Smashing debate. Scotland has one foot out the door already. One of the highlights was Speaker Bercow admonishing a gentleman that the speaker whom he was needling "did not choose you for his mentor."
Most of the Parliamentarians speak mid-Atlantic. My man, Ian Blackford, may be an exception, but you can tell what he's thinking because it is so emphatic, even if you can't understand what he is saying. We've been watching the old BBC Father Brown* series, and we miss a lot even with the subtitles on and the volume up.
* GKC must have turned over in his grave. Which would have disloged two counties, at least.
I am rewatching "Foyle's War" to see if reminders of the heroic police force of Hastings and its astute commander Christopher Foyle during WW 11 didn't bring on the nostalgia that must underlie much of the Brexit fever. Have not yet come up with any telling evidence. But Foyle's facial expressions are enough to demonstrate that great police work comes from the narrowing of the eyes and the pursing of the lips.
We watched a couple of seasons of Foyle's War that were free with our Amazon Prime membership. We liked it, but the rest of the episodes one has to pay for. I did get the feeling of "Britain against the world" from the series. Maybe the Brits dislike depending on Europe, especially Germany, whom they were fighting not all that long ago.
Foyle's War was pretty enjoyable, but here's where they missed the boat: Julian Ovenden was a recurring character as Foyle's son, fighting in the war (and maybe carrying a torch for Sam in the earlier seasons?). The part that missed the boat was that, to the best of my memory, he never sang.
Check him out here, with the equally amazing Sierra Boggess:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iDsS7zydUXs
That Jerome Kern fellow might amount to something some day. "I drift along with my fancy ..."
Or here's the same duo, singing the balcony scene from "West Side Story" - a piece that might get my vote for greatest love duet in the history of American musical theater:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j3d1wrj4riQ
Sorry, this has nothing to do with Brexit. And somehow I've landed on two stage works that aren't very optimistic.
I don't see where Brexit is going. I do see that the decision to have a referendum on the question was incredibly, historically foolish, as in what the @#$%^ were they thinking? Let us pray that the guardian angels of world leaders protect them, and us, from their idiotic ideas, especially the ones that squeeze the toothpaste out of the tube and leave it pasted all over the bathroom counter.
Our idiotic idea of electing Trump is a lot easier to undo than Brexit. Not that we should take anything for granted. But at least we're not the only ones looking like idiots on the world stage. However I don't understand the present mood going around like a pandemic. We didn't just have a world war. We're not in a worldwide depression (though we could bumble into one). Thing actually aren't that bad, compared with most epochs in history, but the human race seems determined to make them worse. Because fear. Or something.
What if the vote were close again, except in the remain direction. They've been at for three years and are certainly heading for another three or four months. Possibly the idea will die from exhaustion and someone will say, fuhggeddabouit. And they will.
The three years has revealed exactly how destructive this is likely to be for many Brits--pensioners living abroad, newcomers who pulled up stakes in Poland, Spain, and even Germany, and workers in export industries...which are most of them.
The thing to do from the start -- especially since it was such a close vote -- was to negotiate the exit agreement and then put it to the pubic for confirmation. The Tories (the ones whom Boris didn't boot) make it sound as if it would be a breech of public trust if, when having approved a pig in a poke, the public was asked to vote on the dimensions of the poke. They are saying that once voters accepted the concept they have to accept the execution.
It would have been simple to include a second referendum in the plan from the start. But Mrs. May and Boris J. have made such a scrambled egg of the whole thing even the ones who would vote to hold another referendum are scared to death of it.
It was and always will be impossible for the United Kingdom to leave the EU without there being a new customs border, either between Northern Ireland and the Republic or between Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK. May's approach boiled down to pass Brexit and deal with the border later because there is no solution now. Johnson's improvement is pass Brexit with a border in the Irish Sea and take away the border later if there is a solution then. Neither makes the impossibility go away. Boris simply smites Northern Ireland now with a hope it will heal in the never-never.
The border is like the wall in the Fantasticks: "No, leave the wall. Remember -- You must always leave the wall."
The DUP voted against Boris yesterday making it perfectly clear that a border in the Irish Sea is seen as the first step in separation from the UK and perhaps the eventual unification of Ireland. Of course, the DUP is a minority party in Northern Ireland. How soon before the disappear from the story, especially if the Irish Sea becomes the border.
BUT Scotland? Where will their border with the UK be constructed if they secede.
The border issue capture the craziness of the whole Brexit idea.
Smashing debate. Scotland has one foot out the door already. One of the highlights was Speaker Bercow admonishing a gentleman that the speaker whom he was needling "did not choose you for his mentor."
ReplyDeleteHow soon until we have the Masterpiece Theater account with subtitles so we can understand their language?
