Brexit and Trump: When Fear Triumphs Over Evidence

[Cigar]

The psychology behind why so many people are willing to ignore the experts


http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/blogs/cache/file/1A9E7513-1A3A-41A5-8A821F72DA8444D2.jpeg?w=280&h=175&F5AFEF33-5534-47F8-9C3312B21E4BDD53

Brexit proponent and politician Michael Gove, even made it part of his platform to fight the nerds; “people in this country have had enough of experts.” Because, what do experts know about things, right? Wrong.

In a clearly historic referendum with immediate consequences, 52% of the population voted for Brexit. As the nerds predicted, the currency immediately plunged, the prospect of Scotland leaving the UK became “highly likely,” and many people felt betrayed by their country. Some of those who voted to leave immediately felt “regrexit” about their choice.

So, why should you care? Because our pro-Brexit politicians mirrored Trump's campaign tactics and won. Far beyond the comparatively sensible argument of political sovereignty, Brexit campaigners won with anti-immigration invective, lies, and a misguided attempt to reclaim a past that never was. The press claimed we needed to make Britain great again. That’s not to say that the remain campaign did not try to use the fear as well - particularly the fear of a ruined economy—to try to keep the UK in the EU, but this was not nearly as emotional an appeal as the tactics used by the Brexit camp.

I have already written about the influence of false memories of a glorious past on political voting, but xenophobia and expert shaming are on another level all-together.

http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/mind-guest-blog/brexit-and-trump-when-fear-triumphs-over-evidence/


No truer words have ever been written :f_cheers: ... served on a platter and played like fools

[Peter1469]

It seems that 52% of the UK population that voted Leave are nothing but uneducated hicks.

Or, perhaps the UK got on just fine for centuries before its last 24 years or so in the EU.....

Here is another take: What Brexit says about the new tribalism (http://thefederalist.com/2016/06/27/what-brexit-says-about-the-new-tribalism/)


Great Britain has voted to leave the European Union. For Nigel Farage and the Brexit Tories, this is a stunning victory and a fresh new page. Progressive liberals (in Britain and elsewhere) experienced it as a bruising, river-flowing-backwards defeat. It turns out that history doesn’t always and inevitably move in just one way.


In America and the rest of Europe, this historic moment invites reflection on cultural currents that are moving throughout the West. On multiple fronts we are witnessing a rejection of progressive, globalist initiatives and superstructures in favor of more particular traditions, tribes, nations and subcultures. It seems not everyone wants to be a “citizen of the world.”



It’s a Big World After All
These movements are, to a great degree, the fruits of liberal arrogance. Progressive technocrats have always resisted local autonomy, believing they can arrange most people’s lives better than people themselves would. It isn’t necessary to understand the traditions or cultures that the engine of progress steamrolls. They’re on the wrong side of history, and that’s all we need to know.



Apparently it isn’t. Sometimes those traditions and sub-cultures re-assert themselves. Sometimes power can be devolved to more local levels. Sometimes England decides it wants to be England again.

http://thefederalist.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/Rachel-Lu-1024x1024.jpg