• This excerpt from a discussion with Chomsky is worth a watch. It's actually about Trump, but the same ideas apply to Brexit.

    https://www.democracynow.org/2019/4/18/chomsky_by_focusing_on_russia_democrats

    Basically, he argues that Trump builds a coalition of support comprised of the rich and powerful, and a collection of groups with strongly-held beliefs (white nationalists, anti-abortionists, religious zealots, etc.). The rich and powerful might not agree with Trump's more outrageous statements, but they tolerate them because he rewards them with lower tax bills, deregulation, etc. He doesn't actually do anything for all the other fanatical groups, and in fact they end up indirectly being worse off, but he makes them feel as though they have someone fighting their cause.

    That seems just like Brexit. The majority of the arguments used to stir up anti-EU sentiment were demonstrably false, but doing that helped Farage, Johnson, Rees-Mogg, et al, to win over those groups. They knew that. And they're doing it again all over again with their betrayal narrative.

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