Has Johnson, Gove and Farage lead us into unmitigated disaster?

Posted on by Opher

I feel so angry and despondent. I feel that the opportunist bumbling Boris has led us into such a mess that we cannot get out of it. The worst is yet to come. He did that even though he did not believe in what he was spouting. Every warning was met with a senseless cry of scaremongering and Project Fear but no real explanation or alternative reasoning. He is still spouting drivel and making light of the mess he has created. The man is a self-interested imbecile.

This is not a simple volatility of the markets. This is not something that will adjust and bounce right back. A proportion of firms will relocate. There will be years of uncertainty at best. Investment will be down. The end result is that we will all be a lot poorer than we were.

This would not be so bad if it solved the problems that people were concerned with – but it won’t. We will still be tied to the single market. We will not solve the immigration problem. We will not have control over our borders. We will not reduce bureaucracy. We will still be controlled by the EU superstate. We will just have no voice and a lot less power. We will not be greater than we were. We have cut our nose off and driven away our plastic surgeons.

Many who voted leave are now appalled by what is happening but it was all predicted. Many who didn’t vote are dismayed at what they have allowed. Many who protested against the mess the Tories have made with their austerity or whose disdain of politicians feel that this is not what was meant to happen.

Just short of 4 million people have signed the petition for a rerun of the referendum. They feel like me. They are angry, frustrated and appalled. They want a way out of this nightmare.

The supporters of Brexit think that it is just a short period of volatility that will soon settle and then we will take advantage of the new markets and opportunities. I think they are living in cloud cuckoo-land.

All the warnings that were called scaremongering are coming into force.

Our Credit rating has been downrated which affects the cost of paying off the interest on the huge borrowing this government has been taking on will cost us ten of billions.
The pound has dropped through the floor.
The market has dropped hugely, wiping heaven knows how many billions off the country.
Multinationals are saying they will relocate.
The UK is in danger in splitting up.
There is hatred on the streets.
There is division like never before.
The Tories are in chaos.
The Labour Party is ripping itself apart.
The Brexiteers have no idea or plan.
The Brexiteers are backtracking on all their promises – immigration, funding for NHS. There have been ructions throughout Europe and the world. Europe is looking to punish us to ensure the contagion doesn’t spread.
I can’t actually see how anything worse could have happened.
The hope is that the markets settle so that the cost is not as great as it might be.
The hope is that the social division settles.
The hope is that the political chaos produces a clear unified leadership.
From the way I see it all three of those things will happen. But the markets won’t return us to the prosperity we enjoyed because our economy will inevitably shrink. The social situation will settle but it will not ever be as good as it was because the racists and xenophobes feel that they have been given validation. The political situation looks like producing a right-wing government with years of austerity and destruction of public services.

On top of that there is a grave risk of Ireland and Scotland breaking away, the Labour Party is destroyed, and Russia takes advantage of the chaos.

When will the dominoes stop falling.
The question to my mind is simply how bad will it get? There will be higher taxes and cuts in spending – so much for the windfall and reassurances – lies. There may be the break-up of the UK. There will be instability and repercussions through Europe and the World.

The country, Europe and the world, is a worse place since last Thursday.

The stupidity of Boris Johnson, Michael Gove, Nigel Farage and the rest of the right-wing extremists may almost certainly have led us into a bleaker future. They could have taken us into the biggest disaster since the Second World War.

Brexit plan discovered!

Posted on by Opher

One of Nigel’s Fag packets!

 

Brexit – Where do we go from here? How do we dig ourselves out?

Posted on by Opher

Three and a half million people sign the petition for a rerun – that’s a lot of anger and frustration.

The Prime Minister resigns

The Opposition Leader is on the way out

The pound has dived

The stock markets have dived

Companies are planning to leave

Our credit rating is dropping

Brexit MPs are already going back on promises

Half the country is gleeful and gloating

Half are furious and frustrated

Europe want us out as quickly as possible

There is a promised hard-line on trade agreements from the EU to dissuade other countries from following suit

There is a hard-nosed visit from the USA to look at trade

Scotland is looking to veto the result and stop us going out

Scotland and Ireland are both demanding a referendum with the break-up of the UK

The exchange rate is already affecting prices – petrol is going up and the rest will follow.

There will be two to three years of turmoil fuelling decline in the economy

Our credit rating is going down

Boris has become a hate figure for half the country

We will have a new more right-wing government with austerity, cuts, privatisation and decimation of public services

The country is divided like never before

What an absolute mess.

So what is a way out of all this?

I would suggest:

  • We hold off starting the process until we are more sorted
  • The Tories and Labour have their Leadership processes
  • We hold a general election
  • The parties ask for a mandate to proceed with Brexit or to renegotiate with the EU
  • We need a Prime Minister who is not tainted and can try to heal the rift that is so raw
  • Perhaps Boris could then apologise for all his lies and false reassurances. Project Fear – as he so eloquently dubbed it is fast becoming Project Fact.
  • I would like to see us back in the EU negotiating to sort out the problems rather than languishing under a Tory government with severe economic problems in an isolated corner.

Now this is hilarious – the petition that has sparked over 3 Million support for a rerun of the referendum was initiated by a leave supporter!

Posted on by Opher

https://outlook.live.com/owa/?id=64855&path=/mail/inbox/rp

I find this hilarious. The guy was wanting to stop remain keeping us in. He has provided an outlet for millions of furious, frightened people who are dismayed at the process and way the vote went.

