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The true genius of Brexit is to politicise a personality trait that splits humanity into two basic groups. "Do you want to fix your own complex problems, and take responsibility for them? Or do you want to blame other people for them in an unwarranted but very rewarding fashion?"
You see this most clearly in the narratives around schools and housing. Immigrants pay more tax per head than British born people. When you can't get a GP appointment, a council flat or a school place, do you think "my government is failing" or do you think "outsiders are bad"?
what's interesting here (if you can forgive the poundshop psychoanalysis of contemporary politics) is that the Tories, traditionally associated with solid personal responsibility, are the party now associated with Brexit, the world view that lamely blames others for our own woes.
Anyway, the main reason this is interesting to me is... the reduction of intelligibility in politics. I feel I used to understand hard tories, the "personal responsibility" schtick, the "stable world" schtick. I didn't *fully* agree: but I didn't despise it (sorry) and I got it..
..I feel like I need someone to explain to me, to us, the *values*, the *positive systematic thinking* behind the new Tory norm, that the EU outsiders are bad, the cause of our problems, SO bad it's worth huge, singleminded unswerving upheaval to get out of the EU..
I know there's a shouty argument made about the EU being so bad that it should be our single highest priority to get out at huge national cost, but there must be a serious sober argument too, and I honestly feel I've never seen it. I might buy it if I do see it. Aaaanyway. End.
