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Prophecy: GB is now RB

Prophecy is a prompt from the people at the Daily Post at WordPress. com. I don’t usually need a prompt of any kind to write a blog post. Today is different. I feel like making a prophecy of doom and gloom. Why? I am deeply concerned about the result of the Brexit vote.

Prophecy # 1

I prophecy that no good will come out of it and all will end in tears.

I fear for the United Kingdom and its future. I really do.

My first reaction to the vote to leave the EU was one of “Oh! No,” That was a tad selfish I admit. The good old British Pound had tumbled in value. End result – I have less pesos, and any other currency you care to name for my £. As a retiree on a finite and modest income, that is not good.

But the problems are wider than my own selfish viewpoint. And, before I go any further I accept that a majority wins the day in a democratic election.  That is my first point. The vote was approximately 52% as opposed to 48%. That is close in anyone’s book. It will lead to a divided country.

A further obvious problem is the future of the Union. Scotland voted overwhelmingly to remain in the EU.

Prophecy # 2

Scotland will now break away and become an independent country within the EU.

I can’t see any great leaders in Britain. I can’t see who can lead the country out of this mess. The people will become leaderless and disenchanted.

Prophecy # 3

An extreme right wing government takes power in the UK.

The economic outlook without the EU is bleak. I prophecy great hardships ahead and many jobless people. With rising unemployment, crime will increase. Vigilantes will form groups and law and order will crumble.


I broke off there as to be frank, I was feeling a little angry and the words were not flowing. But, here I am again and it is now 24 hours later. I am completely relaxed. I mention that because I want the reader to know what follows is not written in anger. It is written in despair.

Today, this was brought to my attention:

prophecy 13508966_10101369337231245_7930038427400712516_n 13466353_10101369337276155_6640301754440555758_n 13501700_10101369379042455_8656292013924687938_n 13501851_10101369379057425_5878942278212324739_n 13516377_10101369197386495_7958147390048886802_n 13501729_10101369197551165_68221141151588948_n 13466065_10101369197321625_3086369890054487626_n 13466353_10101369337276155_6640301754440555758_n 13466390_10101369197516235_875390745754592370_n 13466433_10101369310315185_1746213867571766244_n 13490706_10154134073031163_1632751052543755313_o 13495013_10101369197117035_7548320471033123629_n 13498029_10154134073116163_9065193922149104914_o 13501700_10101369379042455_8656292013924687938_n 13501729_10101369197551165_68221141151588948_n 13501851_10101369379057425_5878942278212324739_n 13502038_10101369197042185_1362509722253494241_n 13508958_10101369337166375_3310962842644745072_n 13508966_10101369337231245_7930038427400712516_n 13510903_10101369197156955_8191789792055644345_n 13511007_10101369197426415_9145703620322396092_n 13512129_10101369197266735_4570121211891279829_n 13516377_10101369197386495_7958147390048886802_n 13522047_10101369197226815_136835118734897440_n 13524504_10154134144191163_7032324493602470349_n 13528842_10101369197351565_4124766041224882191_n 13532812_10101369197077115_8558315592349990326_n
My suspicion all along was that the leave voters in the main* were motivated by xenophobia. All of the above confirms my fears and I think it represents the tip of the iceberg.

Even people I considered as friends before Brexit were posting stuff on Facebook in favor of the leave vote. Of course, I didn’t have a problem with that but I did have a problem with the content.

Let me spell it out clearly – let me stop calling it xenophobia and say what it really is. It’s racism. It’s ugly and it proved a winning formula in the EU Referendum.

Here is my final prophecy:

Prophecy # 5

I will post this article on Facebook and some of my ‘friends’ will unfriend me. Good! I don’t care if they do. I do not wish to have a racist for a friend.

I am pleased that I retired to the Philippines. There are too many racist Brits for my liking.


* [Edit on Monday June 27, 2016] I did write “in the main.” The use of that phrase was possibly a little careless. One person interpreted what I wrote as meaning all leave voters were racist. I did not mean that and did not write that so let me make it clear. 

In my opinion there were significant numbers of leave voters motivated by xenophobia and racism. If the cap fits …

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18 Comments

  1. G G

    My biggest surprise was Michael Gove being for leaving the EU. I had been following him and his interest in reforming the prison system – now I wonder how he means to do that – executing foreign nationalist?

    • I wouldn’t be surprised if Gove was positioning himself to be the next PM. Cameron called the vote and backed remain. Gove must have known Cameron would resign if the leave won. I don’t trust Gove. I don’t trust politicians.

  2. G G

    In regards to your MAJORITY:

    “Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it is time to reform (or pause and reflect).”
    ― Mark Twain

    “Wrong does not cease to be wrong because the majority share in it.”
    ― Leo Tolstoy

    “I don’t imagine you will dispute the fact that at present the stupid people are in an absolutely overwhelming majority all the world over.”
    ― Henrik Ibsen

    “The fact that an opinion has been widely held is no evidence whatever that it is not utterly absurd; indeed in view of the silliness of the majority of mankind, a widely spread belief is more likely to be foolish than sensible.”
    ― Bertrand Russell,

    • All valid. I especially like the Ibsen quote. I bet you at least 80% of the leave voters have never read one single book on the history of the EU and its forebears. Too many uneducated voters!

