via Rhys Goode and Didi Kirsten Tatlow
I guess this chart shows very clearly what a huge mistake it was for Cameron to play the tough Eu-sceptic all these years, promising this utterly stupid referendum. There are many frustrated people in the UK. There are many frustrated people in the US and in many other countries. One big factor is the so-called neo-liberal economy, unleashed by Thatcher and Reagan. The rich getting richer, the poor getting poorer. U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders addresses this fundamental problem. Bill Clinton and Tony Blair thought there could be a Third Way. Did it work? In some ways, for a while. Bush etc. wrecked very much, Blair and much of Europe helped them. Then came Obama. Nobels for him and the EU. For peace? Yes, the EU on the whole has been a factor for peace and understanding and prosperity for decades, despite all the faults. But the EU failed to make peace in the 1990s in Yugoslavia. The US stepped in, finally. The whole thing is still very shameful and problematic in retrospect. And the EU was not helping. So the EU is not able to make or bring peace when war breaks out. Neither is Obama. And neither the EU on the whole nor Obama nor Hillary will address what U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders addresses. Trump addresses much the same frustrations. With lies. Cameron and Boris Johnson etc. addressed the frustrations with blaming the EU. With lies and rumours. So what will happen? We in Austria are having another run-off vote soon. The third vote on a new president in six or seven months. Let’s hope Alexander Van der Bellen wins again, or Austria will be worse than Hungary. I guess two factors might help van der Alexander Van der Bellen: Hillary Clinton and everyone not completely benighted together will be fighting Trump in September. Trump and the FPÖ are the same thing, only the latter is worse. We have not addressed this enough here in Austria, but we will have to. The second factor against the shameless liars is the prevailing feeling of Brexit regret.
via Rhys Goode
中国大好き 