Racism is more general than xenophobia.
In Xenophobia, one fears the stranger, as the British used to fear the Irish (although at the beginning of WWII, PM Churchill, anxious to make sure Ireland would help against Hitler, proposed Irish unification to the Irish president, de Valera… who rejected it…)
In racism, one fears those around oneself, not just strangers, after inventing ways (such as skin albedo) to characterize them as strangers, and tying that newly alienated status to pejorative claims. For example, Watson, one of the co-discoverer of DNA, thinks skin color is a mark of stupidity. Never mind that the Egyptians were not white like swans, and that much of our civilizational basis, from mathematics to antisexism, or our official reverence to truth, was forged in Egypt..
The essence of Brexit is to establish a hard border between 22 Irish counties and the other 6. That border is 500 kilometers long. 200 roads through it used to be cut, during the “Troubles”, before the European Union put an end to that nonsense. That hard border would make the others into strangers. In one word: alienation. Oh, by the way, the “Troubles”, 40 years ago or so, brought the death to around 4,000, plus years of not-so civil war.
Alienation leads to war. The best example was when Occidental Francia broke away from the rest of the “Roman Empire”, in the middle tenth century. Ultimately, that led to continual wars…
Brexiters have claimed that Brexit was a matter of money. Laughable: the UK has made huge yearly payment to the EU, right, but those are significantly smaller than the payments France has made. Also the UK has received, in exchange, more from the EU than it has paid.
Brexiters have claimed it’s a matter of democracy. Laughable: the UK is a monarchy, accompanied by strong plutocratic structures like the unelected upper chamber, the House of Lords. EU structures are actually more democratic. The ultimate governance of the EU right now is made of all the heads of democratically elected EU governments. Everything passes by the EU Parliament. Last week, Spain insisted Gibraltar was a “colony” (arguing from UN law). France vetoed that language.
So what’s left? Racism. On this site Hazxan, an esteemed commenter, supported my point of view by examples he witnessed.
What next? Well the UK won’t get out of the EU March 29: I have said this for years. There will a second referendum, that one officially known in advance to be legislating. The British people, faced now by the reality of what it means, to alienate one’s neighbors, will regain its sense and vote to remain.
Then the real revolution in the EU can proceed.
Patrice Ayme
Tags: Brexit
Patrice Ayme's Thoughts 
February 26, 2019 at 3:57 am |
This is meretricious sophistry, and stupid name-calling to boot, with a devolved Left Coast tone. To call something racist is the worst epithet in the liberal lexicon. What you are talking about has nothing to do with racism, but with economic insecurity. People stop getting along when the economy tanks or they fell their relative position threatened.
The EU doesn’t work. It will take a revolution to restructure it so that there is only one federal debt to match the Euro. The EU banks are a mess, the monetary policy, with negative interest rates, is literally moribund, its pensions are over-extended, and its taxes are high encouraging capital flight. Take the hint from the richest Brit leaving recently for Monaco. Singapore welcomes all such expats, and China may do too.
Network theory says large sparse networks are more stable than tightly coupled ones. The EU resembles the USSR more and more.
The US–where we do have one federal debt–is experiencing decoupling at the state level, with severe beggar-thy-neighbor tax issues since state and local tax deductions were mostly eliminated. The drive to raise taxes to fund over-extended pensions will cause revolt in both the EU and America. People are sick and tired of being bullied by politicians.
Whenever economic conditions turn down, society fragments along whatever divisions between people exist, including race, religion, etc., or even just politics (even within families!).
It’s the economy, stupid. Not “racism,” but any -ism that people care to separate themselves by. It’s just our human nature. And in the larger picture, it’s the way empires fall: they get overextended, they over-tax, the government workers fight for their jobs and pensions, and the people revolt. Brexit wouldn’t have happened without a strong element of populist revolt fueling it. Same with Trump.
Anglo-American plutocracy is the worst, agreed, and the plutocrats have gone further here (US) in disenfranchising the people than elsewhere. It is impressive to see the French take to the streets, and to see that their Gini coefficient has remained so relatively low, as it should in a true democracy.
Here in the US we face fascist lock-down of all public fora (“Google Gestapo”) and alternative news sources as the Deep State seeks to impose its final solution, the cashless, central-bank-ruled New World Order (read H.G. Wells’ “Anticipations”). China is taking the lead, with Goog’s help. They don’t even pretend to be a democracy. We’ll see how they deal with their plutocrats.
Why can’t the UK and EU just trade with each other, and control their own borders as tightly or not as they desire? Why the big fight?
You might as well say that the whole populist movement is “racist,” as call Brexit racist. A category error, methinks.
cheers
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February 26, 2019 at 6:47 am |
I think the argument is that Brexit is bad in all ways except keeping other Europeans out
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February 27, 2019 at 5:32 am |
Right, bad and mad in all ways, except for Plutos….
