Fast Pat Posted August 20, 2019 Share Posted August 20, 2019 From Prospect Magazine If you are wondering whether you are living through some kind of fever dream this summer, you are not alone. The normally calm and quiet August days are currently filled with newspaper articles about voluntary airlifts to deliver food and medicine in less than 12 weeks’ time, while pundits are debating what happens if the prime minister loses the confidence of MPs but refuses to resign. Government-supporting newspapers are reporting this unique self-inflicted catastrophe not as a manifestation of collective breakdown but as a celebration of national sovereignty. What on earth is going on? Consider the prime minister himself. The most important thing to remember about Boris Johnson is that he is exclusively devoted to his own advancement. The second most important thing is that while we may consider him solipsistic and zealously uninterested in anyone else’s viewpoint, he is not stupid. It is safe to assume that Johnson knows what no deal involves. Does he worry about a future of insulin shortages, the pound collapsing and supermarkets running out of food? Perhaps that’s the wrong way to frame it. Does he think he will be blamed for the disaster and will it cost him support? This is the better question, and if he is not a fool then he will know that the answer must be yes. There are many people who currently feel they could never vote for Jeremy Corbyn, but would still prefer a Corbyn government to a Johnson one which imposed medicine shortages on the grounds of defending national sovereignty. The PM must know that no deal will destroy his premiership just months after it has begun. In other words, he does not want no deal. Why, then, does he appear to be leading us inexorably towards it? There is plenty of speculation about what Johnson is up to. Some theories are better than others, though we cannot be certain of any of them. It may be that not even he knows what he thinks he is doing. But let’s assume he is engineering some kind of strategy. Theory one is that Johnson is indeed pursuing no deal, but thinks he will escape the blame. Does he think the public will instead hold the EU responsible for the catastrophe? It is just about credible that the PM believes he can charm (or gaslight) the British people with his alleged charisma, but he should have the political sense to know that voters do not reward their leaders for economic chaos. The EU would never again feature on a British ballot paper. Johnson would. We should discount this one. Two, Johnson genuinely wants no deal, but thinks it won’t be as bad as people are saying. The problem here is that it doesn’t matter. In recent months the media has responded with hysteria to airport closures and a power cut. Magnify that by a hundred and for a period of weeks or months and you have some idea of the chaos about to hit. People will not be satisfied if the disruption is only severe as opposed to calamitous. Nobody voted for chaos and will not respond to it with stoicism, a stiff upper lip or “Blitz spirit.” Unless Johnson is stupid—which he isn’t—he will know this too. “If sovereignty means anything, it means the right to self-destruct” The third theory is that Johnson wants no deal, and will achieve it by proroguing parliament. The courts will almost certainly block such an outrage, but again, it is highly unlikely the PM would ever attempt it. He does not want to go down in history as the prime minister who dismantled Britain’s parliamentary democracy, and he knows that he will not be able to govern if he does. Four, that like a child who is pushing every limit in the knowledge that his parents will save him from himself, Johnson expects and indeed wants parliament to stop him. Then he can push for a “people-versus-parliament” election. This may be credible but is still laughably short-sighted. Johnson would have to stand on a platform of delivering a no-deal Brexit and then, if victorious, he would have to deliver it—thus ending his premiership immediately. Five, that Johnson is attempting to shift the Overton window to the worst-case scenario in order to normalise a slightly better one. The worst-case scenario could be the suspension of parliament, or any kind of no deal. Yet if the PM tries to adapt Theresa May’s deal, or delivers any kind of bad Brexit, he will be punished for it—and he knows it. The sixth—and most likely—theory recalls the defining error of the Brexiters over the last four years. Namely, Johnson really believes the EU will blink. Faced with the catastrophe of no deal, Ireland will confront the worst-case scenario the backstop was designed to avoid, and submit to the demands of its former colonial oppressor. This seam of foolishness has been knocked down time and again, but survives in the Brexiters’ imagination because it is all they have left. They have