“You do realize I was being sarcastic about Turkey.”
Of course! You are always hilariously sarcastic, and your posts in this thread are killing me. I should have added a 
Can someone explain why Cameron is resigning? Yes, I get that he called for the referendum, and his side lost that vote, but why add more uncertainty to the mix now?
@TatinG, arguably so. Yet their vote likely made their plight worse.
As I said above, because humans tend to die out after 80 years and not enough read history, politics, and economics, voters make stupid mistakes after 80 years have past and they forget why leaders put institutions in place and hard lessons have to be painfully relearnt.
“Can someone explain why Cameron is resigning? Yes, I get that he called for the referendum, and his side lost that vote, but why add more uncertainty to the mix now?”
I heard he got a better job offer, working at the Trump Turnberry. Who could blame him? 
Is he possibly hoping that a new PM could call for another referendum?
There would have been a no-confidence vote on Cameron anyway after this debacle, and he probably would not have survived. Better to quit than be thrown out on his bum.
A better parallel than the 20th century may be the 17th. We didn’t really think the Reformation was about religion as much as it was about continentalism and who would control the British isles and Scandinavia, did we?
Admittedly, I am shocked they voted out. I understand their concerns regarding immigration and “central control”, but I still don’t think the Brexit was in their best interests economically.
On the other hand, I think the news media and financial speculators are being overly pessimistic about the long-term outcome of a Brexit. The UK is a solid country, with a well-educated population, and respectable leadership. It may take some time for them to sort things out, but I think they will figure out a way to succeed without the EU.
Lastly, I thought David Cameron’s speech was amazing. Very respectful, concise, and leader-like.
@PurpleTitan wtote:
That article I linked mentioned:
Maybe there’s a McDonald’s in Panama that also closed? 
The 'EU" is not a simple construct…it is a “bottomless pit of asterisks”. This is an excellent explanation of ht miss-mash that makes up the EU…https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O37yJBFRrfg Seems like all Britain needs is to become one of the other ‘exceptions’.
“Is he possibly hoping that a new PM could call for another referendum?”
Since Boris Johnson was one of the leaders of leave that would be a big no.
“That’s just about everywhere except London and Scotland.”
Not what the maps say, Igloooo. sigh.
The referendum is “non-binding”. The referendum is advisory rather than mandatory. I don’t know what happens next, but Britain’s Parliament has to act to withdraw from the EU, and that may or may not happen. Meanwhile, the thing I find most scary about the Brexit vote, is that a country has voted apparently against the people’s own economic self interest, motivated by Xenophobia and a fear of immigration. I don’t think the British economy and employment will be helped by the vote, so to the extent that is what motivated voters to choose “exit” they made the wrong choice. The vote went against most forecasts right before the vote. U.S. financial markets had been rising in days before the referendum, expecting the “Stay in EU” vote to prevail. So comparing this outcome to the upcoming US election… scares me.
Forced immigration decisions by a central authority in another country is unacceptable IMO. That’s the bigger issue here – not immigration, per se, but being told to let migrants in by the EU, and I think the UK’s concerns here are justified.
Also, let’s take a look at other successful non-EU countries, and their reasons for not joining the EU. Norway, for example, voted ‘no’ twice in referendums to join for pretty much the same reasons given by UK citizens.
@NJres, yes, see my point #93. And humans are emotional creatures. Too many let their emotions guide them rather than rationality.
Just as in this country, the ‘experts’ can’t see why people are concerned about mass immigration and how it will affect their jobs, wages, welfare programs, environmental issues, etc. The investor class didn’t count on the revenge of those who are being screwed over who likly have little to no exposure on the stock markets…
The hoi polloi may have voted for xenophobic reasons, but the educated class voted for sovereignty & economic reasons.
FYI
Brexit: the 7 most important arguments for Britain to leave the EU
http://www.vox.com/2016/6/22/11992106/brexit-arguments
Another one I heard last night on British TV.
That the EU bureaucrats in Brussels were corrupt.
“So comparing this outcome to the upcoming US election… scares me.”
Yes, it scares me too. Governments not paying attention to what people want may provide some extreme and undesired results. And classifying huge numbers of people as “racist” or “xenophobic” is not addressing the problem. People who feel like they are financially suffering do not want to see increased immigration and benefits to others. They feel like they are underpaid, being taxed to death, and someone else is getting the benefit of their effort.
So there is this condescending attitude that all these voters are just blaming the wrong people. It’s income inequality, it’s the rich people’s fault, really it is. Just soak it to the evil rich and all will be well. Keep on encouraging more immigration and legalization, more benefits to be paid out (in order to buy a larger group of voters). Still not listening.
Of course allowing more benefits and immigration costs money. It ain’t free. Though the loss of private sector unions, more automation, and the cost of living increasing is probably much more to blame for people’s predicaments. But it appears that nobody at the top is listening, and those people are the ones I blame for the rise of self loving tyrants.
@fractalmstr - Norway would have to stop whaling if it joined the EU.