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February 26, 2019 at 7:11 am |
Wait aren’t populists for people vote? That’s all what she wants, another people vote now that Brexit is known by all the people to be a pile of shit. Why would that be bad?
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February 27, 2019 at 1:25 am |
I have been the deepest critique of Europe I know of. Of course Europe is a mess. But it’s like a patient who is a mess: one fixes it, one doesn’t just refuse treatment an run away. The EU latest structures are still on the way to implementation. Just as an aside France will get a number of MEPs proportional to her population (and no less, as she still does).
The way to make europe better is to deepen it.
“Why can’t the UK and EU just trade with each other, and control their own borders as tightly or not as they desire? Why the big fight?”
For the same reason that California seceding would be a bad idea.
Nothing prevents California to have progressive legislation… Same for UK.
However, controlling tightly the Irish border, is bringing back… WAR.
And that’s just one example.
This is why there was a US Secession War. The EU decided to make things more civilized, with Article 50. Fact is, though, the English are telling the rest of Europe is that they are not welcome, because they have done bad (this is different from Norway, Switzerland and Iceland saying no before becoming members).
For progressives, the entire thing is grotesque: the British people was led astray by grossly truth distorting media, because it’s owned by plutocrats who are focused on destroying the Union, equality, and peace in general. Plutos want Lords all over, as in the UK.
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February 27, 2019 at 2:14 am |
From Guardian, today, Feb 26:
If we’re heading for a hard Brexit, then we’re heading for a united Ireland
Patrick Kielty
Whisper it, but a second referendum is the best way out of this mess, even for the DUP
Tue 26 Feb 2019 01.00 EST
The year is 2025 and the prime minister, David Lammy, has just phoned the Sinn Féin leader, Mary Lou McDonald, to congratulate her on victory in Ireland’s unification referendum. The deputy prime minister, Nicola Sturgeon, tweets that she hopes Scotland will follow suit in the referendum she secured at the last election for taking the Scottish National party into coalition with Labour. Gerry Adams gives the dedication as a statue of Jacob Rees-Mogg is unveiled in Crossmaglen. The Tory leader, Amber Rudd, refuses to publicly blame her predecessor Boris Johnson for the breakup of the union but, like the rest of what’s left of the country, she knows the truth.
As anyone involved in the Good Friday agreement will tell you, principles guarantee no deal. It’s why the current Brexit negotiations between the UK and itself are going so well. Theresa May has red lines, the European Research Group (ERG) has absolute red lines, the Democratic Unionist party (DUP) has blood-red lines, and Jeremy Corbyn has blurred lines featuring Pharrell. If they all hold firm, we’re heading for a hard Brexit. And a united Ireland.
Northern Ireland’s young people know their history. If only the rest of Britain did too
John Harris
We were always going to end up here because Brexit has never been about Nissan X-Trails or the shape of your bananas. It’s only ever been about sovereignty. For the gammons and bowler hats on the team, the final destination has always been the top of the white cliffs of Dover dressed as Dad’s Army, straddling Dysons.
Northern Ireland has always been about sovereignty for a different reason – almost half of its population see themselves as Irish. How very rude. Yet as Brexiteers preach about their precious union, Irish nationalists in the same country are meant to park the union they want and just work out how the chicken crosses the border.
Last week I was back in my home village of Dundrum, County Down. It lies in a constituency that in the past has elected both Éamon de Valera and Enoch Powell, but when talk in the pub turned to Brexit, the same truths were repeated again and again: nothing good can come of this for Northern Ireland. And: we knew this would happen.
Most people in Northern Ireland voted to remain in the EU because there have only ever been two options post-Brexit – customs checks at the Irish border or in the Irish Sea. Each would cause divisions just as we were bridging the gaps (in spite of our politicians). Depressingly, there’s no way through this.
As the prime minister Maybots her way through the charade of alternative arrangements, there’s only one thing you need to know – there are no workable alternative arrangements. If there were, you’d have heard of them by now.
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February 27, 2019 at 6:36 am |
“Why can’t the UK and EU just trade with each other, and control their own borders as tightly or not as they desire? Why the big fight?”
Britain is part of the EU, it’s EU dependent. If it’s out of the EU, as it is, it can trade with a few countries… like Swaziland… But not even Japan (only significant country it was supposed to trade with, March 29, but that failed)… In particular, not the EU. So no more insulin, etc…
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February 26, 2019 at 6:36 am |
Brexiters will hate you. You really think the Irish question is that bad?
