Thomas Knapp (chemiclord): The UK was/is/probably always will be one of the most EU-skeptic nations that could feasibly be in the European Union. Even the far-left's hero Corbyn frowned pretty hard at the EU and only reluctantly offered support for it at the 11th hour. Not surprised at all that Starmer is lukewarm.

Three adjacent headlines that say it all.

Well, for what it's worth, rejoining the EU wouldn't be the UK's decision alone.

Indeed it would not and there would be substantial opposition to it but Starmer framing it as his decision is very interesting

I imagine it's more that he sees it as a distraction and is trying to cut it off early.

Dashing the hopes of his supporters on the day before they vote is an interesting choice, for sure.

Well, I have seen first hand the recoil political parties can take when they make promises that they can't (or won't) keep. Dude's party by all accounts is heading for a landslide victory already.

Exactly so he has nothing to worry about, and can say whatever he likes. Interesting that he chooses to say this thing in this way. Tells me something about how he plans to run things.

I think there have already been plenty of signs on how he plans to run things, none of them good. I have never felt this demoralised at the thought of a Labour victory in 37 years of voting. Obviously delighted to see the Tories get fucked, but Starmer's just a Tory in a slightly different wig.

Because that's what the public wants.

Like I said, demoralising.

The UK was/is/probably always will be one of the most EU-skeptic nations that could feasibly be in the European Union. Even the far-left's hero Corbyn frowned pretty hard at the EU and only reluctantly offered support for it at the 11th hour. Not surprised at all that Starmer is lukewarm.

And he needs to look like a diet version of the Tories, because even the Tories are *finally* too Tory for the great British public. He needed/actively chased) the gammon vote. It's just so deflating, but I guess what the electorate overwhelming seems to want is authoritarian boot on their necks.

I think you'd be pretty fucking depressed to learn just how many people in the world think representative government is too much hassle, and they'd far prefer to choose one person to make all their perceived problems go away.

I'm pretty fucking depressed already, but yeah, I'm aware that this is a significant proportion of the "electorate" that has been carefully crafted over the last couple of generations to want exactly what you describe.

To hell with the "last couple generations." The desire for one tribal leader who can fix everything so that they don't have to think about politics has been a thing since recorded human history was a thing.

Sure, I guess, but I suppose I can only go by what I've seen over the last 45 years or so, and it feels like we've got closer and closer to the 1984 set up than ever before. Like the length of the project you described is getting closer to fruition, if it's not already here.

The only thing that's really changed is that we're seeing just how many profoundly shitty people there are in this world. But the truth is that they've always been there. They weren't cultivated. They've been recruited.

Post