My answer to Does the Brexit vote illustrate the failings of direct democracy?

Answer by Abbey Laurel-Smith:

Well, to those who see Europe as the best thing that’s ever happened in their life time, i guess Brexit will be seen as a bad decision. But to a Brit, it is the best decision ever made. And it is what a true democracy should be. It is what has been in place on the British isles ever since the British started the art of balloting in the 9th century.

Point to know about Brexit is:

The British public have been begging to make a decision of this issue right from 1958 when the treaty of Rome was introduced as an economic treaty. But it was too risky an issue for any leader to take up. Because this was an issue that divided the country into two camps:

• those who are fed up with the colonies, the commonwealth of states, the overseas territories and wanted to join Euro.
• and those who wanted to keep the colonies, the commonwealth of states and the overseas territories, but are somewhat willing a compromise on EU, if certain things are addressed.

This public debate kept going on until 1992, when Maastricht treaty removed the economic from the agenda. British public started asking questions, is this a political entity of an trade pact? But all we got was new labour and Tony Blair ( a Scot. and Catholic – the first in about more than six hundred years) Then another Scot and a Catholic – Gordon Brown.

These two guys did what past Prime Ministers since Korean war have been wary of doing. They threw us in deep into the EU. The British public kept up with it, but things can only tho so far south, as it has been for the country at home and abroad.

Now, if at the end of the day we are paying pensions for Ukrainian Soviet Afghan war veterans, then there’s got to be a good reason to lump this on British tax payers. And that is one of the few reasons David Cameron call for a referendum rather than acting like those two despots (Tony Blair and Gordon Brown) before him.

The British voters’ view on this is, there is no point putting up with back street countries on the European continent if they are not willing to put their houses and communities in order. Britain made a huge compromise by partly joining the EU, but did we (tax payers) sign to be dragged into the abyss? No. If what started as an economic bloc in now getting political, then there has to be some legal standing – new rules, regulations and laws in place.

We are a country with a track record of building long lasting economies and democracies. And we have a track record that other countries can never ever match. Under EU, the British public are far from being happy at the lawless way countries like Greece, Ukraine, Spain, Italy, Lithuania, Estonia and Latvia are being treated. These countries economy is being gobbled up by France and Germany.

To the British, this is treaty of Calais, 1521, and Cambria, 1529, happening all over again. albeit without Wolsey.

So this Brexit decision is in line with British history and attitude – when it comes to state affairs.

Does the Brexit vote illustrate the failings of direct democracy?