  3. Adam Lawrence Adam Lawrence

    This reversion to far-right politics – well, to be more accurate: the far-right getting its “day” again – is, sadly, inevitable. The successful “leave” vote was simply an event that reinforced the reversion. In a sense, it’s a return to the pre-EU, Thatcher era, when the sort of xenophobia or racism or bigotry (whatever the hell you want to call it) found in those tweets was fairly common (though without the “viral” phenomenon enabled by social media).

    I’m sure Hanif Kureishi will have plenty to say (and write) about this Brexit business. (See his screenplays “Sammy and Rosie Get Laid” or “My Beautiful Laundrette” or “The Buddha of Suburbia” for examinations of racism and homophobia in 1980s/90s Britain.)

    • I guess it is inevitable as it seems to be a cyclical thing. Thatcher was part of the EU era. It was one of her predecessors, Edward Heath, who took the UK into the “Common Market” as it was then known as, or EEC to give it its full and proper title. Thatcher was always unhappy with the EU and tried to negotiate better deals for the UK within the community. The trouble was she antagonized people too much and the UK suffered as a result.
      I am certain that many others will have plenty to say other than Kureishi. I do like his work.

  4. r neil r neil

    You site is expat in Bacolod. what relevance is your article. we can go to newsstand or Mail on line if we want a one sided sort term view. In the not so long term the pound on your pocket will buy you more Php

    • Hi Robert, thanks for dropping by. In case you haven’t noticed this site is my site. The posts do not have to have any “relevance” if I don’t think that is relevant 🙂 Anyway, joking aside, can you please explain what you mean by “what relevance is your article?”
      Yes, the site is called Expat in Bacolod but I am from the UK. As such, I have a right to express an opinion about British affairs – don’t you think? In any event, it is my blog and I will carry on expressing an opinion whenever I see fit. I am pleased to see you also joined in the prophecy ‘game.’ I wish I could share your confidence about the long term future of the £. By the way, please use a spell checker in future 🙂

        • In my reply to you I wrote about my opinion. An opinion formed on my own experiences and learning about the disgusting racist antics in the wake of the Brexit vote. In case you do not know what opinion means, here is one definition – a view or judgment formed about something, not necessarily based on fact or knowledge.
          If my opinion is based on some flawed premise, then please use your intelligence to point that out to me. Possibly that is asking too much? I am not the only person to share the same kind of opinion. Read this: Washington Post article and another one.
          Your method of criticizing me reminds me of someone else I know who was stung by my comments about racists following Brexit. That person voted leave because he/she wanted Britain to be Great again. For goodness sake, what on earth does that mean? There are some things best not left to the electorate. Cameron abrogated all responsibility when ordering a referendum on EU membership. He did so for purely personal political gain. Now the people have spoken. It’s not the ‘people’ who have to get Britain out of this mess.
          I repeat – it will all end in tears! But, all of this is solely my opinion. If you say that my view is the “only right view,” so be it. That would prove I am trying to debate an issue with someone with a grave lack of intellectual ability.

        • G G

          Uh, R Neil if you say that the only right view is his – does that not make your view of his view your right view thus negating your view of his being the only right view?

        • You know what Mr. O’ Neill, I really don’t know what your game is. My still active powers of deduction tell me you live in or near Cadiz City, not too far away from me. You first came here commenting on the ‘rights and wrongs’ of my post based on the fact I am an expat in Bacolod.
          So, I ask you why is it so important to you what I have to say when it seems you are “in the same boat as me.” I truly do not understand where you are coming from. Please enlighten me.

  5. r neil r neil

    I have better things to do in my life than debate with an individual who clearly resorts to insults in the face of criticism.This is the end

    • That is your prerogative. I don’t see any ‘clear insults.’ I read my responses as heartfelt ripostes to your comments. Perhaps all will be good in your world if you can dictate to me what I should or should not write about. I’m sorry but that’s not going to happen. I am also sorry that you seem incapable of enlightening me. I also do not see your comments as criticism. I interpret them as aimed at telling me what I can or cannot write about. Let me put that another way – it was as if you had walked into my home telling me what I should think and say.
      I hope you can understand that but somehow I doubt it. That is not an insult, merely an observation based on all you have written.

  6. Tony Bushell Tony Bushell

    Mr R Neil – A blogger owns his blog, he is free to put whatever content he wishes into that blog. It is a point of view on whatever subject he cares to comment on. I may not agree with his view and I may choose to comment in response or let his views pass by. Putting an alternative view is encouraged but attacking the blogger for expressing a personal view is not the “name of the game”. We all think we have the RIGHT viewpoint but it is important that we listen to others and try to give your view to best of your ability. Steve making a comment regarding the pound after the Brexit vote is relevant and a concern for him. I made a similar comment on Facebook musing about the possible effect on our money living here in the Philippines. If I had a blog I am pretty sure I would write and comment on many things, my own interests, my personal views – in fact anything of my choosing. Perhaps Mr R Neil – you should consider creating your own blog to express views that are dear to your heart and then deal with negative comments in exactly the way you see fit.

    • Tony, that was well expressed and I do appreciate it. You have encapsulated why I responded the way I did. There are times when I feel what the hell! Is it all worth it? Then along comes a comment like yours and cheers me up no end. Thank you so much.
      It’s funny in a way. If I walked into a bar and got chatting with this guy, would he have reacted the same way? I start to chat about Brexit and the £ and he tells me I can’t talk about it! Don’t think so!
      As a native of Widnes, you will get this – “there’s nowt queerer than folk.”

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