to believe that we are powerful, have leverage and can one day rise to become a “great” nation again, because the alternative is to accept that a small country like Ireland is now vastly more powerful than we are, and that we have trashed our influence and reputation for no reason at all. The truth is that the EU is not afraid of the UK and not afraid of no deal. It is afraid only of its own political fragmentation. It is why the EU insisted on giving us no special favours. It is why they refused to grant us membership of the single market in goods alone despite the advantage this would have given their businesses. And it is why Brussels will never throw Ireland under the bus to stop no deal. Nobody in the EU wants Britain to crash out. They have worked hard to avoid it. But if the UK government ditches the exit deal it agreed in order to throw itself off a cliff, Brussels will let it. After all, if sovereignty means anything, it means the right to self-destruct. Many clever people don’t understand the EU and never have. Exceptionalist self-obsession has convinced the prime minister that ultimately others will bend to his position through charisma or sheer force of will. The PM doesn’t want no deal, but believes the EU wants it less. He is bluffing. But he has miscalculated. And he will be stopped Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Birdbrain Posted August 20, 2019 Share Posted August 20, 2019 Stick to reading Take A Break Magazine Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John52 Posted August 20, 2019 Share Posted August 20, 2019 Birdbrain - 2019-08-20 8:45 AM Stick to reading Take A Break Magazine Is that where you get your ideas? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Birdbrain Posted August 20, 2019 Share Posted August 20, 2019 John52 - 2019-08-20 9:00 AM Birdbrain - 2019-08-20 8:45 AM Stick to reading Take A Break Magazine Is that where you get your ideas? No most of mine are from Readers Wives ... My grandson is done with his latest CBeebies magazine if you PM me your empty property address I'll forward it on Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John52 Posted August 20, 2019 Share Posted August 20, 2019 Great Article by the way. Reminds me of Yes Minister, which for me ceased to be a comedy when I realised it was so depressingly true. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John52 Posted August 20, 2019 Share Posted August 20, 2019 Birdbrain - 2019-08-20 9:03 AM John52 - 2019-08-20 9:00 AM Birdbrain - 2019-08-20 8:45 AM Stick to reading Take A Break Magazine Is that where you get your ideas? No most of mine are from Readers Wives ... My grandson is done with his latest CBeebies magazine if you PM me your empty property address I'll forward it on Send it to your mate the Mad Hatter, I wouldn't want to deprive him of it :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest pelmetman Posted August 20, 2019 Share Posted August 20, 2019 Fast Pat - 2019-08-20 8:36 AM From Prospect Magazine If you are wondering whether you are living through some kind of fever dream this summer, you are not alone. The normally calm and quiet August days are currently filled with newspaper articles about voluntary airlifts to deliver food and medicine in less than 12 weeks’ time, while pundits are debating what happens if the prime minister loses the confidence of MPs but refuses to resign. Government-supporting newspapers are reporting this unique self-inflicted catastrophe not as a manifestation of collective breakdown but as a celebration of national sovereignty. What on earth is going on? Consider the prime minister himself. The most important thing to remember about Boris Johnson is that he is exclusively devoted to his own advancement. The second most important thing is that while we may consider him solipsistic and zealously uninterested in anyone else’s viewpoint, he is not stupid. It is safe to assume that Johnson knows what no deal involves. Does he worry about a future of insulin shortages, the pound collapsing and supermarkets running out of food? Perhaps that’s the wrong way to frame it. Does he think he will be blamed for the disaster and will it cost him support? This is the better question, and if he is not a fool then he will know that the answer must be yes. There are many people who currently feel they could never vote for Jeremy Corbyn, but would still prefer a Corbyn government to a Johnson one which imposed medicine shortages on the grounds of defending national sovereignty. The PM must know that no deal will destroy his premiership just months after it has begun. In other words, he does not want no deal. Why, then, does he appear to be leading us inexorably towards it? There is plenty of speculation about what Johnson is up to. Some theories are better than others, though we cannot be certain of any of them. It may be that not even he