After Brexit: Reckoning With Britain's Racism and Xenophobia

[drmeow]

A good op ed on the Brexit - and a powerful argument for GOTV and turnout

http://www.truth-out.org/opinion/item/36651-after-brexit-reckoning-with-britain-s-racism-and-xenophobia

Theoretically, there was a progressive case to be made for Britain exiting the European Union via the referendum held on June 23, 2016. But the campaign for Brexit -- the infelicitous name given the political process -- was, from the very first, fought on the grounds of xenophobia and racism. Moreover, what has transpired in Britain since the Leave campaign won has only shown how easily the veneer of civility and conviviality can be peeled back to reveal the virulence of racism and xenophobia seething under the skin of British social life.

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The most prevalent cliché of post-referendum analysis has been that the vote for exit should be read as a "working-class revolt." Setting aside the unspoken assumption that this rebellious working class must by definition be white, the post-referendum exit polls actually indicate the "working-class" characterization of the Leave vote is inaccurate. It is true that a higher percentage of working-class voters voted for exit than did upper- and middle-class voters -- 46 percent versus 64 percent. But once turnout by class was taken into account, the numbers looked different. As Ben Pritchett's calculations (along with his caveats about the turnout numbers including anomalies) have shown, the far greater turnout of the middle and upper classes, versus the working class -- 90 percent versus 52 percent -- meant that in absolute numbers, a far higher number of middle- and upper-class voters (around 10 million voters) actually voted to Leave the EU than the working class (approximately 7 million voters), many others of whom abstained from voting.

[Wellstone ruled]

1. Britain has their Xenophobes and

we here in the good ole USA we have a Mirror Image of these same persons. There is never going to be this Ozzie and Harriet or Father Knows Best Society ever. And our Political Leadership never had the Balls to address these disenfranchised worker issues. We had a have hearted attempt in the Sixties with efforts to try and eliminate poverty in Appalachia,and that ended with Nixon as well as the start of the off-shoring of jobs. Bernie Sanders and Senator Warren touched on how to start addressing these issues and now it is up to the Clinton Campaign and the Democratic Party Leadership to continue these efforts.

[drmeow]

2. I'm hoping (with little confidence)

that the Brexit vote will be a wake up call for the Democratic establishment (combined with the Sanders campaign).

We need to start running progressive candidates at every level of government in every state.

[Wellstone ruled]

3. Everone who wants a job should have one

that provides his or hers needs. Now that is Socialism at it's finest . Here goes,if we need to change a persons skill set through education or job training,don't say it can not be done. We did it in the Sixties and Seventies,and then the Money Class got all pissy because these PEOPLE were threatening their live style by being able to purchase LUXURY GOODS and take a vacation or heaven forgive,a Cruise . Anyone remember the Letters to the Editor chastising those free loaders getting a free Education or Job Training at the local Junior College or better yet the School District sponsored Vocational School. It is and was called updating your worker skills and being marketable in a changing world economy. Proud to say,I used these tools more than once.