A THOUGHT FOR NOW - BREXIT : LIKE A BOAT HEADING TOWARDS A DESTINATION OVER WHICH ITS PASSENGERS ARE DISAGREED?

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Brexit - Live  boat, leaving port with passengers who are divided about their destination of travel

 I am minded of the harm which can emanate from undue preoccupation with anything, including the known and unknown effects which Britain's 'decision' to leave the European Union is giving rise to. Yet, it does seem to me that there is a need for continued and thorough debate of the principles and practices which have given arise to this, almost reckless situation.  The debate needs to take place between ordinary citizens, politicians, philosophers, political scientist, the judiciary, and business people.

 The questions which should preoccupy us - the British people and people of all other countries where the practice of referendum or plebiscite is used - should include the following:

 1. Is a referendum or plebiscite the best or most appropriate method of making major decisions?

 2. If they are, are there some issues and situations for which they are not suited or are less suited, and, if so, what kind of safeguards are needed to ensure or encourage 'informed' decisions or voting by the electorate?

 3. Should there be times and situations in which a government can, legitimately and lawfully, refuse to accept the 'decision' of a referendum or plebiscite, and if so, in what kind of scenarios?

 4. Is it irresponsible and negligent not to require the outcome of a referendum or plebiscite to be decided by a specified and sufficiently large margin of the electoral votes?

 And so, it seems to me, that the British Brexit referendum was arranged and held with almost criminal negligence with regards to ensuring that the results had a high degree of validity, considering the enormous damage which the incumbent government and the political establishment were aware of. 

 A result which is based on a simple majority of the voters - 1.4 million - simply does not cut it.  The nation's fate has, it might yet transpire, been placed in hands of significant numbers of voters who did not have the grasp of knowledge to understand the true implications of voting to leave the EU, and/or whom, due to fear, prejudice, xenophobia, simply do not care about the consequences for Britain, as, for them, their negatively expressed passions takes priority over the common good.

 Far from being an admirable expression of 'democracy', the Brexit referendum has, probably, been an example of a never to be repeated exercise in what happens when a government derelicts its duty to lead, and relinquished its decision-making authority to a public; many of whom lacked the required knowledge and expertise to make an informed decision, 

 The damage is further compounded when the government, citing the 'democratic will of the people - ie, the 52 per cent of them - tells the nation and the world that it cannot do anything to rectify the impending disaster, because, in effect, it is what the 52 per cent of the electorate voted for, and that the 48 per cent who voted against will just have to suffer as well.

 Is this not madness?









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