I Can’t Wait For It To Be Over

Oh the irony. Here comes a blog whining about the EU Referendum, at the almost apex of the culmination of weeks, nay months, of people going on and on and on about it.

So I completely understand if you decide to skip over this one.

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I would too, if I didn’t feel the need to write it…

Rather than a comprehensive flowing essay, I’m going to jump between points.

Why are we even having this?

(read from bottom to top)

@DavidAllenGreen on twitter makes a fair point. I tweeted the other way - if we’re going to have a referendum on EU membership; why don’t we have a referendum on retaining the NHS? Or scrapping trident?

Obviously I sense the slippery slope here - and don’t necessarily mean that we should have a referendum on all of these things. But I do make the point again the #DemocracyIsBroken

Why have I been given an arbitrary say in Britain’s membership of the European Union (something I am not aggressively educated about), and not about other estimable equally important matters?

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At some point I will revisit a suggestion I have made off-hand before; democracy in my book is having a say in what my taxes are spent on, out of a fair structured set of options, enshrined in the constitution.

But I digress in fantasy…

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I don’t think anyone can profess to be an expert on either side of the argument. The facts on either side haven’t exactly been presented with clarity and free from rhetoric (I’m going to steer away from the unspeakable assassination of Jo Cox as I’m far from awake to declare a direct link to the two sides’ campaigns).

And yet we are expected to make the decision. We’re expected to make a rational, sensible judgement on the concept of a future of a country.

As a slightly unusual parallel; this article was the front page of BBC News at lunchtime today - http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-36587103

Now I have no doubt this was a horrific situation, but why is that something that is for my attention? Unless I was directly involved in this situation, I am simply not valid in making a statement of opinion - and yet here stories like that are paraded out before us every day.

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I’ve probably missed my own point there, but - aside from my wider concern about my lack of feeling of involvement in the democratic process - the above set of tweets does make the point that there is no explicit change within European democracy that demands a decision on whether Britain stays or leaves.

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I guess what concerns me most about Thursday is that, seemingly, one vote either way and that’s it - the decision is made.

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And it is a partisan decision.

Like our ageing parliament, you’re either on one side or the other. A quick glance to the West shows the in extremis almost ab absurdium example of America, where there is a much more vast division.

And, if you’re part of the losing half (and it is going to be half and half?), are the losing half going to be ridiculed like the “wrong” 45% that voted for Scottish Independence?

There’s no allowance in the system for compromise. Or indeed co-operation. Or collaboration.

Y’know, like the European Union strives to be…

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But, if one vote tips it either way on Friday morning; yes there’ll be further discourse (oh GOD the endless discussion/post-analysis - and I thought the football was excessive…), as I understand it that’s that. One vote more to Brexit and we’re out. Cameron probably too, and presumably a much more right-leaning PM?

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I can but hope to remain.

Actually - strike that - I can also VOTE, and recommend you do so you don’t regret some arbitrary decision being made without your input.

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To end, here’s two ways of figuring out how you should vote; which group of people do you most identify with:

…and if you fancy some barbershop-quartet-laden persuasion to remain…

(NSFW language)

God I hope when it’s over it’s over…

Sleep well fellow Europeans! x