In or Out?

Are you in, or are you out? Do you know what this is all about? Have you made a decision, a final choice? If you haven't done so then where is your voice?

In or out, which are you? It’s a question that’s plagued this country since 2016, creating a catastrophic division among friends, families and the average man on the street.

For what, I wonder?

So emboldened, so vehement are both sides in their absolute conviction of their beliefs. Or perhaps to put it more appropriately; people are so absolutely entrenched in their opposition to the beliefs that are the opposite of their own. Indeed the whole Brexit debate has I think become more about opposing the views of others because they’re ‘bad’ and far less about professing an individual belief entwined with the greater good. It’s hard not to see the whole affair as an absolute democratic disaster. The country is a mess and the people are lost amidst the wreckage of this meltdown.

I mentioned the greater good just above, does that even exist anymore I wonder? Certainly an awareness of it among the average person is totally absent to my eyes. Oh yes of course, they’d tell me just the opposite; their dedication to Brexit or remain is in their eyes the very definition of the greater good. But it isn’t the belief that’s necessarily the primary issue. It’s more so the manner in which it’s debated and the tactics via which those beliefs (on both sides) are defended.

When people don’t agree it doesn’t have to be personal. When a human being adopts a belief, a stance that is different to or perhaps even directly opposed to that of another human being, it doesn’t have to be an attack. However, we are at present in a time frame where people take their points of view not as a measured analysis of any particular situation to be calmly and rationally explained, but instead as a battle cry. The prevailing state of mind being; this is what I think and anyone who disagrees with me is a fool! It isn’t just Brexit, this problem is everywhere.

Brexit however has magnified this issue of lack of perspective and diplomacy  and taken it to a thoroughly unpleasant level of fevered confrontation and disunity.

To me, it is stating the obvious to say that in order to find a solution where there are two very different takes on one situation, there has to be a compromise of some sort. A middle ground must be found between those two points of view that can attempt at least in some measure to give degrees of satisfaction to both sides of the spectrum, with both sides also making gracious sacrifices to preserve peace. The modern view would call that naïve and say that it’s an airy fairy sentiment that can never be fulfilled and that one way has to be the right way. I call it democracy and I call it finding a solution via reasoned and methodical debate and calculated process.

The big mistake of course was made when a referendum was decided upon. As soon as that decision was made, we were pulling the trigger to say to people right; one way is wrong the other way is right, you decided which is which. This was disastrous, ill advised, foolish and as we’ve seen damaging, very damaging. Because as with all situations with two sides, anyone with a reasonably well developed intellect can (and does) present a rounded and well worded argument to support either side of the coin. 

What occurred however in this country upon the referendum being called was a fragmentation of a collective ‘in this together’ viewpoint among the people and the fostering instead of an ‘us against them’ philosophy. A destructive narrative that created divisions and difficulties that nearly three years on now still haven’t gone away, and won’t for many generations to come.

 

To say that those making the decisions leading us to the current state of affairs were irresponsible in doing so is an understatement.  We’re fractured as a country right now and what’s more the shambling and very public incompetence of our Government since the referendum result has made us the laughing stock of the world.

It seems to me that ever since that referendum was called, ever since the ‘in or out’ question emerged, ever since then the debate has stopped being about what matters. No longer are we debating what’s best for our country and the world; it’s instead become a case of something we’re all too familiar with in the social media age. And that is it’s become a case of ‘I am right because you are wrong and that’s all there is to it.’

Does it matter if you’re ‘in or out?’ Does it really matter who is right and who is wrong?

Shouldn’t it really all be about what helps? Shouldn’t it all really be about, what approach is going to secure the best possible future for everyone, not just for those that agree with us?

None of us are going to be here forever, and it’s for that reason that the most important part of all of our lives is what we leave behind for the next lot. Right now, we aren’t thinking about that, we aren’t thinking about our children and their children and the sort of tomorrow we’re creating for them with our every action and decision. Instead we’re just fixated on being right. On having the last word and making sure that the other person over there doesn’t get their way because we have to get ours. So short-sighted are we in this arbitrary mind-set that I frankly feel  it’s destroying our country.

More importantly than that however; we’re destroying tomorrow. We’re ensuring nothing more so than the fact the generation that follows this one is going to inherit a myriad and treacherous array of problems, issues and apocalyptic fallout.

 

People often site their patriotism in this debate, claiming that their every action in the service of their viewpoint is motivated by pride in their country. What a sick joke that is to me. This whole mess couldn’t be less patriotic, as to me patriotism should be about unity, not division, about preserving tomorrow, not obsessing over a temporary victory today.

 

Bravo Britain, oh so great is this Britain, the pride, the patriotism, how it overwhelms me, almost as much as the noxious stupidity of all of these silly stupid, short sighted people…

 

If we aren’t careful this tiny island will end up six feet under, nought but a forgotten memory and the word ‘Brexit’ will have no meaning beyond the word that is carved into our tombstone.

 

 

Author's Note

Thank you for reading and take care. Any reviews always welcome.