Brexit Megathread - Part 1 because it's not over by a long shot

[vera99]

Started a new thread for all things Brexity as the last generic dumping ground reached its 1000 post limit. As this developing shitshow unfolds it's going to be important to share and unload. Clav of course will punt a contrarian view along with unrepentant 'taking back control' so-called Brexiteers. I look forward to seeing the benefits.

Meanwhile,

www.theregister.com/2021/10/07/intels_80bn_european_chip_plant/

...
Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger told the BBC this morning that the $77bn-revenue hardware giant would have considered the UK as a site for a new chip factory before it took the decision to leave the European Union.
...

ClavItAllOver will doubtess be along soon to call them a liar ...

and it seems NI is actually insulated from the worst of things currently - doing a bit too well really.

One for Clav - she's earned it.

I was apoplectic listening to Edwina Currie yesterday on the Jeremy Vine show, effectively blaming people who were claiming UC for being poor. She was on alongside a representative from Gingerbread, discussing the withdrawal of the UC uplift and they followed a piece about the struggles of a young unmarried widow with 2 young children.

Amongst her many nuggets of advice and callous homilies were:

• She'd been a mother herself and she knew how difficult it was to juggle things when the children are young.

• if you're in a low paid job, look for a better paid job so who is going to pay the extra for others to do the MW jobs like care home care assistants?

• tell your employer you've got the offer of a better paid job - it's apparently amazing how often they'll then give you a pay rise. Indeed

• ask grandparents to do the childcare to save costs - grandparents all around the country are desperate to be more involved and of course they're not working and have the free time

• make use of all the qualifications you might already have funny how you might not have thought that

• that it might be difficult at the moment but in years to come, you'll like back with pride at how you managed to cope

And breeeeeaaathe

We were in the car driving over to my dad's for lunch and poor dh got a sore ear from me ranting about her complete and utter lack of awareness and empathy and her total cloth earedness.

This might make you feel a litte better pretty bird GMB viewers applaud Gary Neville as he rips into government and fellow guest over Universal Credit.

They don't understand how to put themselves in someone else's shoes.

They don't understand, which is one thing, but what is worse is the think they are superior because they are privileged. They can't all be stupid, but very many of them seem to think that they are where they are because of merit, not the blind luck of their birth into privilege.

And the bulk of the UK believes them.

A small example, because of my job I have access to very senior partners in a number of high end law firms. A couple of years ago, my son's school mandated work experience. I sent a few e mails, and 2 weeks of work experience was secured. He does not even want to be a lawyer.

Many thousands of would be lawyers would give their eye teeth for that chance, but he did not have to move a muscle.

And the privileged Tories have this throughout their whole lives. They float along on a pink cloud.

So someone like Johnson, when he was sacked for lying from his first newspaper job, would have sunk into oblivion without his privilege. Which gave him the connections and hubris to keep failing upwards.

AllIed to this, is the English ( and I think it IS english, not British, I am Welsh so see a difference) keeness to doff their caps to a posh accent, be intimated and impressed by it NO MATTER WHAT BOLLOCKS IS BEING SPOKEN.

I really think the English love affair with a posh accent and its attendant privilege is what has ruined the UK.

This cartoon strip explains "privilege" beautifully. It's all the things that most but not all of those that are privileged don't even see.

Dh and I gave worked hard to ensure that ds does understand how privileged he is. That probably explains why he is not a Conservative

This current cabal of Conservatives doesn't have a fucking clue - nor do they care Those few Conservatives that came from less well off backgrounds are sometimes even worse: "I got out so those that didn't are just feckless or didn't try hard enough"

I've had to truncate the carport pictures slightly to get them into the three screenshots - but the gist is there and the full thing is in the link.

https://www.boredpanda.com/privilege-explanation-comic-strip-on-a-plate-toby-morris/?utmsource=google&utmmmedium=organic&utmcampaign=organic

It's an interesting test of mindset that cartoon, seen that before, a while ago now though. Presenting the "privileged" character Richard in the worst light possible and the "less priviledged" Paula as severely lacking in agency (which might or might not be true) is an interesting take.

