Starmer and Blair are mistaken in thinking that Brexit has to be accepted to be dealt with. Accepting Brexit will not make its supporters *less* angry. Getting Brexit, instead has and will make them *more* angry. Why? A cycle of distorted grievance, false promise and anger. /1 https://twitter.com/jonworth/status/1344228652255477765

The destruction of the economy by the 2008 financial crisis caused huge pain. That pain has been harnessed and directed into nationalism. Public anger cannot be sated because it has been built on a vague and dishonest pretext: people truly believe that Europe, immigrants, /2

the welfare state and a degradation of national pride and "sovereignty" are to blame for their ills. Because that is untrue, the promise of nationalism can never deliver results. Nationalism will keep on consuming. Appeasement is as futile as trying to appease a forest fire. /3

It is in its nature to burn. Its related movement (fascism) relies on public anger, arbitrary power, emotional displays of national identity & loyalty as the unifying factors. When that fails to improve life, anger follows. The only fulfilment of nationalism is in a perception /4

of "victory" or "conquest"-something emotional like winning a battle, a vote, or a football match. It is short-term, often won't improve life & in political terms leads to anger, a need for blame, & another victory to feed it. It won't stop- it has to be identified & subdued. /5.

P.S. is Farage etc going to go away? No. The above is why. He's going to re-brand. He's going to keep going on and on. So will his fascist supporters, because for them Brexit wasn't the goal, it was a vehicle, and you've all¹ been played for fools.

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1. Half of you.