Brexit Follow-ups: "If The 'Wrong' Result Is Returned, The EU Will Ask For A Re-run." Etc.
06/26/2016
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Just a few after-thoughts.

(1) In distilling an article to post (2,800 words) out of the weekly podcast (6,400 words), we truncated my coverage of Brexit cynicism, which now looks more relevant each passing hour.

Here's what I said in full on the podcast:

Last in the negativities, but by no means least probable, there are the deepest, darkest depths of cynicism plumbed by comment thread contributors like this one, at Steve Sailer's blog. Edited quote, posted before the result was announced:

"Simply won't be permitted. Too many already filthy-rich fingers in the pie …

"If the 'wrong' result is returned, the EU will ask for a re-run. They have form on this. And even an outright Brexit vote could be filibustered and ignored by the current Westminster regime … Not binding, or however they like to phrase it.

"Business as usual. Either way a win for the bankers and troughers. Schism of Conservative Party now its eternal civil war over Europe is out in the open … Labour working class (not the posh people who run the parliamentary party) defects to UKIP-like nationalist faction … The rump goes full Inner Party, Greens, internationalist class warriors …

"Whoever wins, resulting economic chaos associated with impending global financial crisis (which is bearing down regardless of what goes on on some silly little Atlantic offshore reef) blamed on Brexiteers, not globalists … Additional power grabs and confiscation of assets by EU in exchange for bailouts."

End quote.

Now that is cynical. It's a good working principle of political commentary, though, that you can never be cynical enough. Indeed, I believe that the Euro elites, which include most of the British political class, all parties, might do an Andy Jackson on their people: "The voters have made their decision, now let them enforce it." A handy little financial crisis would certainly make this easier. I wouldn't put anything past these people.

Check today's headlines:

Millions seek Brexit re-vote as EU urges Britain to depart soon (New York Post).

British Politics in Disarray; Scotland Hopes to Block Brexit (New York Times).

Petition to hold second EU referendum reaches 2.5m signatures (Guardian).

Etc., etc.  See, the point of democracy is to deliver results favored by globalist elites and their gentry-liberal supporters.  If it delivers something different, then . . . democracy has failed!

(2) I had a little fun with the "-exit" suffix.  I'm starting to think, though, that this may soon get as tiresome as "-gate."

There is at least some scope for verbal ingenuity here.  A listener passed on the following, which he found on the web somewhere.

Brexit could be followed by Grexit, Departugal, Italeave, Czechout, Oustria, Finish, Slovakout, Latervia, Bygium.  Only Remainia will stay.
Not bad, though "Oustria" suggests an involuntary exit.

It's too bad Ecuador isn't in the EU: their capital city is already headed in the right direction.

(3) There is some interesting Brexit-related stuff in, of all places, the science blogs.

● Quantitative psychologist James Thompson, a Brit—but not a Brexiteer: he favored Remain—has a rather touching memoir about working at a polling station on Referendum Day.  Some stars of the (little) silver screen have walk-on parts.

● Physicist Steve Hsu ("Pessimism of the Intellect, Optimism of the Will") thinks that the referendum result may have been inspired by the scientific spirit, incarnated in Dominic Cummings, the man who masterminded the Leave campaign.

With a background in science, Mr Cummings bases everything he does on rigorous research. He commissioned detailed surveys, ran "quizzes" on commercial websites to test voters’ views, and oversaw focus groups that tested Vote Leave’s key campaign messages. [Brexit: victory over the Hollow Men by Steve Hsu; Information Processing, June 26th 2016.]
 
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