Thread by @dasvee

I'm late to this excellent investigative series on the OneCoin scam which tells us a lot about why remain failed to win over more leavers than it did.

Once Brexit is understood as a scam and a cult, then it makes more sense why rational arguments failed.

bbc.co.uk/programmes/p07…

An expert on "minor religions" tells us in the programme that people make an investment into a cult - and that investment is not just money - it's a sense of identity, belonging, of achieving something greater (e.g. a better world).

Those who pointed out that OneCoin is a scam are just "haters" who should be ignored.

The "establishment" is against OneCoin because OneCoin seeks to make the world a fairer place by bringing banking to all. The FBI only exists to protect the US dollar.

Those remainers who point out that Brexit will result in a loss of prosperity, freedom, job losses, lower environmental and worker protections would say that wouldn't they because they are part of the EU's establishment conspiracy.

Any academic speaking out is in the pocket of the EU.

Any economic forecaster speaking out is in the pocket of the establishment.

Attack the source, not the validity of the claim.

There is no hope by the way - that when the scam is revealed, people stop believing.

In the case of OneCoin - a multi-billion euro fraud - the money kept pouring in the coffers of the company even after its founders were arrested by the FBI (one in absentia - missing).

People invested their whole identity into OneCoin, urging friends and family to invest, mortgaging their houses to buy OneCoin, borrowing money when they had no assets.

Similarly leavers invest their identity and reputation into Brexit. They are in too deep to accept they are wrong. It would hurt too much to accept they'd made a massive mistake.

It's well worth a listen - you may think (from the beginning) that it's obvious that OneCoin was a scam - how could these people be fooled?

Well, I thought the same about Brexit... after about 5 minutes of reading. And here we are on the day of departure.

This theme - that Brexit is a religious cult - is discussed in this classic article.

ft.com/content/c276ed…

Chris Grey alludes to this too here:

chrisgreybrexitblog.blogspot.com/2020/01/as-cos…

BTW I have seen the same behaviour in the stock market for over a decade.

The stock market has its fair share of frauds. I spent a year telling investors Quindell was a fraud. They ignored me and attacked me instead.

I should have learnt from that lesson when brexit came along.

One final point - remain is being attacked this week for failing for reasons x, y, and z.

But what if there was no way it could win if the Brexit cult grew to critical mass?

The referendum printed the point when critical mass was reached.

The "Will of the people" mantra undermined all rational criticism.

Even if remain proved that Brexit is retrograde (which it did continually, daily), cult members dismissed all arguments for the above reasons: identity, investment in the cause, conspiracy theories.

If - as my theory claims - that brexit is a cult - then there is no shame in remain failing to convince leavers that their cause is bogus.

That's exactly how cults operate.

The failure is not in remain in convincing cult members to leave their cult.

The failure is in cultists from accepting that they are in one.

That's why they become so broken by guilt should they finally be wrenched from the cult.

Tonight in parliament square we will see the cult celebrate.

They will probably never realise they are in one.