knows what he thinks he is doing. But let’s assume he is engineering some kind of strategy. Theory one is that Johnson is indeed pursuing no deal, but thinks he will escape the blame. Does he think the public will instead hold the EU responsible for the catastrophe? It is just about credible that the PM believes he can charm (or gaslight) the British people with his alleged charisma, but he should have the political sense to know that voters do not reward their leaders for economic chaos. The EU would never again feature on a British ballot paper. Johnson would. We should discount this one. Two, Johnson genuinely wants no deal, but thinks it won’t be as bad as people are saying. The problem here is that it doesn’t matter. In recent months the media has responded with hysteria to airport closures and a power cut. Magnify that by a hundred and for a period of weeks or months and you have some idea of the chaos about to hit. People will not be satisfied if the disruption is only severe as opposed to calamitous. Nobody voted for chaos and will not respond to it with stoicism, a stiff upper lip or “Blitz spirit.” Unless Johnson is stupid—which he isn’t—he will know this too. “If sovereignty means anything, it means the right to self-destruct” The third theory is that Johnson wants no deal, and will achieve it by proroguing parliament. The courts will almost certainly block such an outrage, but again, it is highly unlikely the PM would ever attempt it. He does not want to go down in history as the prime minister who dismantled Britain’s parliamentary democracy, and he knows that he will not be able to govern if he does. Four, that like a child who is pushing every limit in the knowledge that his parents will save him from himself, Johnson expects and indeed wants parliament to stop him. Then he can push for a “people-versus-parliament” election. This may be credible but is still laughably short-sighted. Johnson would have to stand on a platform of delivering a no-deal Brexit and then, if victorious, he would have to deliver it—thus ending his premiership immediately. Five, that Johnson is attempting to shift the Overton window to the worst-case scenario in order to normalise a slightly better one. The worst-case scenario could be the suspension of parliament, or any kind of no deal. Yet if the PM tries to adapt Theresa May’s deal, or delivers any kind of bad Brexit, he will be punished for it—and he knows it. The sixth—and most likely—theory recalls the defining error of the Brexiters over the last four years. Namely, Johnson really believes the EU will blink. Faced with the catastrophe of no deal, Ireland will confront the worst-case scenario the backstop was designed to avoid, and submit to the demands of its former colonial oppressor. This seam of foolishness has been knocked down time and again, but survives in the Brexiters’ imagination because it is all they have left. They have to believe that we are powerful, have leverage and can one day rise to become a “great” nation again, because the alternative is to accept that a small country like Ireland is now vastly more powerful than we are, and that we have trashed our influence and reputation for no reason at all. The truth is that the EU is not afraid of the UK and not afraid of no deal. It is afraid only of its own political fragmentation. It is why the EU insisted on giving us no special favours. It is why they refused to grant us membership of the single market in goods alone despite the advantage this would have given their businesses. And it is why Brussels will never throw Ireland under the bus to stop no deal. Nobody in the EU wants Britain to crash out. They have worked hard to avoid it. But if the UK government ditches the exit deal it agreed in order to throw itself off a cliff, Brussels will let it. After all, if sovereignty means anything, it means the right to self-destruct. Many clever people don’t understand the EU and never have. Exceptionalist self-obsession has convinced the prime minister that ultimately others will bend to his position through charisma or sheer force of will. The PM doesn’t want no deal, but believes the EU wants it less. He is bluffing. But he has miscalculated. And he will be stopped https://www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/other/tom-clark-appointed-editor-of-prospect "Prospect magazine is delighted to announce that Tom Clark has been appointed as Editor (he will start his new role in August). Tom has been at the Guardian newspaper for a decade, where he currently chairs the editorial board and writes mostly on politics," So no whinging whining Remoaner bias there then? >:-) .............. The only folk who have miscalculated are you LOSERS :D ........... