Brexit has been a nightmare. What is more, those that proposed it, and lied about all the advantages it would bring are now having to admit its been a nightmare, whilst covering themselves by saying, as Farage and Widdicombe have claimed that Brexit has not happened.
As I set out, yesterday, there is truth to that, because, in fact, the Brexit they described, in which Britain would have all the same advantages it had as an EU member would continue outside the EU, but with none of the costs or responsibilities was always a lie, and impossible to achieve. When Starmer today tells the same lies, today, in talking about renegotiating Brexit, getting a Labour Brexit, and other such cakeist nonsense, its still a lie.
Some people have compared it to communists who argue that the issue is not with communism as an ideal, but the fact that Russia was not communist. In fact, its a fair comparison, because Marxists always said, from the beginning, that you can't have "Socialism In One Country", especially in a backward country like Russia in 1917. Those, the Stalinists, but a similar argument is also the basis of social-democracy, as a national ideology, like the Brexiters sold a lie when they claimed that their version of Socialism/communism was possible to achieve in one country, and so, the defence of Socialism/communism on the basis that it wasn't the idea that was flawed, but its implementation in Russia, is also a crock. As Lenin and Trotsky pointed out, you could never have implemented it within the confines of a single country. Had Lenin and Trotsky been in charge, not Stalin, it would still have failed without an international revolution.
The problem, similarly, for the Brexiters is not as Farage and Widdicombe, or those like the Nat. C's, now argue that its failure is down to the Tory politicians implementing it, which included them too, like Boris Johnson, and more disastrously still Liz Truss, but that their concept of Brexit was never going to implemented, and never could be implemented! What is more of a disaster, however, is that Starmer has taken over from them in selling that lie. So, why, then, does Owen Jones, who in the video below, sets out some of the same arguments I have described above, say he agrees with Starmer in not pushing rejoining the EU?
Of course, Starmer does not argue for rejoining the EU, because not only has he become an ardent Brexiter, saying not only that he will not seek to re-join the EU or even the Single Market, but also not even free movement, but has become also an ardent petty-bourgeois nationalist, monarchist and advocate of every other reactionary idea dredged up from the depths of society imaginable. Jones tries to justify Starmer's Brexitism, as being somehow tactically astute, avoiding the ability of the Tories to consolidate their core vote on the basis of pointing to a Labour victory opening the door to Bre-entry. That's nonsense.
Its not only unprincipled opportunism, but even in terms of opportunism, its electorally stupid. A clear majority now actively favour re-joining the EU, so failing to argue for it, potentially loses you their votes. Even a sizeable proportion of Brexiters realise they were lied to, and that its been a disaster, even though the full effects of that nightmare have been hidden by the three years of lockdowns, and are yet to become manifest. The Tories what ever Starmer says, will lie about him seeking to re-join, combined with the SNP and Liberals, and as Labour is unlikely to have a clear majority those arguments will become stronger.
But, Jones, himself starts by saying that he likes politicians to keep their promises. In that case, if Starmer goes into the election saying he will not re-join the EU, Single market, or negotiate free movement, doesn't that mean Jones should then also want Starmer to keep to that promise, putting Jones himself into that Brexit supporting, reactionary nationalist camp? Othewwise what he is saying is that he wants Starmer to be lying about his real intentions. But, Starmer isn't lying. He doesn't intend to re-join and so on, because he has himself collapsed into reactionary, petty-bourgeois nationalism and jingoism.
All that Jones is doing is giving left cover to Starmer's reactionary nationalism, dressing it up as some clever strategic electoral manoeuvre, which it isn't, and which will inevitably, then, result in further confusion, disillusion and demoralisation. You do not ultimately win political arguments by running away from them on the basis of fear about how your opponents might use you them, in the short-run, for their own immediate electoral advantage. That is to let you class enemy determine your own programme. Its necessary to argue your position honestly, accepting that you may not immediately win majority support for it. But, that is also where the idiocy of the opportunists lies, today, because reality itself has done the job. A clear majority, now, do see that Brexit was the nightmare they were told it would be.
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