What May 2019 Will Bring? And What Not?

[vetuste_ennemi]

Bonne Année à tous.

A New Year's gift to friends and enemies of the EU. It's an intelligent .comment by De Tocqueville from his reflections on the American republic, and his speculations on future threats to its liberties He was obviously speaking by analogy with his knowldge of "L'Ancien Régime". (From where I come from, of course, I see this as a rather profound anticipation of the methods by which democracy regresses into oligarchy)

"If despotism were to establish itself in today's democratic nations, it would probably have a different character. It would be more extensive and more mild, and it would degrade men without tormenting them...The sovereign [VE: read Commission], after taking individuals one by one in his powerful hands and kneading them to his liking, reaches out to embrace society as a whole. Over it he spreads a fine mesh of uniform, minute, and complex rules, through which not even the most original minds and most vigorous souls can poke their heads above the crowd. He does not break men's wills but softens, bends, and guides them. He seldom forces anyone to act but consistently opposes action. He does not destroy things but prevents them from coming into being. Rather than tyrannize, he inhibits, represses, saps, stifles, and stultifies, and in the end he reduces each nation to nothing but a flock of timid and industrious animals, with the government as its shepherd...".

[Mamyalynne]

Happy New year.

[vetuste_ennemi]

Thanks, Mamya.

[Spicerack]

He'd be barred from the UK today.

[Mamyalynne]

His visit to England had mixed results, some of the Upper Classes thought him not well known enough to bother with, but he made friends.

http://www.tocqueville.culture.fr/en/voyages/v_anglet-01.html

[vetuste_ennemi]

Didn't know he came to England.

[Jackdaw33]

The only thing I wish for in 2019 is Brexit - the No Deal variety.

[Mamyalynne]

It was here he met his Wife V_E.

[vetuste_ennemi]

Thanks for the link, by the way, Mamya.

[Mamyalynne]

I may be incorrect about where they met sorry.

[Old_Geezer]

Interesting comparison.
Had never heard off the fellow as far as I can recall, but there again, my main interests include neither history nor politics.

[Theland]

I would hope for a clean Brexit, clampdown on immigration, and the deportation of illegals and the Imams.
But I am not optimistic.
I fear Mrs Mays deal will go through, Islam will continue to dominate our society, with increased violence, and acquiescence to more Muslim demands.
And of course, the arrival by whatever means of many many black Africans, ill educated and unskilled, who consider life here on benefits as Shangri La.

[spathiphyllum]

Theland, immigration stops us all being related. Immigration is a good thing, few come here, few leave here to go there... It all works out. Immigration has been down a huge % since brexit.

[spathiphyllum]

also, if you think islam dominates anything here in the UK, then i'm afraid you literally live in the headlines, and not from the guardian or independent.. more the daily fail.

[Theland]

Spath - sorry, I don't follow your reasoning.

[spathiphyllum]

We all know what you follow.

[Theland]

Oh do you now? Telepathic?

[spathiphyllum]

More like a Mr. Green ;)

[Theland]

Oh here we go!

[spathiphyllum]

you can be Colonel Mustard

[Old_Geezer]

We have sufficient population to ensure gene mixing already. Immigration is not overall a good thing when a society has enough to fill available jobs already, needs to pay unemployment benefits, and is having issues resourcing the existing population. No one needs a continuous flow of more and more folk from areas of the world that can not control their beeeding rate, into their nation. And that's before one gets to the much more controversial subject of immigrants who refuse to integrate sufficiently by retaining unacceptable customs and dividing society by insisting the worst aspects of their culture takes hold in the country that's allowed them in.