84 lines
5.0 KiB
Markdown
84 lines
5.0 KiB
Markdown
---
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layout: post
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title: "Brexit - A pledge for a transformation of Europe"
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date: 2016-06-24 14:00:00 +0200
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categories: politics
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parent_link: /politics/
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---
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BREXIT! You will hear this world a lot these days. But what does this mean
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for the United Kingdom and the European Union? This post will focus on the
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political future of Europe and will present both a positive and a negative
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circle that could follow yesterday's referendum.
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Google trends [indicate](https://twitter.com/GoogleTrends/status/746303118820937728)
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that only now many people in the UK want to find out what the EU actually is
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and what it means to leave it. If these searches are actually coming from the UK
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this signal is troublesome for democracy. It would mean that the "all-curing"
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medicine democracy can be deadly as well. Enough populism and simple truths
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paired with unreasonable fear from the old people can bring down an entire country.
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What does that mean for the future of democracy in Europe? We will come to that
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in a bit.
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But how did the UK actually vote? Demographics clearly show that the overwhelming
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majority of the 18 to 24 year
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old voted to remain in the EU. In addition northern Ireland and Scotland voted
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almost uniformly to remain in the EU. The big cities also voted to remain.
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But they all got overvoted by the rural areas which have been hit the most
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in recent years due to cuts in social spending and the general neoliberal
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policy.
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This exact point reveals a dangerous but potent combination. The old people
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are threatened by poverty and rely on the National Health System in the UK.
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Both parties after Blair represented the neoliberal agenda and in turn created
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the misery for many old people in the UK. The Remain campaign was spearheaded
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by David Cameron who fullheartedly stands for neoliberalism. The Leave campaign
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was supported by UKIP - a nazi-like party who advertised with posters almost
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[identical to old Nazi propaganda](https://twitter.com/zcbeaton/status/743397112923230212/photo/1)
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from the 30s. So both choices seem poisonous. The problem increases because
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some Leave campaigners argumented with 350 million pound being paid to the EU
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monthly that could be better suited for the NHS. It turned out that the
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number is [entirely false](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iAgKHSNqxa8).
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It appears however that many Leave voters didn't know about this and disregarded
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all Pro-EU arguments as propaganda. If we have come to a point where you don't
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listen to the arguments of foes anymore we have a serious problem at hand.
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The correct choice would have been to vote for Remain and demand serious
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policy changes and align for example with [Diem25](https://diem25.org/) who demand a more democratic
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EU. But that kind of argumentation is now futile and somehow pointless. It leaves
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a bitter aftertaste though, because it seems that many Leave voters were not
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honestly informed.
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The rest of Europe cannot continue with business as usual. The reaction cannot
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be to continue on an even more right-wing route. Instead a real democratic
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Europe must come NOW. The european countries must get their shit together
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and overcome false sentiments. The future can only lie in a united Europe
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not a disintegrated one. But this means a united answer in the refugee
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question and a different outer policy. It means a radical shift in social policy
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towards the left to give large portions of the youth in southern Europe
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a perspective. Brexit was a warning shot fired towards the EU. We can either
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ignore it and continue in the neoliberal path of disaster which will further
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bolster right-wing nationalist, racist and outright fascist movements and parties
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throughout Europe OR we change course towards an Europe of solidarity, cooperation,
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democracy and civil and digital liberties.
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It is OUR generation who will face the consequences of the decisions made in the
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coming months. It is therefore US who must stand up for a better future not just
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for us but for all people in Europe and throughout the world. Europe can begin
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a century of darkening and 2045 can symbol the success of what was militarily
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defeated in 1945. Alternatively Europe can recover from the mistakes made in the
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past and steer towards a Europe that is a role model for the world. We cannot
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undo the history and atrocities committed by all major nations in Europe to
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millions of people worldwide but we can learn from our mistakes, embrace diversity
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and refugees and together build a future we want to live in. The resources are
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available for that. What is missing is the political motivation of millions
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of young people. Let us retake the political process and enact a real
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and powerful democracy for all people.
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Therefore engage in [Diem25](https://diem25.org/), protest against CETA
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on September 17 in various cities in Germany, vote for a real change in 2017
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by electing a party in Germany that really stands for solidarity, peace
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and a better future and MOST IMPORTANT: Get others to do the same. We
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are the future of the world. Let us take on this responsibility and shape it
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the way WE want to live.
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