Callum wrote:My point is that after a democratic referendum, the side that lost still campaigned against the decision and ultimately got their way years later. Winning an election or referendum doesn't mean that that's, it's over, no more discussion or opposing points will be had.
Ultimately the UK voted to leave, whether that be a hard, no deal Brexit or an EEA type deal that still kept us in the customs area and free trade and movement of people continued. It was insanely vague and people had many different reasons for voting, and it was won by a slim margin.
Do you really believe Farage and the ERG would have shut up and stopped calling for the UK to leave the EU if they had lost? Of course they wouldn't, and that was their democratic right. Yet when people who voted to Remain (or those who voted Leave and since changed their mind) continue to express an opposing opinion they are labeled traitors and enemies of democracy. That's not how it works.
We've left now, anyway, and I'm resigned to the fact that the country is set for a very difficult period and diminished power on the global scale. I'm also resigned to the fact that despite all the lies and broken promises, and that this was the decision of the UK, the EU will still get the blame.
I'm fully in agreement with that, by all means go out and join the "Back in the EU" party hand out flyers do interviews and stand in all future elections, fill all social forums and blogs with "I love Michel Bernard Barnier" posts if you must ... that's democracy and free speech. But don't block the streets, glue yourself to public transport, generally f**k up other peoples lives - that's anarchy. The right to protest only applies when you can't be heard via democratic means, nobody in their right minds can claim the Remain campaign didn't get heard ... they were heard and yet they still lost that's democracy. This battle is over, now re-joiners have to wait for their next electoral chance, just like the leavers did for 50 years.
If you want to compare that with the US (and who the f**k would want to be like them) it's like supporting near anarchy in some cities just weeks before a democratic election .. WTF you will have your chance at change via the ballot box so why trash your own homes now?
The extreme minority resort to violence and intimidation when the can't win by democratic means - history is full of some very bad people who did exactly that - we should be very, very careful about supporting such an approach, even when the aims might seem legit. If you want to live in a free democracy you have to accept the democratic majority even when they are wrong ...