ReplyDeleteMost of the Parliamentarians speak mid-Atlantic. My man, Ian Blackford, may be an exception, but you can tell what he's thinking because it is so emphatic, even if you can't understand what he is saying. We've been watching the old BBC Father Brown* series, and we miss a lot even with the subtitles on and the volume up.
Delete* GKC must have turned over in his grave. Which would have disloged two counties, at least.
I am rewatching "Foyle's War" to see if reminders of the heroic police force of Hastings and its astute commander Christopher Foyle during WW 11 didn't bring on the nostalgia that must underlie much of the Brexit fever. Have not yet come up with any telling evidence. But Foyle's facial expressions are enough to demonstrate that great police work comes from the narrowing of the eyes and the pursing of the lips.
DeleteAnd having a female driver named Sam.
DeleteBut when the Spitfire appears, the episode is worthwhile.
We watched a couple of seasons of Foyle's War that were free with our Amazon Prime membership. We liked it, but the rest of the episodes one has to pay for.
DeleteI did get the feeling of "Britain against the world" from the series. Maybe the Brits dislike depending on Europe, especially Germany, whom they were fighting not all that long ago.
Foyle's War was pretty enjoyable, but here's where they missed the boat: Julian Ovenden was a recurring character as Foyle's son, fighting in the war (and maybe carrying a torch for Sam in the earlier seasons?). The part that missed the boat was that, to the best of my memory, he never sang.
DeleteCheck him out here, with the equally amazing Sierra Boggess:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iDsS7zydUXs
That Jerome Kern fellow might amount to something some day. "I drift along with my fancy ..."
Or here's the same duo, singing the balcony scene from "West Side Story" - a piece that might get my vote for greatest love duet in the history of American musical theater:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j3d1wrj4riQ
Sorry, this has nothing to do with Brexit. And somehow I've landed on two stage works that aren't very optimistic.
I don't see where Brexit is going. I do see that the decision to have a referendum on the question was incredibly, historically foolish, as in what the @#$%^ were they thinking? Let us pray that the guardian angels of world leaders protect them, and us, from their idiotic ideas, especially the ones that squeeze the toothpaste out of the tube and leave it pasted all over the bathroom counter.
Our idiotic idea of electing Trump is a lot easier to undo than Brexit. Not that we should take anything for granted. But at least we're not the only ones looking like idiots on the world stage.
DeleteHowever I don't understand the present mood going around like a pandemic. We didn't just have a world war. We're not in a worldwide depression (though we could bumble into one). Thing actually aren't that bad, compared with most epochs in history, but the human race seems determined to make them worse. Because fear. Or something.
I wonder if there's any chance for a do-over vote; I think there's a lot of buyer's remorse.
ReplyDeleteSome MPs are.talking about a "confirmatory vote" if a deal passes in Parliament.
DeleteWhat if the vote were close again, except in the remain direction. They've been at for three years and are certainly heading for another three or four months. Possibly the idea will die from exhaustion and someone will say, fuhggeddabouit. And they will.
DeleteThe three years has revealed exactly how destructive this is likely to be for many Brits--pensioners living abroad, newcomers who pulled up stakes in Poland, Spain, and even Germany, and workers in export industries...which are most of them.
The thing to do from the start -- especially since it was such a close vote -- was to negotiate the exit agreement and then put it to the pubic for confirmation. The Tories (the ones whom Boris didn't boot) make it sound as if it would be a breech of public trust if, when having approved a pig in a poke, the public was asked to vote on the dimensions of the poke. They are saying that once voters accepted the concept they have to accept the execution.
DeleteIt would have been simple to include a second referendum in the plan from the start. But Mrs. May and Boris J. have made such a scrambled egg of the whole thing even the ones who would vote to hold another referendum are scared to death of it.
It was and always will be impossible for the United Kingdom to leave the EU without there being a new customs border, either between Northern Ireland and the Republic or between Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK. May's approach boiled down to pass Brexit and deal with the border later because there is no solution now. Johnson's improvement is pass Brexit with a border in the Irish Sea and take away the border later if there is a solution then. Neither makes the impossibility go away. Boris simply smites Northern Ireland now with a hope it will heal in the never-never.
The border is like the wall in the Fantasticks:
"No, leave the wall.
Remember --
You must always leave the wall."
The DUP voted against Boris yesterday making it perfectly clear that a border in the Irish Sea is seen as the first step in separation from the UK and perhaps the eventual unification of Ireland. Of course, the DUP is a minority party in Northern Ireland. How soon before the disappear from the story, especially if the Irish Sea becomes the border.
DeleteBUT Scotland? Where will their border with the UK be constructed if they secede.
The border issue capture the craziness of the whole Brexit idea.