What I find most interesting is that, in common with so many other dichotomous "the priviledged/wealthy are evil - boo!" type presentations is says absolutely nothing to anyone who's lives might be 'part Richard' and 'part Paula'.

Milk now - never mind it would only have been drunk. Cut out the middleman and return it to the earth from which it came. I have always known the tories were bad but I had believed that one thing they cared about was business - this current bunch are punch drunk nihilists.

If there was any justice then a coup would be justified.

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10068273/Now-farmers-forced-throw-away-MILK-HGV-driver-shortage.html

Apparently some gulls vomit when attacked - the theory being that by offering the predator a much easier to digest meal they survive to live (and therefore pass on their genes).

I wonder if there's a parallel intra-species situation with h. sapiens ?

Louise there are bound to be some 'Richards' who realise how good they've had it and don't turn into assholes. Unfortunately the ones who really believe they haven't been fortunate are the ones running the UK.

My foster son is a 'Paula'. Until you've lived that life, you're clueless. I was, until I took him in.

The point is that we should stop blaming people for being poor and instead do some of the things needed to stop them being poor. That means investment in things that don't make money for rich people. So be it. Are you in?

Of course it's presenting extremes : the point is that "privileged" people often don't even realise the benefits that their privilege has afforded them - while not recognise using the struggles that the not-so-privileged have had to overcome

My parents assumed I would go to Uni, so it was easy for me. They supported me in doing so. Of course I worked hard for my exams - but I had a comfortable room in which to do so and would've got extra tutoring if I'd wanted/needed it. My classmates had the same support - but there again, we lived in a naice middle class suburb of Glasgow technically outside of the city boundary

MIL did the same for dh but not for her daughters. SIL was never supported by her witch of a mum in her aspiration to go to study music. She kept failing her Higher English - she tried 3 times - yet neither her school nor her mother (a primary teacher) supported her. Her mother was happy for her to give up on her dream, get married and have kids young (as did all 3 of her daughters). (Just wish I'd known SIL then as my mum - an excellent English teacher - would have got her to pass - but that in itself is "privilege" ) SIL is a highly articulate woman who has since (3rd marriage later after 2 doozies) got on and a relatively senior position in, of all places, the education department

Dh's and my professional careers mean that we have contacts we can draw in to help ds, should he want that (although to give him his due, because of his awareness of privilege, he wants to avoid any hint of that).

Doing an unpaid (or low) internship for the contacts you will make and reheated experience you will get is easy if "bank of mum and dad" will cover your living costs. Not so easy if you're already on the breadline. It's all very well saying it's an investment - but you can only make the investment if you have the money

prettybird when I took my foster son in at age 17, he lived in a house where he had no proper bed, no reliable electricity or heating, no meals other than his free school meals and no access to the internet to do his A level work other than on the school's crappy WiFi - which he couldn't use because he was also a carer for his mentally ill mother. No reliable access to washing facilities for himself or his clothes either, because nothing worked in that house.

As soon as he was living with me, he started to fly. University is tougher for him than for my DDs because of all the baggage of his past and the opportunities he has missed.

So many people really don't know - or don't want to know - how many people in the UK live like my foster son used to. I'm supporting him through uni in every way, including financially, because I can. I'm, not super rich, but I'm putting my money where my mouth is.

Louisecollins28 The point is not that the privileged are evil, the point is we tend to see life through the lens of our own lived experience.

The people in charge of policy making are pretty much all from an upbringing where they do not know what real and difficult barriers some people in life face.

An intelligent, empathetic person in that position may try to find out,and maybe try to ameliorate some of those barriers, eg subsidised child care, sure start. Making sure even the poorest have access to decent food and housing.

A less intelligent and / callous person may think, you are a useless lazy sod, just get a job. That's who is in charge now.

