1. The basic Brexit flaw is - and always has been - simply this: an unreasonable assumption that, just because the European Project never signified anything other than "business interests" to British Conservative politicians, it signifies nothing else to millions of people.
2. This led to the erroneous assumption that the UK could take a decision fuelled by nationalist pride and jing0istic sentiment, but the allies we just dumped would deal with the fallout as a dispassionate business transaction. But it doesn't work like that.
3. Other countries also think they're great. Other countries also have pride. Other politicians also have domestic audiences watching them. Millions of people who suffered through war after war have a profoundly emotional investment in the European Project.
4. So, if you think you can have your Foreign Sec telling Heads of State to "go whistle", or MPs threatening war on Spain because Gibraltar is now a border, or telling the RoI what to do as if it were a protectorate, and then expect an amiable negotiation, you're simply deluded.
5. Nobody is doing this to you, UK. All of the things currently happening were not only easily predictable, but ACTUALLY predicted. You not only chose to antagonise friends into adversaries, but wilfully and grossly miscalculated the power balance between you.
6. What follows now is a painful in the short term, but much-needed corrective to your post-imperial narrative. It's what always happens when national ego outgrows real influence. There's no historical counter-example. None.
On the bright side, you can stop this at any time. END
On the bright side, you can stop this at any time. END
