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Wednesday, March 20, 2019

THE BREXIT MESS



I have never "done politics" on my blog before but irrespective of whether you voted to stay or leave the EU, I think our sorry MPs have finally exposed themselves for the incompetent and self serving things they are. Is democracy now dead? I am ashamed of our government with its petty infighting and how we must appear to the rest of the world.

I think Cromwell had it about right:

Dissolution of the Long Parliament by Oliver Cromwell speech given to the House of Commons, 20 April 1653.
     
It is high time for me to put an end to your sitting in this place, which you have dishonoured by your contempt of all virtue, and defiled by your practice of every vice; ye are a factious crew, and enemies to all good government; ye are a pack of mercenary wretches, and would like Esau sell your country for a mess of pottage, and like Judas betray your God for a few pieces of money.

Is there a single virtue now remaining amongst you? Is there one vice you do not possess? Ye have no more religion than my horse; gold is your God; which of you have not barter'd your conscience for bribes? Is there a man amongst you that has the least care for the good of the Commonwealth?

Ye sordid prostitutes have you not defil'd this sacred place, and turn'd the Lord's temple into a den of thieves, by your immoral principles and wicked practices? Ye are grown intolerably odious to the whole nation; you were deputed here by the people to get grievances redress'd, are yourselves gone! So! Take away that shining bauble there, and lock up the doors.

In the name of God, go!

11 comments:

Tom Stephenson said...

As I said when he made the speech over on mine, the current political situation is the sort which breeds despots like Cromwell.

Tom said...

I fear I am past the point when I can get angry, frustrated, bemused, sickened etc. I still watch the news about Brexit, but don't get enough information from the EU side. My main feeling is of total disbelief at the Brit parliament's apparent inability to conceive one simple fact, that is that there are two sides to this negotiation. The EU will not do what the UK wants just because the UK thinks it should do. That is sheer arrogance.

Oddly enough, I never thought I could get interested in farce. Clearly, I was wrong.

Dave said...

It is a mess and Tom has hit the nail on the head when he says about the arrogance of the UK.

The Government held the referendum never for one moment thinking that the outcome would be to leave and then not having a plan in place to deal with the result. The result is chaos.

helen devries said...

I have been listening to the debates in Parliament and while there are the predictable prima donnas I was struck by the number of backbench M.P.s putting questions about matters which concern their constituents, in other words, acting as they should.

We could still do with a Cromwell to sort out the prima donnas, though...

Clearly the Tory government did not expect the result of the referendum and seems to have been backpedalling on it ever since, with contradictory messages being sent to the EU negotiators. The incompetence has been startling even by their not inconsiderable standards and I just wonder whether, in the event of a General election, people would turn their backs on the traditional parties and look for truly independent candidates.

gz said...

(0)

Roderick Robinson said...

But don't you think - in the bowels of Christ, to maintain the Cromwellian touch - we are poorly served by having Theresa May rather than Old Ironsides in charge?

And don't you also think that not everyone in the HoC is an unprincipled rogue. Some from either side of the house have resigned the whip and will almost certainly lose their seats in the next general election.

Also the HoC has at least recognised that "No deal" (secretly beloved by ERG) is likely to cause untold suffering and have voted it unacceptable.

You labelled me masochistic for watching the Parliament Channel but I have been impressed by the honesty and the passion of whole speeches rather than the soundbites that usually get served up. From both sides.

Is democracy dead? Not on your life. This is democracy; there are times when it's a tough row to hoe. It looks messy because one principle vs. another equals argument.

You say you're ashamed of our government. So am I. So take heart from the fact that parliament has stepped in to save us from nobodies like Stephen Barclay. I had never been truly aware of the distinction between government and parliament before; now I am. Would you have preferred some rubber-stamp decision along party lines which screwed everyone living in Northern Ireland and exposed them to a resumption of The Troubles?

The will of the people? Don't forget that Charles II was welcomed back with joy and he hung up Cromwell's bones. There's petty infighting.

Avus said...

RR
No, I would never want a dictator to rule us, however "benevolent" they were (at the outset....). I liked the Cromwellian invective and his oratory and it seemed appropriate for Teresa May's (the distinction of being the worst prime minister - ever) government.

I am an avid reader of Pepys, so know the Restoration story from the pen of that great, first hand reporter. The people's joy was evident, but it soured when Charles's spendthrift ways became evident. I don't know how you feel about your father, but I would excuse his hanging the bones of the guy who chopped off his dad's head!

Roderick Robinson said...

Good news for David Cameron on discovering he is only the second-worst PM we have had.

Cromwell's invective is powerful but somewhat inappropriate to our modern times. He seems primarily concerned with corruption in Parliament. Much as I dislike the views of Bill Cash, Ed Leigh and the rest of the Old Gang, I don't see them as corrupt. They've been Eurosceptic since the Year Dot and they're entitled to those opinions. Jacob Rees-Mogg is, however somewhat different. He runs his own hedge fund and as a service to his clients has opened offices in Dublin to help them through the period of disruption following a no-deal Brexit. But has he ever referred to such disruption when speaking to the general public? Not to my knowledge. Such a sanctimonious fellow (a Christian too!) is proof that those urging a no-deal Brexit will be the least likely to suffer when the lorries start turning SE Kent into Britain's largest parking lot.

What disturbs me more is your introductory para in which you seem willing to chuck out the baby with the bathwater. A plague on all their houses, you say. But this is our Parliament, our bulwark against anarchy. And if someone stands up and advances an obnoxious opinion surely someone else is entitled to gainsay that opinion. Hence the arguments which may seem petty to those who aren't really following the thread. Mind you, if our muddled PM had had her way, those arguments wouldn't have happened. It was only when Parliament said enough is enough and took control (Which, ironically, is what Brexit is supposed to encourage!) that discussion became more open.

Yes, I find Pepys entertaining but he isn't my automatic guide to 2019. His is a contained world with all the arguments done and dusted. The real imperfect world, as it affects us and our offspring, is partly exemplified by the Brexit debates on TV which you appear to be avoiding. Where, by the way, you will hear invective just as well-tuned as that of Cromwell. Hey, Avus, this is your life, not your hobby.

You miss the point about Cromwell's bones. I cited that anecdote to show that the public has been known to change its mind. Might the same view apply to those who voted in 2016? Be honest, at that time did you realise back then that one of the most disputatious issues would be the backstop? Of course you didn't, nor did I. We were both under-informed and misinformed and three years is a long time in politics (and even longer in public consciousness). The will of the people, and its tendency to get bored by complicated matters, are moveable feasts.

Zhoen said...

You have my utter condolences. I fear for both our countries. Our governments betray us all.

Vita said...

Thought it might cheer you, as it does me, that the Sunbeam is running better now that the crank shaft has been reinstalled.

Avus said...

Vita:

Thanks for that message. A smooth running Sunbeam - certainly a cheering note!

Zhoen:
Thanks for the condolences. Democracy seems to have turned into oligarchy!