Brexit

[deceptica]

Less than a month left until the UK will vote on whether to remain in the EU or leave it. I've been trying not to think about it too much, but it's hard to escape it now, what with the information/propaganda campaigns going into overdrive

Comments

[eofs]

*Hugs* You're not alone.

My job prevents me from campaigning (or, frankly, from expressing an opinion) and it's killing me not to put forth arguments for undecided friends.

[deceptica]

Huh, I hadn't considered that. Why exactly are you not able to discuss the matter with friends?

[eofs]

Impartiality. It's not like I have any control over the editorial decisions of our programme (and my personal circumstances are well known!) but we're meant to be whiter than white. I have colleagues who ignore it but in election periods I usually try to behave. (And outside election periods I'm still not as forthright with my opinions as I might otherwise be.)

I nearly burst into tears this morning at work because of it all.

[queen_of_kithia]

I can imagine how upsetting and frustrating it must be to have your fate hanging in the balance like that, especially given all the effort you put into (first of all) just moving to another country, and then finding work and being productive. And then to have it potentially nullified at the ballot box...I get frustrated and upset just thinking about it, so how much worse it must be for you living it!

I don't have to imagine how hurtful the Facebook post was. However--and this has probably occurred to you already; if so just ignore the rest of this paragraph--Facebook could be a forum for you to at least provide a counterpoint. It's harder to ignore or dismiss a human face and a specific story than it is statistics and generalities and abstractions. It may or may not change anyone's mind, but it might at least make them think twice about it.

Best wishes, as always. *hugs*

[deceptica]

I did try the personal approach initially but was told that "I'm sure you'll be fine somehow" while continued EU membership is obviously spelling disaster for the UK...

[bluealoe]

Oh yes, the whole "You'll be fine, it won't affect YOU" approach. Talk about ignoring the obvious. Grrr, it's so frustrating.

[eofs]

If it helps, I think you will be fine. Which is not to say that it'll be easy, but there are conventions in place to protect people who have the right to reside somewhere and then the rules change. Mass deportation is not really on the cards. (Thus, the phrase "shutting the stable door after the horse has bolted" comes to mind.) Also, it is not realistic to believe that we will be given access to the common market without retaining freedom of movement. (I think we could potentially even be forced into Schengen for the first time which would be hilarious!)

I know that none of that will stop you worrying. I mean, it's worrying us enough that Guido's taking British citizenship. But still. I hope it helps even 1%. And I hope that this time next week we'll discover we were worrying over nothing.

[bluealoe]

Ugh, what a tricky situation. I still can't understand why the UK is voting on whether or not to stay in the EU. To my American mind, an organization like the EU sounds like a great idea...collaborate, cut through a lot of bureaucratic nonsense, give your citizens freedom of movement. I know the EU isn't perfect, but I'd think the positives outweigh the negatives

[deceptica]

Actually to me it seems more that people are deluding themselves into thinking that leaving will get rid of all the negative aspects of the EU but somehow all the positives will remain because the UK is "too important" for the rest of Europe to not keep giving it everything it wants. Yeah, I've actually repeatedly seen people state that...

[bluealoe]

So basically people think the UK is so important it can bully other countries into getting whatever it wants? Hey, they're stealing the United States' tactic! ;) (I wish I was joking...)

*hugs tight* People can be so stupid.