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fast Pat Posted August 20, 2019 Author Share Posted August 20, 2019 pelmetman - 2019-08-20 9:25 AM Fast Pat - 2019-08-20 8:36 AM From Prospect Magazine If you are wondering whether you are living through some kind of fever dream this summer, you are not alone. The normally calm and quiet August days are currently filled with newspaper articles about voluntary airlifts to deliver food and medicine in less than 12 weeks’ time, while pundits are debating what happens if the prime minister loses the confidence of MPs but refuses to resign. Government-supporting newspapers are reporting this unique self-inflicted catastrophe not as a manifestation of collective breakdown but as a celebration of national sovereignty. What on earth is going on? Consider the prime minister himself. The most important thing to remember about Boris Johnson is that he is exclusively devoted to his own advancement. The second most important thing is that while we may consider him solipsistic and zealously uninterested in anyone else’s viewpoint, he is not stupid. It is safe to assume that Johnson knows what no deal involves. Does he worry about a future of insulin shortages, the pound collapsing and supermarkets running out of food? Perhaps that’s the wrong way to frame it. Does he think he will be blamed for the disaster and will it cost him support? This is the better question, and if he is not a fool then he will know that the answer must be yes. There are many people who currently feel they could never vote for Jeremy Corbyn, but would still prefer a Corbyn government to a Johnson one which imposed medicine shortages on the grounds of defending national sovereignty. The PM must know that no deal will destroy his premiership just months after it has begun. In other words, he does not want no deal. Why, then, does he appear to be leading us inexorably towards it? There is plenty of speculation about what Johnson is up to. Some theories are better than others, though we cannot be certain of any of them. It may be that not even he knows what he thinks he is doing. But let’s assume he is engineering some kind of strategy. Theory one is that Johnson is indeed pursuing no deal, but thinks he will escape the blame. Does he think the public will instead hold the EU responsible for the catastrophe? It is just about credible that the PM believes he can charm (or gaslight) the British people with his alleged charisma, but he should have the political sense to know that voters do not reward their leaders for economic chaos. The EU would never again feature on a British ballot paper. Johnson would. We should discount this one. Two, Johnson genuinely wants no deal, but thinks it won’t be as bad as people are saying. The problem here is that it doesn’t matter. In recent months the media has responded with hysteria to airport closures and a power cut. Magnify that by a hundred and for a period of weeks or months and you have some idea of the chaos about to hit. People will not be satisfied if the disruption is only severe as opposed to calamitous. Nobody voted for chaos and will not respond to it with stoicism, a stiff upper lip or “Blitz spirit.” Unless Johnson is stupid—which he isn’t—he will know this too. “If sovereignty means anything, it means the right to self-destruct” The third theory is that Johnson wants no deal, and will achieve it by proroguing parliament. The courts will almost certainly block such an outrage, but again, it is highly unlikely the PM would ever attempt it. He does not want to go down in history as the prime minister who dismantled Britain’s parliamentary democracy, and he knows that he will not be able to govern if he does. Four, that like a child who is pushing every limit in the knowledge that his parents will save him from himself, Johnson expects and indeed wants parliament to stop him. Then he can push for a “people-versus-parliament” election. This may be credible but is still laughably short-sighted. Johnson would have to stand on a platform of delivering a no-deal Brexit and then, if victorious, he would have to deliver it—thus ending his premiership immediately. Five, that Johnson is attempting to shift the Overton window to the worst-case scenario in order to normalise a slightly better one. The worst-case scenario could be the suspension of parliament, or any kind of no deal. Yet if the PM tries to adapt Theresa May’s deal, or delivers any kind of bad Brexit, he will be punished for it—and he knows it. The sixth—and most likely—theory recalls the defining error of the Brexiters over the last four years. Namely, Johnson really believes the EU will blink. Faced with the catastrophe of no deal, Ireland will confront the worst-case scenario the backstop was designed to avoid, and submit to the demands of its former colonial oppressor. This seam of foolishness has been knocked down time and again, but survives in the Brexiters’ imagination because it is all they have left. They have to believe that we are