Best sentence I’ve read so far about Brexit:

It is simplistic, although it will nevertheless be a popular stance among the elites, to depict the Leave vote as yet another proof that technocrats should be in charge. In fact, the very reason that so many UK citizens rejected the dire warnings of what was in store for them if they dared press the red Leave button was that those experts devised and implemented the neoliberal policies that have increased inequality, reduced their economic stability and accelerated political and social change.

That’s why it succeeded. People only demonize immigrants under two conditions, one more important than the other:

1) When their lives are getting worse while they observe a small sub-section of the population lead lives that get extraordinarily more lavish at their expense. (This is the most important reason.)

2) When immigrants actually move in, re-arrange communities, and occupy jobs that previously would’ve gone to those native to the area.

If people’s lives are improving, no one much cares about immigration. Number two then doesn’t matter.

But right now in the US, in the UK and in many other countries there is an absolute decline in standard of living and even lifespan for many combined with overwhelming immigration, all the while the working class is being told that they are unnecessary, and also being lectured that in the US that NAFTA helped them (somehow) — all while they watch their children succumb to meth, opioids and despair.

The EU and the rich are going to now heavily punish the UK, though. Which will only increase these anti-globalization sentiments by the way.

I’m not a UK citizen, so I have no say.

But I probably would’ve voted to leave the EU.

That said, on balance being in the EU is probably better for the rich and some of the upper-ish middle class than not. But being yoked to the EU is likely harmful to anyone making less than £40,000 or so.

I think it will actually hurt most of the UK to leave the EU. But it’ll hurt the oligarchs more, and that’s what I care about.

War — caused by climate change, immigration and the aftershocks of colonialism — is inevitable again in Europe. No one sees it, but it’s coming. In the larger and longer game, Brexit might help the UK survive that a bit better.

For now, though, expect to hear a lot of rich people crying. And that’ll be like music to my ears.