EU referendum, brexit and the aftermath

Not sure whether someone's already shared this, but I found this a very interesting read: How I learnt to loathe England - A Dutchman reflects on what he’s learnt by living in Britain for the last six years—it isn’t pretty. From October 2017, but very relevant.

but very smug

Can't say I disagree with him much. If everyone pointing out all the (pretty obvious) problems the UK society has is just written off as 'very smug'... well it might make it easier to ignore it, but it won't actually help in terms of outcomes.

Every nation has its challenges. Except the Netherlands, presumably.

Not really what this is about, is it? I'm sorry, but this is exactly the attitude that is just going to make sure nothing ever changes. At this point, it would be wise to accept that there are major problems, and try to do something to fix them, rather than to feel insulted when someone else points it out.

Dutch guy: your baby is ugly! And here are precisely no actionable suggestions for improvement! What do you mean I don't get a medal?

I mean, I don't really disagree with the content. Well, not all of it. It's the tone that grates, the clickbait title, the fact that it's too. fucking. long.

Yeah.

I'd say seeing the British class system (which, yes, in that form is pretty unique in Europe) as your 'baby' is problem #1.

I have no idea how you can read that and have that opinion. It certainly didn't read as though he was beatifying the Netherlands to me anyway.

Yeah maybe. Closely tied I think with that for people who can't office or computer or call centre or entrepreneur there is just fuck all to do. I think that's probably fixable, the class system is so baked in I think short of glorious socialist revolution we are stuck with it.

Well, whatever happens, at least we'll still all be able to get a Magnum.

Unless of course, stockpile means putting them outside and hoping we get snow.

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Oh it's definitely not an easy thing to 'fix'. But being aware of it and trying to counteract it - especially by getting people into government who will not just 100% continue everything as is - would be a very good start.

Regarding the tone, well, I've been confronted with a bit of the good old xenophobia myself here (despite being, looks-wise, one of the most unlikely targets of that) which has not really made me love the place more - I would not be surprised if the author of that text had had similar experiences. Also, I don't think the tone is that different from the one you can read in many UK newspapers / magazines when discussing other countries that are deemed to have some flaws - it's just less apparent then because it's not your baby. Not just UK newspapers btw, the German attitude towards Greece back when that whole issue was frontline news was smug as fuck too - it's very easy to adopt that tone.

I actually really enjoyed the Owen Jones interview, just because I hadn't heard him speak before and it was reassuring to hear he spoke as little sense as I'd expected.

Do I assume correctly that you mean what's after the comma to refer to Tim Martin and not to Owen Jones?

Yes! In hindsight that wasn't clear, was it...

So, following Tuesdays vote, and the EU's polite yet firm 'not on yer nelly, Maybot'....

whats next?, whats currently going on? has the weather reporting squeezed actual events off the front page or is there just nothing actually happening right now? I think I saw a report that parliament had zero motions tabled for this week or maybe next week despite there needing to be a lot of brexit planning being discussed that just wasn't happening....

Also they cancels the planned february recess so that MP's could actually be here to do some work right before the crucial deadline, although I also saw it reported that someone important involved in deciding that said that MPs would be in "unless they already had time scheduled to be with their families..." or something like that, so not really.

I know we've been spoiled by some of the infographics of the process in this thread already; but there's another pretty informative breakdown of the current options here, with reference to all the different zones and agreements that we're in / leaving:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yht_zE_mT7U

One or two were crying quietly when a working-class mother I knew walked up to a well-to-do mother who had been canvassing for Remain. “OUT! OUT! OUT!”, she shouted as she wagged her index finger.

Also they cancels the planned february recess so that MP's could actually be here to do some work right before the crucial deadline

It's only a one line whip cancellation? Which makes it optional -is that right? If there's any optionality in it, they won't do any Brexit work as they need all their people in to make the numbers.

We should reset parliamentary language into something people understand. If I'm correct and it was reported that they were 'optionally cancelling they holiday', then that would be much clearer.

It's good to know that in a time when we face the greatest crisis the country has faced since WWII, making sure that MPs don't have to cancel their pre-booked holidays is considered more important than making them sort out the mess that they have got this country into. Clearly not losing the deposit on one's skiing holiday in St. Moritz is far more important than trying to make sure that the country isn't plunged into economic chaos in less than 2 months' time. Bunch of wankers.

Clearly not losing the deposit on one's skiing holiday in St. Moritz

Be fair to them. Half term skiing holidays are so dependant on getting there and back as quickly as possible. It might be the last time they can enjoy one properly, without having their transfers screwed up by airport queues and delays, passport checks etc.

The big money donors, and party strategists, (I presume they have some), needed a fortnights break from the constant coverage of the chasm within the Tory party, the electorate do not need to be shown in such detail that the 40-50 ERG flatearth brexitteurs are holding the May administration hostage to their preferred No Deal brexit, which it is becoming more & more clear, despite the claims of 'managed No Deal', will be an economic disaster.
May has previous for timewasting; back in December when it became clear she was going to lose the HoC vote on her Withdrawal Agreement, she postponed the vote to give her backbenchers a quiet time at home over Xmas.
Waste another fortnight here, and she may be able to scare enough MPs into believing the only options are her Withdrawal Agreement and No Deal.

That's a really informative video on this topic, thanks for sharing!

that has nothing on a @WillMelling infographic

Yes - sorry, I couldn't remember his username!

Gary Younge on poor Brexiteers

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2019/feb/01/poorer-brexiters-worse-off-working-class-leavers

I like the picture de Standaard uses for Brexit stories...

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