The problem with this whole thing is not so much about the European Union, or the pros & cons of staying or leaving it...it's really about politics in general.
Specifically, how 'politics' as a concept is becoming increasingly irrelevant in the 21st century - and politicians have only themselves to blame for that.
By getting into bed so thoroughly with 24hr televised media, politicians have become a willing part of a celebrity-oriented, attention-seeking circle jerk. The media want their stories (good or bad, they don't care) and the politicians want their exposure in the limelight, so the unholy incestuous narcissism feedback loop continues unabated.
The key thing for me about the whole EU referendum is that BOTH main political parties campaigned to Remain. On the day of the vote, all the tv and online media were citing exit polls saying the remain voters had won - because that was they all expected. The sweeping arrogance of the politicians and journalists on tv the night of the referendum was quite frankly disgusting. Before the votes had actually been tallied, both the politicians and the media had already decided in their own minds how the vote result was going to go.
So when the actual result came in they were all completely lost and confused.
Which to my mind illustrated perfectly everything that's wrong with how the current culture of politics and media works. Because as always, the reality was that they were BOTH completely out of touch with what the public were really thinking and feeling.
Media and politicians take 'the people' for granted. For one, they're just 'ratings' and for the other they're merely a currency they use now and then to get elected. And so when these 'people' turn round and suddenly do something unexpected, the self-obsessed media and politicians automatically look around within their own ranks for someone to blame...because it simply couldn't be the 'people' could it? Because they're just...people, they can't think for themselves can they?
It shows with crystal clarity their extreme arrogance.
It simply never occurs to them for one instant that the public voted the way they did because they're actually utterly sick of politicians and media telling them what to think, saying they themselves are the only important ones, that they know best, and never bothering to listen to what the people actually think.
In very real terms, the referendum vote was nothing short of a revolution.
Except there were no guns or swords in this revolution, no noblemen facing the guillotine, or rich palaces being ransacked by outraged peasants.
No.
What's happening here is a communications revolution. It's all about the accessibility of information that was previously considered to be the exclusive bailiwick of the power-broking elite. By which I mean of course...the media and politicians. They are now no longer in control of information, but the sad truth is because they're so complacent and arrogant, they haven't realised it yet.
I predict this EU vote will only be the first of many similar situations around the globe, where 'people' will be the ones calling the shots, against the brainwashing desires of journalists and politicians.
And the really sad part?
In a way, the politicans are right. They ARE the ones who should be steering humanity's ship - but by allowing themselves to be blindsided by the lure of celebrity, they've ended up forfeiting any right they had to be respected. And when people see the excesses of politicians, and the sickening hyperbole of headline-grabbing journalism, they just say "You know what? Screw it. Screw you, and you, and all this! It's not relevant to me any more. If you want my respect, my vote, my views, then you have to damn well EARN it!"