Brexit - A Socialist Comments.

The vote in Britain to leave the E.U., in other words, Brexit, caused a variety of reactions. Let us, dear reader, look at some.

Many who voted in favour of leaving, did so because of the insular British fear of foreigners. As one so delicately put it, "We don't want no more bloody foreigners coming 'ere taking our jobs." Yet most of their fellow members of the working class who have emigrated there are from commonwealth countries. Furthermore, it's been clearly shown where there is high unemployment immigrants reduce it. They have the same needs as everybody else.

One Muslim writer in the Toronto Sun, June 28th, thought some who voted leave, were worried terrorists might come into Britain if they stayed. Some voted to leave because they said: "Why should we take orders from Brussels? We want to take them from London." As if it matters who exploits a worker. Mostly his/her orders will be from the bosses' office.

The majority of the leave votes were cast by the older people who were retired or didn't have long to go. This angered the young who felt they wouldn't be able to work in the E.U.

In Scotland, where 62 per cent voted to stay, there is talk of another referendum on whether or not to stay in the U.K.

The Toronto Star of July 9th reported the Canadian government is now worried the trade deal that they had been recently negotiated with the E.U. will not go through.

In the Toronto Metro News of June 27th, it said Britons who had businesses in Europe were worried about losing them. As one pub owner in Spain said, "we're very scared because I've been here 23 years. I've got my house, my kids were born here, they went to a British-Spanish school, I've got a bar, I've got a lot to lose."

In the same newspaper a young Canadian woman in London, whose goal was to acquire an E.U. Passport, thought she wouldn't be allowed to work there. To quote, "I cried. It just signals a society that is full of fear and intolerance and hate and no longer aligns to my personal values." Those feelings certainly played a part in the leave vote, especially as the fascist U.K.I.P. were extremely vocal in favour of leaving, as were many parties on the left, 14 in fact. So one must clearly wonder if there are any differences between parties of the left and right, especially when they all stand for the continuation of capitalism.

Though we don't know how this whole matter will play out regarding the details, we can be sure it will still be business as usual for the capitalist class, which means continuing exploitation and poverty for the working class.

The effects of Brexit were immediate, causing trillions of dollars, pounds, yen, and marks to be lost on the world's stock markets. Look at all the above and what does it show? Problems for most people. If any find themselves better off, it will only be marginally so.

All of the above problems can be swept away easily as anything by the establishment of a society without markets, without buying and selling, without money, where we would all be better off. So why not vote to leave capitalism, to leave it behind. 

John Ayers.