powerful, have leverage and can one day rise to become a “great” nation again, because the alternative is to accept that a small country like Ireland is now vastly more powerful than we are, and that we have trashed our influence and reputation for no reason at all. The truth is that the EU is not afraid of the UK and not afraid of no deal. It is afraid only of its own political fragmentation. It is why the EU insisted on giving us no special favours. It is why they refused to grant us membership of the single market in goods alone despite the advantage this would have given their businesses. And it is why Brussels will never throw Ireland under the bus to stop no deal. Nobody in the EU wants Britain to crash out. They have worked hard to avoid it. But if the UK government ditches the exit deal it agreed in order to throw itself off a cliff, Brussels will let it. After all, if sovereignty means anything, it means the right to self-destruct. Many clever people don’t understand the EU and never have. Exceptionalist self-obsession has convinced the prime minister that ultimately others will bend to his position through charisma or sheer force of will. The PM doesn’t want no deal, but believes the EU wants it less. He is bluffing. But he has miscalculated. And he will be stopped https://www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/other/tom-clark-appointed-editor-of-prospect "Prospect magazine is delighted to announce that Tom Clark has been appointed as Editor (he will start his new role in August). Tom has been at the Guardian newspaper for a decade, where he currently chairs the editorial board and writes mostly on politics," So no whinging whining Remoaner bias there then? >:-) .............. The only folk who have miscalculated are you LOSERS :D ........... Such a comprehensive demolition of the arguments in the piece, i'm surprised you are not on Newsnight every night for your analytical insights. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest pelmetman Posted August 20, 2019 Share Posted August 20, 2019 Fast Pat - 2019-08-20 10:10 AM pelmetman - 2019-08-20 9:25 AM Fast Pat - 2019-08-20 8:36 AM From Prospect Magazine If you are wondering whether you are living through some kind of fever dream this summer, you are not alone. The normally calm and quiet August days are currently filled with newspaper articles about voluntary airlifts to deliver food and medicine in less than 12 weeks’ time, while pundits are debating what happens if the prime minister loses the confidence of MPs but refuses to resign. Government-supporting newspapers are reporting this unique self-inflicted catastrophe not as a manifestation of collective breakdown but as a celebration of national sovereignty. What on earth is going on? Consider the prime minister himself. The most important thing to remember about Boris Johnson is that he is exclusively devoted to his own advancement. The second most important thing is that while we may consider him solipsistic and zealously uninterested in anyone else’s viewpoint, he is not stupid. It is safe to assume that Johnson knows what no deal involves. Does he worry about a future of insulin shortages, the pound collapsing and supermarkets running out of food? Perhaps that’s the wrong way to frame it. Does he think he will be blamed for the disaster and will it cost him support? This is the better question, and if he is not a fool then he will know that the answer must be yes. There are many people who currently feel they could never vote for Jeremy Corbyn, but would still prefer a Corbyn government to a Johnson one which imposed medicine shortages on the grounds of defending national sovereignty. The PM must know that no deal will destroy his premiership just months after it has begun. In other words, he does not want no deal. Why, then, does he appear to be leading us inexorably towards it? There is plenty of speculation about what Johnson is up to. Some theories are better than others, though we cannot be certain of any of them. It may be that not even he knows what he thinks he is doing. But let’s assume he is engineering some kind of strategy. Theory one is that Johnson is indeed pursuing no deal, but thinks he will escape the blame. Does he think the public will instead hold the EU responsible for the catastrophe? It is just about credible that the PM believes he can charm (or gaslight) the British people with his alleged charisma, but he should have the political sense to know that voters do not reward their leaders for economic chaos. The EU would never again feature on a British ballot paper. Johnson would. We should discount this one. Two, Johnson genuinely wants no deal, but thinks it won’t be as bad as people are saying. The problem here is that it doesn’t matter. In recent months the media has responded with hysteria to airport closures and a power cut. Magnify that