^^Isn’t that where Ricky Gervais got the idea of “The Office” from?
“Calling it Regrexit is cute making it sound like leave camp is changing its mind. Elites haven’t learned a thing.”
Who are they going to blame when things get even worse for them after leaving the EU?
That’s a load statement. One would first have to define how to measure “standard of living”. We are better off than kings and queens in the past. We have a refrigerator, air-conditioned have a car, etc. You are better off than the royalty in the past. What are you complaining about?
Yes, that’s true. But he is someone who’s actually lived in the UK from the '80s until now with a break of about 6 years that was relatively recently. And you would hope he was being culturally observant since he was writing books about it!
Off topic, but David Brooks has commented recently that US political commentators in this election cycle are not being culturally observant. He set off on a mission to talk to real people outside the beltway, and was pretty much ridiculed by his peers for doing so.
Most of the people who are TV pundits and opinion writers for newspapers live in a geographic and socioeconomic bubble and have no idea what people outside their bubble think, although they pretend to from looking at opinion polls.
Most of the people who are TV pundits and opinion writers for newspapers live in a geographic and socioeconomic bubble and have no idea what people outside their bubble think, although they pretend to from looking at opinion polls."
Who are the leavers going to blame when things get worse because of leaving the EU?
There was nearly universal agreement on both sides that things would get worse in the short term. Opinions ranged from 2 to 10 years, from what I’ve read.
I think who gets blamed will depend on how much patience anyone has. Money tends to follow opportunities, whether at home or abroad. If you are 65 years old with some capital, do you really want to wait 10 years for things to turn around? If those who have money start sending it offshore, the Leavers will blame them for not investing in Britain’s future.
“I think who gets blamed will depend on how much patience anyone has. Money tends to follow opportunities, whether at home or abroad. If you are 65 years old with some capital, do you really want to wait 10 years for things to turn around? If those who have money start sending it offshore, the Leavers will blame them for not investing in Britain’s future.”
So they will still be blaming the “elites” for something they did to themselves.
@Emilybee For some reason that last line of your post #486 has sent that old Monkees song running through my head, “I’m a B-Leaver!”
Who knows where he travels. Maybe his travel changed as he gets older. All the studies point to widening inequality. While inequality itself doesn’t represent standard of living directly, it tells you more people are poorer relatively speaking. That everyone’s income went up is of little comfort if most increase went to a handful at the top since that will change the dynamics of the society. With a much greater middle class, the economy will be geared for the middle class. With greater wealth at the very top, the economy will respond to high wealth individuals’s need. Instead of mass production, a few very pricy items may be more valued, there will be more jobs in supporting the wealthy, maids, guards, and other support staff. We will kowtow more to the weathy whether they have good ideas or not. They will have louder voice drowning out vibrant diverse ideas. We are talking about drastically different society.
- You have no clue if things are going to get worse.
- The EU is a failing organization
- Other non-EU countries have succeeded without being official members
- Merkel has already expressed interest in maintaining a close alliance with the UK
All of the signs point to the UK becoming a successful post-Brexit country. There will undoubtedly be some short-term setbacks as they get things sorted out.
If Elon Musk fixated on short-term setbacks and failed to look long term, he would be a complete failure.
Add to the list; Britain was out of EU longer than they were in.
MODERATOR’S NOTE: Please stay on topic and avoid the snarkiness. I had to delete 10 posts just now. 
If you want to define Britain as “losing” in such terms, well I agree with you–there will be a short term loss.
The real question is whether the long-term losses are significant enough to offset what the “Leave” camp thinks of as the gains in not having to subsidize the rest of the EU, having greater control of immigration policy, and greater control of economic policy.
Economic systems are complex, and what seems readily “apparent” are often incorrect long term.
I am closing this thread temporarily, because I don’t have time to sit here, deleting posts. When I reopen it, warnings will be handed out if necessary.