you want on your side in a fight. We have to find a way to recognise that we are, actually, all on the same side. In our different ways we all want what’s best for ourselves, our families, our friends, our communities, our country. Joining in with the politicians in running each other down for having different opinions about how to do the best thing drags us down to their self interested, blinkered level.
I’ve had a pretty **** week, but also been hugely bolstered by responses to what has happened to my family both on here and in the ‘real’ world. Empathy is, in my view, the most human and important of emotions, and I have seen a lot of it over the last few days. Let’s keep on trying to put ourselves in other people’s shoes, try to see the world through their eyes. No easy answers, but it helps.
Apologies, not really a response to your post, more a pent up splurge. I have also had most of a bottle of excellent Qu4tre Catalonian red.
