Two Washington Post headlines tell it all:
Young Brits are angry about older people deciding their future, but most didn’t vote
Three-quarters of Brits aged 18-24 voted to remain in the E.U. But only 36% of them turned out — versus 83% of those over 65.
Brexit leaders are walking back some of their biggest promises
Guess what: much of what the “leave” proponents promised simply wasn’t true.
As my mother used to say, “Let it be a lesson to us all.”
Register, kids. Turn out to vote.
Or you get Bush (“by far the vast majority of [my proposed tax cuts],” he lied, “go to people at the bottom of the economic ladder”).
Or Trump.
By way of exquisite contrast, here is President Obama, profiled in the New York Times. To say we’ve been fortunate to have him these past seven-and-a-half years is — to my mind — spectacular understatement. My favorite anecdote: the “white / medium” story.
Finally, to return to Brexit, here may be the solution. Parliament should say:
Though we are not legally bound by the referendum, we respect the will of the people and will follow it. It is for precisely that reason we are driven to a highly unusual — but we believe essential — course of action. Because the will of the people — now that more facts are out and attention has truly focused — seems strongly to “remain,” we feel an obligation to be certain the will of the people truly is to “leave.” If it is, as it may be — so be it. But too much is at stake not to be sure. If a significant majority of the population prefer to remain — especially the young, who will live with the consequences of this decision so much longer than their grandparents — then it is our duty to take that fully into account.
No?