At Euro 2016 we've seen flag carrying English jingoism at war with Russian thugs while stunned tourists watched in horror as England fans bellowed out: “F**k off Europe we’re all voting out.” This is probaby a microcosm of the referendum next week that boils down to nationalist isolationism versus cosmopolitan internationalism.
I have spent much of my life working internationally and all of the European friends and former-colleagues with whom I have spoken in recent months would prefer Britain staying in the EU to shape a better Europe together. Thomas Mair, the man who murdered Labour MP (and "remain" campainer) Jo Cox, repeatedly shouted “Britain First!” as he gunned her down in the street yesterday and then stabbed her again and again. These were his only words during the attack - “Britain First!” For those unfamiliar with the organisation, Britain First is a neo-Nazi party thinly disguised. Their aims and opinions are racist, xenophobic, homophobic and nationalist.
Mair is believed to have had long-term links with a hard-right group based in London which had been campaigning for many years for Britain to leave the European Union and was named as a supporter in an online publication of the Springbok Club, an organisation which has defended the white supremacist apartheid regime in South Africa. So, good old South African nationalism (a.k.a. Apartheid) has come home to roost in the campaign to "leave" Europe. Charming.
If "(heaven or) hell is other people", I personally choose to work (and drink a beer or two) together with my European friends in peace rather than sit in a little, flag-draped, north-Atlantic island, waiting alone and friendless for the violent assault of further extremists. And please don't tell me that you still think voting for UKIP and the racist Nigel Farage on June 23 is a good idea.
* With full credit to Toby Woolrych whose original LinkedIn posting I've clearly plagiarised. It was Toby's observations, yesterday's tragic events and this morning's revelations in the media that got me fired up to quickly knock this out.
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