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February 27, 2019 at 1:26 am |
UKIP is actually following me and some of them told me publicly I inspire them to start their junk…
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February 27, 2019 at 7:29 pm |
They think you are pro-Brexit? Talk about a misunderstanding
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February 27, 2019 at 7:30 pm |
Yeap. This being said, UK sabotage of the EU may be a good thing to put in the rearview mirror…
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February 27, 2019 at 9:07 pm |
@ganibang
I loved your Intro and how you explain everything.
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February 27, 2019 at 9:10 pm |
Thanks! 😉
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February 28, 2019 at 5:24 pm |
Feb 27: 20 British “Conservative” MPs voted against extending Article 50 (withdrawal from Europe). They were all hardline Brexiters, few in number, and they lost the vote by a majority of almost 500. 20 racists left?
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March 2, 2019 at 5:45 am |
[To an anti-Europe UK website alleging Nazis rule Europe]
A seriously misleading and obsolete description of how the European Union works. Also omitting that De Gaulle got Hallstein out of the EC. Nowadays, as per EU Constitution power is in the hand of the European Council (heads of the 28 EU governments) and the European Parliament. And the truth?
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March 2, 2019 at 7:10 pm |
Hi Patrice. Thanks for the compliment – “Esteemed commentator” made me smile as I hadn’t actually visited your site for many months! We don’t agree on many things, but it looks like we have a similar outlook on Brexit.
Since the referendum, I must have read millions of words from all sides. Before the referendum, I was not convinced by UK membership of the EU. The issue is complex and there are many different sub-groups who support Brexit for different reasons. However, I am more convinced than ever that the political drive for Brexit is an extreme right wing project.
You can’t get most Brexit supporters to see this, because for many of them, Brexit isn’t about the complex trade or international relations, it is an emotional issue about their identity as British and separate from Europe.
I wonder if this isn’t all down to the different psychology of the liberal and conservative minds – and there are studies showing how conservatives are generally more fearful of others, fearful of strangers.
Here’s my experience – as a “Remainer” and “Europhile”, when I’ve had polite talks with Brexiters, it’s as if we each have a blind spot to the what the other is saying. As if each of our points are completely missed by the other. When asked why, Brexiters will say things like “Sovereignty” , “control of our Laws”, the EU is undemocratic”, and “we’re British, not Europeans”. None of which means anything to me, I have to admit! This “Sovereignty”, for example, when we “take back control”, how does it benefit us? Do we all get wage rises? Lower cost of living? A more efficient health service? Well, no, none of those. In fact, all of them will deteriorate because apparently “Sovereignty” has a cost and it “is a cost worth paying”. I still do not know what we are getting for our money.
Then they talk about hearing people “talk foreign” in the street, how this “isn’t right”. Again, I do not see the problem, I feel no fear, or anything at all if I hear someone speak another language. The media have used this a lot, so clearly, it is important to some Brexiters (including my family, who say it), but means nothing to me. It’s like their words sail 6 feet over my head.
So then in contrast I start explaining about how all the multi-millionaire hedge fund managers support Brexit, because they will profit from UK economic problems. I talk about how when the UK is isolated, the US, Russia and China will make us trade on *their* term.
Especially, I say how Brexit is planned by the plutocrats to turn the UK into a cheap labour force, “sweatshop UK”, as has been described in the book “Britannia Unchained” and by Rees Moggs fathers book “Blood in the Streets”
https://www.theguardian.com/books/2018/nov/09/mystic-mogg-jacob-rees-mogg-willam-predicts-brexit-plans
Finally I talk say how my plan of retiring to live in southern Europe has become so much more unlikely, perhaps impossible due to the extra cost required. They say “why would you want to go there? the it’s too hot and the UK can not be bettered..” (other than by leaving the EU, I suppose)
But they just look at me blankly. Just like their argument to me, it sails 6 feet over their heads!
My deepest worry is that this is about the UK lurch to a psuedo-fascist far-right. That Brexit is only the start of plans concocted by Robert Spencer and his cronies. Anyway, I’ve gone on far too long, so will leave it there.
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March 3, 2019 at 9:14 am |
Thanks Hazxan, very instructive, and no you have not been far too long, far from it… I am answering you by a complete essay, I hope to have it out tomorrow…
At this point, it seems many Europeans have had enough of the British circus. Macron doesn’t seem amused. And the French elite, which is very legalistic, doesn’t like the smell of it all: EUROPEAN ELECTIONS are coming, and Britain has to take part in them if still in the EU. Many British seats went to France, BTW…
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March 12, 2019 at 6:37 am |
[Sent to Rowan Campbell Millar]
Right 100%. However, sometimes racism hides in ways no one detects.: https://patriceayme.wordpress.com/2019/02/25/brexit-is-racism-and-thats-why-it-wont-happen-the-uk-will-stay-in-the-eu/
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