Global Affairs / Politics / Ten Second News / UK

A Dictatorship, If You Can Keep It

by Andrew Donaldson · January 29, 2020

Tags: Brexit European Union Guy Verhofstadt

Andrew Donaldson

Born and raised in West Virginia, Andrew has been the Managing Editor of Ordinary Times since 2018, is a widely published opinion writer, and appears in media, radio, and occasionally as a talking head on TV. He can usually be found misspelling/misusing words on Twitter@four4thefire. Andrew is the host of Heard Tell podcast. Subscribe to Andrew'sHeard Tell Substack for free here:

Doctor Jay says:

January 29, 2020 at 5:07 pm

I don’t know, Andrew, that headline seems pretty unfair. How different is Verhofstadt’s statement from Lincoln’s understanding of the Union? Is the US a dictatorship? Some, especially at the time of the Civil War, called it that…Report
- Andrew Donaldson in reply to Doctor Jay says:
  
  January 30, 2020 at 7:22 am
  
  It’s a headline using a play on words. To your point; setting aside the EU and USA are not really comparable entities for a variety of reasons, this is not Guy Verhofstadt first comment like these, he has made a habit of very questionable statements so I’m disinclined to be fair at all to the gentleman who is clearly smarting from defeat.Report
Jaybird says:

January 29, 2020 at 7:00 pm

A trenchant insight:

A much under-remembered thing:

"Angela Merkel offered David Cameron no compromises he could sell ahead of the referendum, no token to show that the United Kingdom had as much sway as a France or a Germany."

Brexit Is Discrediting the EU https://t.co/Og4uG7Ef9q

— Marchmaine (@Marchmaine) January 29, 2020

Report
- Jaybird in reply to Jaybird says:
  
  January 30, 2020 at 9:59 am
  
  “My mother and father signed up to a Common Market! Not to a political union; not to flags, anthems, presidents, and now you even want your own army!”
  
  Britain is too big to bully. We're off! pic.twitter.com/cBfycWfsN7
  
  — Nigel Farage (@Nigel_Farage) January 29, 2020
  
  Report
  - Aaron David in reply to Jaybird says:
    
    January 30, 2020 at 11:27 am
    
    I was just thinking about this very video. Trenchant is right.Report
  - Marchmaine in reply to Jaybird says:
    
    January 30, 2020 at 1:07 pm
    
    The history of Referenda for EU is also under-remembered. It leads to this good line: “Power without Accountability” which is the besetting sin of the EU.
    
    I wouldn’t say never to *a* European Union, Brexit is nothing if not an opportunity to renegotiate on what terms Britain collaborates with Europe… but to Farage’s point, my suspicion is that the EU – as constituted – probably needs its own reform movement before it can move forward as a new sort of European Union.
    
    But that’s the 21st century writ large: Renegotiating the Politico-Economic Consolidation of the 20th.Report
    - Jaybird in reply to Marchmaine says:
      
      January 30, 2020 at 1:09 pm
      
      “The Elites” flew too close to the sun.
      
      We’re going to see some serious realignments in the coming decade.Report
      - Chip Daniels in reply to Jaybird says:
        
        January 30, 2020 at 1:45 pm
        
        “Someday, comrades, the Proletariat will rise up and cast off the shackles of those *checks notes* Polish plumbers!”Report
        
        Marchmaine in reply to Chip Daniels says:
        
        January 30, 2020 at 1:52 pm
        
        All Merkel had to do was throw Cameron a bone… if Britain lost America over tea and a few stamps, then not hard to believe EU lost Britain over Polish plumbers. Kinda shows a colossal misjudgment of the moment.Report
        
        Chip Daniels in reply to Marchmaine says:
        
        January 30, 2020 at 1:57 pm
        
        I’m picturing Cleaving Little holding a gun to his head and threatening to shoot.Report
        
        Zac Black in reply to Chip Daniels says:
        
        January 31, 2020 at 4:30 pm
        
        Cleavon Little.Report
George Turner says:

January 29, 2020 at 7:19 pm

Also relevant, from February 12’s UK Telegraph

Guy Verhofstadt warns Brexiteers could end up on the guillotine like the leaders of the French Revolution
Guy Verhofstadt has warned Brexiteers such as Boris Johnson and Jacob Rees-Mogg that they could suffer a similar fate to that meted out to the leaders of the French Revolution, who were executed on the guillotine.

Gee. Why would anyone want to stampede for the exits?Report
- JoeSal in reply to George Turner says:
  
  January 30, 2020 at 10:24 am
  
  It’s not like the streets of France are a bastion of unity right now. Maybe these folks should be watching their own necks.Report
Jaybird says:

January 31, 2020 at 4:38 pm

They’re removing the flag.

The Union Jack is removed from the European Council building in Brussels pic.twitter.com/yMWY9kETF9

— Noga Tarnopolsky (@NTarnopolsky) January 31, 2020

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- George Turner in reply to Jaybird says:
  
  January 31, 2020 at 4:52 pm
  
  Two observations.
  
  1) They left the flagpole, so I guess that means the EU will admit Turkey or some former Soviet Republic so they don’t have a bare pole sitting there.
  
  2) The pair in the clip wore neither name tags nor security badges, so they’re probably just a pair of tourists stealing a British flag.Report
  - Jaybird in reply to George Turner says:
    
    January 31, 2020 at 5:04 pm
    
    They’ll need the flagpole for Scotland later this year.Report
    - George Turner in reply to Jaybird says:
      
      January 31, 2020 at 5:15 pm
      
      “Ye mean we git a used flagpole? is that howfur ye treat a proud nation? Ah will shove mah pipes sae far up yer bahookie that ye’ll poo plaid.”Report
- Michael Cain in reply to Jaybird says:
  
  January 31, 2020 at 5:32 pm
  
  The Scottish Parliament voted to fly the Scottish flag, the UK flag, and the EU flag at their building going forward.Report
Jaybird says:

January 31, 2020 at 6:24 pm

Aaaaand it’s done:

UK: The United Kingdom has formally withdrawn from the European Union.

The UK loses its representation in the European Parliament and the European Council. The UK will not participate in elections to the European Parliament anymore. #BrexitDay #Brexit

— Europe Elects (@EuropeElects) January 31, 2020

If Britain was a moderating force on who got elected to stuff, that moderating force is no longer there.

Good news, if you thought Britain’s moderation was harming the EU, I guess.Report