by a hundred and for a period of weeks or months and you have some idea of the chaos about to hit. People will not be satisfied if the disruption is only severe as opposed to calamitous. Nobody voted for chaos and will not respond to it with stoicism, a stiff upper lip or “Blitz spirit.” Unless Johnson is stupid—which he isn’t—he will know this too. “If sovereignty means anything, it means the right to self-destruct” The third theory is that Johnson wants no deal, and will achieve it by proroguing parliament. The courts will almost certainly block such an outrage, but again, it is highly unlikely the PM would ever attempt it. He does not want to go down in history as the prime minister who dismantled Britain’s parliamentary democracy, and he knows that he will not be able to govern if he does. Four, that like a child who is pushing every limit in the knowledge that his parents will save him from himself, Johnson expects and indeed wants parliament to stop him. Then he can push for a “people-versus-parliament” election. This may be credible but is still laughably short-sighted. Johnson would have to stand on a platform of delivering a no-deal Brexit and then, if victorious, he would have to deliver it—thus ending his premiership immediately. Five, that Johnson is attempting to shift the Overton window to the worst-case scenario in order to normalise a slightly better one. The worst-case scenario could be the suspension of parliament, or any kind of no deal. Yet if the PM tries to adapt Theresa May’s deal, or delivers any kind of bad Brexit, he will be punished for it—and he knows it. The sixth—and most likely—theory recalls the defining error of the Brexiters over the last four years. Namely, Johnson really believes the EU will blink. Faced with the catastrophe of no deal, Ireland will confront the worst-case scenario the backstop was designed to avoid, and submit to the demands of its former colonial oppressor. This seam of foolishness has been knocked down time and again, but survives in the Brexiters’ imagination because it is all they have left. They have to believe that we are powerful, have leverage and can one day rise to become a “great” nation again, because the alternative is to accept that a small country like Ireland is now vastly more powerful than we are, and that we have trashed our influence and reputation for no reason at all. The truth is that the EU is not afraid of the UK and not afraid of no deal. It is afraid only of its own political fragmentation. It is why the EU insisted on giving us no special favours. It is why they refused to grant us membership of the single market in goods alone despite the advantage this would have given their businesses. And it is why Brussels will never throw Ireland under the bus to stop no deal. Nobody in the EU wants Britain to crash out. They have worked hard to avoid it. But if the UK government ditches the exit deal it agreed in order to throw itself off a cliff, Brussels will let it. After all, if sovereignty means anything, it means the right to self-destruct. Many clever people don’t understand the EU and never have. Exceptionalist self-obsession has convinced the prime minister that ultimately others will bend to his position through charisma or sheer force of will. The PM doesn’t want no deal, but believes the EU wants it less. He is bluffing. But he has miscalculated. And he will be stopped https://www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/other/tom-clark-appointed-editor-of-prospect "Prospect magazine is delighted to announce that Tom Clark has been appointed as Editor (he will start his new role in August). Tom has been at the Guardian newspaper for a decade, where he currently chairs the editorial board and writes mostly on politics," So no whinging whining Remoaner bias there then? >:-) .............. The only folk who have miscalculated are you LOSERS :D ........... Such a comprehensive demolition of the arguments in the piece, i'm surprised you are not on Newsnight every night for your analytical insights. Demolition? :-S ............ Looks like the same old diatribe from the usual suspects to me *-) ......... