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The British are Googling what the E.U. is, hours after voting to leave it

washingtonpost.com

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Re: The British are Googling what the E.U. is, hours after voting to leave it

#111

Post by oldmanjay »

netcan wrote: post #82

I'm strangely moved by this whole thing. It's a pretty decent status check on where we are with democracy ATM. I'm not against democracy, but I do think we need to pay attention to what it can & can't do. On one hand, this has been a model of democracy. A primary election agenda and referendum. The phrasing of the question was simple, clear and unbiased. The "will of the people" won over the will of the ruling struct…

Being "the best wrestler" is basically Trump's campaign strategy so that concept may well be tested soon

Re: The British are Googling what the E.U. is, hours after voting to leave it

#112

Post by toomuchtodo »

dragonwriter wrote: post #104
toomuchtodo wrote: post #72

Earlier quoted context omitted.

By representatives. You need a buffer between raw emotion and action. Otherwise, this happens.

But the referendum was how the representatives elected by the people decided to address the problem.

Cameron screwed up. Oops? Don't try to meet political goals by suggesting a referendum with enormous consequences.

Re: The British are Googling what the E.U. is, hours after voting to leave it

#113

Post by mediocrejoker »

mc32 wrote: post #94
turar wrote: post #76

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This doesn't explain "What is the EU?" being the second ranked search query.

It may be people in America or China want to know a little more about the EU now that the fear campaign is in full.

I think the article was specifically referring to queries from Britain, wasn't it?

I would assume they can break down this type of data by country very easily.

Re: The British are Googling what the E.U. is, hours after voting to leave it

#114

Post by ZenoArrow »

capote wrote: post #29
mc32 wrote: post #9

Isn't that expected? People who voted for the establishment status quo want to know what might happen in the years to come now that the vote has gone against them. Voting to stay meant no change, therefore they knew more or less the outcome, but now that the outcome is opposite their votes, they want to look into the repercussions --this informs that it's likely they stay vote didn't investigate the alternative befor…

Wanting to know and in many cases regretting it. It seems obvious many had no idea what they were doing, and many were just "mucking about".

How do you know it was just Brexiters who were Googling "What is the EU?"? Seems a bit presumptive.

Re: The British are Googling what the E.U. is, hours after voting to leave it

#115

Post by dragonwriter »

a-priori wrote: post #61
TearsInTheRain wrote: post #48

Earlier quoted context omitted.

how should they be decided then?

We elect politicians whose full-time jobs it is to understand big and complicated issues, and to decide on our behalf how to deal with them. That includes the right to make and break treaties with other world powers. Why should something like this be any different?

> We elect politicians whose full-time jobs it is to understand big and complicated issues, and to decide on our behalf how to deal with them.

But, on Brexit specifically, the British people elected a government that made a campaign promise to hold exactly such a referendum, and to abide by its results.

Re: The British are Googling what the E.U. is, hours after voting to leave it

#116

Post by capote »

sergiotapia wrote: post #105
capote wrote: post #87

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Do you disagree there's a big implication here? Normally I'd agree with you.

I actually agree that the title is purposefully bait-y and has an implication.

The title is a pretty clear and accurate summary of what's happening.

Re: The British are Googling what the E.U. is, hours after voting to leave it

#117

Post by mc32 »

mediocrejoker wrote: post #113
mc32 wrote: post #94

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It may be people in America or China want to know a little more about the EU now that the fear campaign is in full.

I think the article was specifically referring to queries from Britain, wasn't it? I would assume they can break down this type of data by country very easily.

They could, but I didn't see that stipulated... I'm on mobile, so it could have been hidden, if so apologies.

Re: The British are Googling what the E.U. is, hours after voting to leave it

#118

Post by cm3 »

overcast wrote: post #70
cm3 wrote: post #60

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm genuinely curious how someone living in an EU state does not know what it is and some of the stuff the org does day-to-day. How does this happen?

That's why governments and more specifically republics exist, because the masses are stupid.

If that's true, then having them vote is a game of those in power to get what they want by trying to keep them stupid. Is that the rest of your thought? We can see how places with conflicts try to keep the population misinformed or under-informed in order to more easily justify violent actions, so who's to benefit (besides Boris Johnson) from a proper exit?

Re: The British are Googling what the E.U. is, hours after voting to leave it

#120

Post by projectramo »

mc32 wrote: post #81
rimantas wrote: post #64

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Now look at the demographics where voters voted for exit and see how does it compare in terms of age, education and income compared to those who foter for staying.

Wow, if that's not an elitist take I dunno what is. Maybe we should require IQ tests for voters, eh? Don't want the working class voting against the elites, now.

It may be elitist but it is not irrelevant in this case.

The question being asked is, literally, which side is less likely to even know what the EU is.

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