It illustrates to me that there is something flawed with the whole thing.

Leadership – What is it?

Posted on by Opher

Leadership is simply the ability to get people to follow you.

A leader can rouse, inspire and inflame. They can create a fervour where, even against their better judgement, they follow them into the very jaws of death.

The most stirring example of leadership can be seen with acts such as ‘the charge of the Light Brigade’. Mad it might have been but they did it.

A leader points and says ‘over there’ – ‘this way’. If they have leadership qualities people get up and do what they are told – they follow.

A Manager sorts out the practicalities for getting to the destination.

Every scheme requires good leadership and management in order to succeed.

History is full of leaders who changed the world for better or worse.

On the dark side we have leaders such as Pol Pot, Hitler, Stalin, Mao and Milosevic.

On the bright side we have Ghandi, Martin Luther King and Mandela.

Strong leaders can be very dangerous. They can lead us into war, genocide and huge economic disaster. If their idealism and vision is not fully thought through and managed it can lead into ruin. However if a leader has a sound vision and the pragmatism (or support team) to enable it to succeed they can lead us to prosperity and happiness.

If a leader fails their credibility is shot. They are through.

All our politicians have leadership qualities. They have inspired people to follow and vote for them.

In the referendum there were leaders who succeeded and leaders who failed.

Boris Johnson, Nigel Farage and Michael Gove all succeeded. They asked the people to vote out and they did.

David Cameron, George Osborn and Jeremy Corbyn all failed. They asked the public to vote in and they didn’t.

That is why Cameron has resigned, Osborn is a lame duck who cannot succeed him and Corbyn should now go. A failed leader has nowhere to run. They are discredited.

 

The EU Rerun Petition approaches an amazing 3,000,000 votes. What does it mean?

Posted on by Opher

I do not think there has ever been a petition that has created such a response. What does it mean?

Perhaps it means that there are millions of people in the country who are furious and feel betrayed?

Perhaps it means that there are millions of people who feel they have been lied to and manipulated?

Perhaps it means that there are millions of people who are frightened for the future and feel this is one huge mistake?

Perhaps it means that there are millions of people with genuine concerns about the economy, human rights, justice, jobs and the future of the country?

Perhaps it means that there are millions of people grieving for that future Britain that was outward looking, tolerant and looking to cooperate internationally to solve global issues, such as migration, poverty, the environment, fundamentalism?

Perhaps it means that there are millions of people who despair at the way we have let an extreme right-wing government with Farage, Johnson, Fox and Gove to get in through the back door?

Perhaps it means that there are millions of people who are looking with dread at the possibility of the break-up of the UK?

Perhaps it means that there are millions of people who are dismayed at the break-up of the EU?

Perhaps there are millions of people who do not want to be isolationist, inward looking, putting up walls and fearful hiding away?

Perhaps it means that there are millions of people who are watching with anxiety as Putin gathers his forces and are in dread of another war in Europe?

Perhaps it means that there are millions of people who are fearful that companies and banking start moving out to Paris, Frankfurt and Berlin leaving us a shrinking nation with no power, money or influence?

Perhaps it means that there are millions of people who think that without the international cooperation we are more susceptible to terrorist attack, pollution and environmental degradation?

Perhaps it means that there are millions of people who don’t want to live in Republic Farage?

Perhaps it means that there are millions of people who are worrying about how they will cope with rising prices, higher interest rates and being a lot poorer?

Perhaps it means that there are millions of people who believe that ‘Project Fear’ will soon be ‘Project Fact’?

Perhaps it means that there are millions of people who feel that the public have been conned, lied to and duped. That the leaders of Brexit sold the country down the drain for their own personal gain and lust for power?

Perhaps it means that there are millions of people who are appalled by the gung-ho xenophobia and racism of an element of nationalists?

Perhaps it means that there are millions of people infuriated by the campaign that was racist and promoted fear and hatred?

Perhaps it means that there are millions of people who do not trust politicians, the establishment or any of our leaders?

Perhaps it means that there are millions who are beginning to doubt democracy?

Perhaps it indicates that the nation is now broken, divided and on the verge of anarchy and revolution?

Perhaps it means that there are millions who feel that the people voted out for the wrong reasons, that they did not appreciate the implications of their actions, and did not see what would happen down the line?

Perhaps it means that there are millions who feel that decisions of this magnitude are too complex to be put to the public and should have been dealt with by politicians?

Perhaps it means that there are millions who are furious with Cameron for putting this forward in the first place for party political reasons rather than the good of the country?

Perhaps it means that there are millions of people furious with Boris for being such a turncoat for reasons of his own ambition?

Perhaps there are millions of people who are frightened at the spectre of Britain becoming the next Greece?

Perhaps there are millions of people who believe that Merkel and Hollande will do everything they can to make us pay in order to keep the other European countries in check?

Perhaps it means that there are millions of people who are so angry, frightened and frustrated that they have to vent their emotions?

Well – as I finished writing this the petition passed three million. That is an outpouring of fury like has never been seen before.

I do not think that anyone is really seriously believing that this mess can be undone now. But I am not sure what the implications are. It is obvious that many believe that this has broken the country and I can’t see how it can ever be repaired.

Two things are certain – we need a change of Labour leadership and a general election!