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Birdbrain Posted August 20, 2019 Share Posted August 20, 2019 Fast Pat - 2019-08-20 10:10 AM pelmetman - 2019-08-20 9:25 AM Fast Pat - 2019-08-20 8:36 AM From Prospect Magazine If you are wondering whether you are living through some kind of fever dream this summer, you are not alone. The normally calm and quiet August days are currently filled with newspaper articles about voluntary airlifts to deliver food and medicine in less than 12 weeks’ time, while pundits are debating what happens if the prime minister loses the confidence of MPs but refuses to resign. Government-supporting newspapers are reporting this unique self-inflicted catastrophe not as a manifestation of collective breakdown but as a celebration of national sovereignty. What on earth is going on? Consider the prime minister himself. The most important thing to remember about Boris Johnson is that he is exclusively devoted to his own advancement. The second most important thing is that while we may consider him solipsistic and zealously uninterested in anyone else’s viewpoint, he is not stupid. It is safe to assume that Johnson knows what no deal involves. Does he worry about a future of insulin shortages, the pound collapsing and supermarkets running out of food? Perhaps that’s the wrong way to frame it. Does he think he will be blamed for the disaster and will it cost him support? This is the better question, and if he is not a fool then he will know that the answer must be yes. There are many people who currently feel they could never vote for Jeremy Corbyn, but would still prefer a Corbyn government to a Johnson one which imposed medicine shortages on the grounds of defending national sovereignty. The PM must know that no deal will destroy his premiership just months after it has begun. In other words, he does not want no deal. Why, then, does he appear to be leading us inexorably towards it? There is plenty of speculation about what Johnson is up to. Some theories are better than others, though we cannot be certain of any of them. It may be that not even he knows what he thinks he is doing. But let’s assume he is engineering some kind of strategy. Theory one is that Johnson is indeed pursuing no deal, but thinks he will escape the blame. Does he think the public will instead hold the EU responsible for the catastrophe? It is just about credible that the PM believes he can charm (or gaslight) the British people with his alleged charisma, but he should have the political sense to know that voters do not reward their leaders for economic chaos. The EU would never again feature on a British ballot paper. Johnson would. We should discount this one. Two, Johnson genuinely wants no deal, but thinks it won’t be as bad as people are saying. The problem here is that it doesn’t matter. In recent months the media has responded with hysteria to airport closures and a power cut. Magnify that by a hundred and for a period of weeks or months and you have some idea of the chaos about to hit. People will not be satisfied if the disruption is only severe as opposed to calamitous. Nobody voted for chaos and will not respond to it with stoicism, a stiff upper lip or “Blitz spirit.” Unless Johnson is stupid—which he isn’t—he will know this too. “If sovereignty means anything, it means the right to self-destruct” The third theory is that Johnson wants no deal, and will achieve it by proroguing parliament. The courts will almost certainly block such an outrage, but again, it is highly unlikely the PM would ever attempt it. He does not want to go down in history as the prime minister who dismantled Britain’s parliamentary democracy, and he knows that he will not be able to govern if he does. Four, that like a child who is pushing every limit in the knowledge that his parents will save him from himself, Johnson expects and indeed wants parliament to stop him. Then he can push for a “people-versus-parliament” election. This may be credible but is still laughably short-sighted. Johnson would have to stand on a platform of delivering a no-deal Brexit and then, if victorious, he would have to deliver it—thus ending his premiership immediately. Five, that Johnson is attempting to shift the Overton window to the worst-case scenario in order to normalise a slightly better one. The worst-case scenario could be the suspension of parliament, or any kind of no deal. Yet if the PM tries to adapt Theresa May’s deal, or delivers any kind of bad Brexit, he will be punished for it—and he knows it. The sixth—and most likely—theory recalls the defining error of the Brexiters over the last four years. Namely, Johnson really believes the EU will blink. Faced with the catastrophe of no deal, Ireland will confront the worst-case scenario the backstop was designed to avoid, and submit to the demands of its former colonial oppressor. This seam of foolishness has been knocked down time and again, but survives in the Brexiters’ imagination because it is all they have left. They have to believe that we are powerful, have leverage and can one day rise to become a “great” nation again, because the alternative is to accept that a small country like Ireland is now vastly more powerful than we are, and that we have trashed our influence and reputation for no reason at all. The truth is that the EU is not afraid of the UK and not afraid of no deal. It is afraid only of its own political fragmentation. It is why the EU insisted on giving us no special favours. It is why they refused to grant us membership of the single market in goods alone despite the advantage