Such a fantastic thing to do, at least he had one stroke of good luck in you pointythings !

I think @LouiseCollins28 's attempt to minimise the message of that cartoon - that the "privileged" aren't really that bad and/or it's the underprivilegeds' fault for not having "enough agency" - actually perfectly illustrates that the benefit of privilege is not recognised by those that have it.

 to you @pointythings - and to your foster son.

May he continue to fly.

Vera99 we are a country with thousands of foodbanks ( a concept I still can't get my head around, and never want to ) in which farmers are throwing milk away, veg is rotting and pigs are being slaughtered and buried.

It is beyond obscene.

@prettybird

I think *@LouiseCollins28 's attempt to minimise the message of that cartoon - that the "privileged" aren't really* that bad and/or it's the underprivilegeds' fault for not having "enough agency" - actually perfectly illustrates that the benefit of privilege is not recognised by those that have it.

Exactly this.

I didn't grow up rich - my parents were financially broke for the early part of my childhood, though we did have that precious cultural capital.

I also experienced that for myself, both when my DDs were young and later, after my late husband moved out - that sinking feeling when the washing machine starts leaking or when something else breaks and you know it's going to be a hole in the budget. Too many people have never experienced that and don't realise that this could happen to them, and to anyone. The Tories feed off that lack of empathy.

I don't want praise for what I'm doing for my foster son. It's a privilege to be able to do it.

Sometimes it feels like we are waking up into a nightmare without end where all reason rationality and compassion are dying along with hope and no end in sight. Until this political cabal accept that this Brexit is a huge mistake then we're fucked.

twitter.com/itvnews/status/1446116747321380875

Sometimes it feels like we are waking up into a nightmare without end where all reason rationality and compassion are dying along with hope and no end in sight.

Not the only country in the past 100 years to have done so.

The current lot running this country only pay attention to the opinion polls. Which are grudgingly saying "we hate you slightly less than the other lot."

As long as that's the case - coupled with the conservative majority - Johnson could strangle kittens in the street with impunity.

I don't expect anyone who orchestrated Brexit to admit it's a disaster and they fucked up. Nor the people who voted for it (sadly), as that would mean admitting it was a mistake. Based on human nature, Johnson and his crew will keep going until something gives out (goodwill? Energy? Lack of sleeze?). The next Government will then be in a position to point the finger and repudiate their policies. If Johnson's successor is one of his cabinet, they will do nothing about Brexit as they were implicated. If it's a coalition or opposition party, they can utter the B-word.

Otherwise, we will have to wait for the next generation to come along and do something different. I sometimes wonder if I should go into politics, but I can't bear the thought of supporting any of the major parties with my time and money at the moment.

Otherwise, we will have to wait for the next generation to come along and do something different.

Fuck off and leave ?

Another "thing" in the 1970s was the brain drain

(en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_capital_flight#United_Kingdom)

2 friends families from primary/middle school emigrated 1973-75 (both to Canda). They were balanced by the families that fled Idi Amin.

I have vague memories that there were mutterings from both Heath and Wilson about "measures" to prevent it.

I'm on Nextdoor where there are still fuel shortages in our area. One EU sounding name had the temerity to suggest Brexit was part of the problem. Push back by the mob all blaming selfish folk never the government and suggesting if they didn't like it here they could go home.

I'm a coward but PMd him ....

"Fuck those Brexit boneheads Igor you spoke the truth. A native born Brit here who welcomes all those hard-working Europeans who have made this your home. Thanks to you and all like you who have worked so hard. Don't let those stupid racists get to you. "

Vera99 Well done, good for you!

Thanks it's the least I can do but Nextdoor is so toxic. It's kicking off over doctor's appointments now blaming the doctors, not the tories. There is a whole cohort who will refuse to see Brexit/Tory corruption and incompetence. Am staying off there now except for local advice of where to get paving slabs or the like.