It's an interesting thread with brilliant pointe. However, the conclusion deserves further consideration. DD's point, is that he warns to beware self-fulfilling prophecies (of failure) at the same time he he cheers for them (prophecies of victory). /1
Apart from empowering self-fulfilling prophecies at the same time he rejects them, there are at least two other flaws. /2
1) Self-fulfilling prophecies are not magically making things happen, deemed as impossible. Self-fulfilling prophecies are always bound by reality: things can just happen because it was possible in the first place - and quite often this possibility is underappreciated. /3
Question's under which circumstances can "will" become a force making it likely to get a particular outcome. I'm probably not only one among who'd argue that DD's assessment on political, legal & economic factors necessary to determine the likelihood of an outcome is reliable. /4
2) Having said that, key question is whether the existing cleavage in BeLeave of Brexit success has any impact of the outcome of Brexit as such. I'm not an economist to determine it. However, there is one thought. /5
Good chunk of Remainers are from higher socio-economic ranks (better educational background, more savings, in employment). FWIW, if you think self-fulfilling prophecies have any impact here you might want to try to convince them about your cause. /6
They are, most likely, economically and financially more important to the success as most Leavers. Publishing an article in The Sun won't help there (article aimed at Leavers anyway). /7
If a warning of self-fulfilling prophecies has any worth, you might want to take the concerns of those socio-economic relevant groups serious and address them adequately, if you can't do that and you believe your project fails - why do you continue the project anyways? /8
To conclude: Whole argument of DD doesn't make sense. Even if u dive into his arguments, u end up nowhere. The opposite's the case: such comments'll reinforce concerns since it doesn't adequately addresses concerns of an already concerned and - in DD's view - relevant group. 9/9