this would have given their businesses. And it is why Brussels will never throw Ireland under the bus to stop no deal. Nobody in the EU wants Britain to crash out. They have worked hard to avoid it. But if the UK government ditches the exit deal it agreed in order to throw itself off a cliff, Brussels will let it. After all, if sovereignty means anything, it means the right to self-destruct. Many clever people don’t understand the EU and never have. Exceptionalist self-obsession has convinced the prime minister that ultimately others will bend to his position through charisma or sheer force of will. The PM doesn’t want no deal, but believes the EU wants it less. He is bluffing. But he has miscalculated. And he will be stopped https://www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/other/tom-clark-appointed-editor-of-prospect "Prospect magazine is delighted to announce that Tom Clark has been appointed as Editor (he will start his new role in August). Tom has been at the Guardian newspaper for a decade, where he currently chairs the editorial board and writes mostly on politics," So no whinging whining Remoaner bias there then? >:-) .............. The only folk who have miscalculated are you LOSERS :D ........... Such a comprehensive demolition of the arguments in the piece, i'm surprised you are not on Newsnight every night for your analytical insights. Not sure Dave would get on Newsnight ... Hes a Brexit voter after all ... https://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/1096306/BBC-news-Brexit-news-update-newsnight-backlash-latest-today-bias-Richard-Graham Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barryd999 Posted August 20, 2019 Share Posted August 20, 2019 I think its maybe a combination of "Four" and "Six". He maybe really believes that the EU will blink but when its obvious they wont he will only be too happy to let Parliament stop him but make it look like it was the EU and those pesky remainers that foiled his plans. He isnt even a proper Brexiteer. The main priority for Boris is and always has been Boris. Whatever he does from that combination above he will want to stay in power and certainly not end up with the entire country hating him. That would finish him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest pelmetman Posted August 20, 2019 Share Posted August 20, 2019 Barryd999 - 2019-08-20 1:15 PM I think its maybe a combination of "Four" and "Six". He maybe really believes that the EU will blink but when its obvious they wont he will only be too happy to let Parliament stop him but make it look like it was the EU and those pesky remainers that foiled his plans. He isnt even a proper Brexiteer. The main priority for Boris is and always has been Boris. Whatever he does from that combination above he will want to stay in power and certainly not end up with the entire country hating him. That would finish him. He has a choice ;-) .........48% of the country hating him........or 52% of the country hating him :D ......... So long as he doesn't have a Dianeabbotcus I reckon he'll be able to work out the math's >:-) ......... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barryd999 Posted August 20, 2019 Share Posted August 20, 2019 pelmetman - 2019-08-20 1:26 PM Barryd999 - 2019-08-20 1:15 PM I think its maybe a combination of "Four" and "Six". He maybe really believes that the EU will blink but when its obvious they wont he will only be too happy to let Parliament stop him but make it look like it was the EU and those pesky remainers that foiled his plans. He isnt even a proper Brexiteer. The main priority for Boris is and always has been Boris. Whatever he does from that combination above he will want to stay in power and certainly not end up with the entire country hating him. That would finish him. He has a choice ;-) .........48% of the country hating him........or 52% of the country hating him :D ......... So long as he doesn't have a Dianeabbotcus I reckon he'll be able to work out the math's >:-) ......... Those figures are over three years old and even if they still stand how many of that 52% will be happy with no deal and how many will be happy if so called Project Fear turns out to be true? I would say he will please more people by not leaving and making it look like someone else's fault than crashing out with no deal and what real chance is there of a new deal? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
747 Posted August 20, 2019 Share Posted August 20, 2019 I think the percentage has gone up since 2016 Barry. Mostly due to incessant moaning and whingeing getting on peoples nerves. Naturally, you Remain activists cannot feel that sense of anger and irritation as you are too tied up with your mantra against certain political figures. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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