The Brexit is still very much haunting me. I joked on Facebook that feeding my Lemon Curd habit will be more difficult in the future, but that is, of course, not the real reason why the outcome of the referendum makes me unhappy. (Though I do appreciate all the friendly comments I got about how my lemon curd addiction will still be sustainable in the future - from recipes to hints about friends making the stuff themselves to promises of being brought some by visitors or offers to swap the stuff for coffee and other Continental EU delicacies or reassurances that Ireland has it, too, and will stay in the EU).
What really makes me sad, in no particular order:
Some people did not go to vote "remain" though they wished to, but they were feeling so secure that their side would win anyways. (Guess what - your vote only counts if you actually go to vote.) Some people voted "leave" even though that was not really their wish, just to cause some fear, or because they did not think things through,
and now regret it bitterly. How can anyone make a "joke" or a gamble with a vote like this? It reminds me a little of the jokers who, on their marriage ceremony in the registrar's office, like to say "no - oh, sorry, that was a joke, of course I mean yes". Under German law, that is a bad idea, because the first thing you say is the binding answer to the question. So if you jokingly say "no" - you are not married. You cannot be married on this day. You have to register for marriage again... if your future spouse, who is probably way beyond pissed off, is still willing at this point.
I'm also sad that people who are old enough to remember a time of war in Europe have voted "leave". I have to admit that for me, a total post-war child, the EU was never so much about peace, but always something about politics. To me, the EU was our way of trying to keep up, politically and economically, with the US, who are so much larger than Europe, and less splintered up into different nations. (Yes, I do realise there will be huge differences between individual US states, but they've shared the same currency and the same language for ages - that is not the case in Europe, where you have a gazillion of different languages.) Sticking together as the EU makes us a stronger counterpart to the US.
Only with the mention of the EU's history after the referendum, I did realise that the political and economic stuff was only an afterthought, and the
real reason of the EU was to promote peace. We've had overall peace for a long, long while now, though not everywhere - as little as 25 years ago, there were still
what I'd call acts of war due to the conflict between England and Ireland. For me, that was far away and long ago, but I also still remember my parents being very, very concerned about these things, when I was a carefree child and had no friends in the UK or Ireland yet. The older generation living in the UK today, though - shouldn't they remember these times? And shouldn't they be aware of the
role the EU played in settling the issues?
Also - though that was to be expected: Politicians lying. What about the claim to give the money usually paid to the EU straight to the NHS? Yeeees. Of course. Also funny, in a really sad kind of way: Those clamouring that leaving the EU would be the bestest idea ever are now in no hurry at all to actually invoke Article 50 and start the process... nuff said. (
Especially as it looks like the EU will not look kindly on that idea.)
I do get that being a part of the EU is not always fun, or always easy. To me, the EU always felt a bit like Germany in politics, only in larger and more complicated - Germany has federal states that have their own rules, and their own laws in some cases, but there's also the national German laws. It's all a bit complicated, and there's often some issues, but it does work, overall, and it's much better than
being a very small player in today's global world, all on one's own.
Well, we are
certainly living in interesting times, now. Lots of people are writing stuff about the Brexit,
looking at reasons, making for very interesting reads
like this one from Philip Pullman, or
this one from Charles Stross or
this one from John Scalzi. Theoretically, there's also a chance
that the Brexit will never happen - the referendum was an advisory one, and not legally binding for the politicians. There also might be a second referendum - at least
there's a petition going on calling for one. (Go sign the petition if you'd like the UK to stay in the EU. Oh, and
ironically, that petition was started even before the referendum was done, by a "leave" voter who wanted to make sure there'd be a second chance to get out of the EU.)
No matter how it will play out in the end, whether the UK stays or leaves the EU - the referendum outcome will give them a hard time, and has definitely not made Britain stronger or happier. Nor the EU.
Let's hope we will all learn from this and do better in the future. After all - those who do not remember history are doomed to repeat it.
Tomorrow: Less gloom. Promise.
