Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

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

washingtonpost.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

81–90 of 602 posts

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

#81

Post by mc32 »

rimantas wrote: post #64
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…

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.

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

#82

Post by netcan »

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 structure. Most politicians and the main parties (especially before the opportunists jumped in) were against leaving. So was the financial sector and most big businesses.

OTOH, some of the problems inherent in democracy were also on display. A "right to my opinion" emotional public moved by very emotional arguments. Lies, untruths and misleading truths were the most prominent arguments on either side. A majority of the discussion was stupid.

We haven't figured this shit out yet. Kings anyone? How about the best wrestler gets to be in charge? ideas?

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

#83

Post by grive »

_9MOTHER9HORSE wrote: post #4
Analemma_ wrote: post #2

Here's a Leave fellow who says he just did it as a protest vote thinking it wouldn't actually pass. https://twitter.com/AdamWSweeney/status/746269140915208193 I don't know whether to laugh or cry. The most important international agreement in the UK's history torn up because people thought this was a Buzzfeed poll.

On the contrary, the fact the EU had enormous power over British people, yet barely anyone knew what it was, what it did, or why it was important, was a compelling reason for the UK to leave.

"Enormous power"; do not paint it as if it were a confederacy.

The EU has been a scapegoat in Britain for decades. The elites used it to justify many a policy that would hurt the middle class, while pushing for more and more liberalization once in the EU parliament.

The average guy in Britain is just as much at fault here for not following what has been happening. They kept reading their fucking tabloids, the reality-check will be harsh and gruesome.

No, it's not a compelling reason for the UK to leave. It was a compelling reason for the average Briton to learn and educate himself. Now they shot themselves in the foot. Well done!

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

#84

Post by rimantas »

carsongross wrote: post #41

This sort of distain-for-plebes arrogance on the part of the elites is why they will continue to be surprised by events for the foreseeable future.

Why not to have referendum on taxes? Care to guess the outcome?

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

#86

Post by cm3 »

hacker42 wrote: post #71

So, can they rejoin? Or will the entire country collapse due to the awkwardness of reversing the earlier decision?

They didn't leave yet and may not. I feel like this has been used as a vehicle for Boris Johnson to increase his chances to be prime minister and others' to provoke changes. It seems to me that Britain didn't seriously consider the repercussions of an exit that doesn't involve cherry-picking.

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

#87

Post by capote »

sergiotapia wrote: post #45
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…

Washingtonpost is extremely biased so I kind of scoffed at the headline. It's all in the "implication" with them.

Do you disagree there's a big implication here?

Normally I'd agree with you.

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

#90

Post by Dr_tldr »

Analemma_ wrote: post #2

Here's a Leave fellow who says he just did it as a protest vote thinking it wouldn't actually pass. https://twitter.com/AdamWSweeney/status/746269140915208193 I don't know whether to laugh or cry. The most important international agreement in the UK's history torn up because people thought this was a Buzzfeed poll.

It might worth remembering that anecdote !== data. Drawing conclusions about the motivations of a larger group from one member of that group is logically indistinguishable from all the discriminatory -isms.
Post reply on HN