Having been on Twitter at varying points today I get the feeling that things are fragmenting a little bit politically. I'm talking about the general public here. I think people are starting to get tired of the Brexit argument, from both sides. I don't know if this is a good thing or a bad thing, but I guess it was inevitable that the fizz would start to go. It always massively benefits the status quo whenever this happens. As change requires energy. So I fear for Brexit if Boris's heart (and his boundless energy) is not in it.
I can feel this jadedness myself. Today we've seen more fear regarding the potentiality of a "no deal", especially in regard Northern Ireland yet again. Before I would've been annoyed and ready to make the counter argument, but I haven't really felt the urge to do that today. Mainly through sheer boredom. I'm getting too bored to even argue now (!) There are only so many times you can explain the Irish border to someone.
- That there already is a border. That they even use a different currency in the Republic of Ireland at present !
- That we don't need checks at the border for businesses as it's their responsibility to act within the law. That if they get caught fiddling their taxes, or selling illegal products, or not following the law of the land - anywhere in the land - then they will be taken to court and prosecuted. Just like any business breaking the law anywhere else.
- That when goods from a factory in the Republic of Ireland are taken to a shop in Northern Ireland all the paperwork is done by the respective companies, at their respective shops and factories. Not at some imaginary point on the journey.
- That a hard border, with border checks at the border, is only required to stop serious criminal activity. Smuggling weapons, human trafficking, etc. That given the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland are both modern, civilised countries, that believe in the rule of law, they will obviously work together to tackle such illegal behaviour.
- That any such checks can be as soft as random checks on the respective motorways or checks simply pulling over suspicious vehicles. Again, just as police would do anywhere else in the country.
So any talk of a hard border that would stop Irish people and businesses from carrying on exactly as normal is just blatant fear mongering. It's pretty irresponsible as well given the history.
I said I was getting bored making this argument, but I've somehow found the ire and energy to do it here it seems - even at this late hour 😄
It is quite infuriating though to see people looking for problems that aren't really there, and refusing to look at the nuts and bolts reality.
The way the doom-mongers conflate the Irish border and the border in the English Channel is particularly revealing and indicative of their lack of basic common sense too.
Obviously when things come into the country by a sea port there have to be checks. As a ship journey ends, and a land journey begins. So goods need to be unloaded from a ship and then loaded onto a lorry or some other vehicle. So you have to check to make sure you know what's coming off the ship or going onto the lorry, or vice versa.
Because of these checks at the ports - be they extra checks, or just different checks - then yes, there could be some temporary slow down at these borders. It would only be temporary though, as the change is adapted to, and it isn't really a huge thing to worry about. Certainly not to the extent of the panic reporting we've been subjected to. Of course, in reality, as everyone who's worked in the real world knows, sometimes checks can be rushed through or completely ignored anyway if things are running way behind schedule. So even if there were delays they could be dealt with pretty quickly I would wager.
I'm not sure how seriously regulations are taken at the ports - I would guess much more strictly than the places I've worked (: However, we are just talking about basic goods for the most part here. If a company pays for 40,000 tins of beans but only receives 38,000 on the delivery it's bad for business, but hardly a national security issue. Plus it must be noted, all the doom-mongers and remainers getting their heads in a tizz over border checks seem rather blase about the countless illegal migrants that are turning up in the backs of lorries every day as it stands. I really don't know how they have the nerve to complain about the potential state of a post-Brexit border when the borders are in absolute chaos already.
At the Irish border there's obviously no need for such checks though. It's not like goods are unloaded from one vehicle and then put into another at the border. It's just one long journey from factory to warehouse, or warehouse to shop. This is just basic common sense. It shouldn't need pointing out really. Although to be fair these things, even though they're simple, practical things, only really become obvious once you begin to think about it all. When you actually imagine (or experience in real life) the process of moving goods from one place to another.
Remainers just seem to refuse to think about it altogether though, and continue to conflate all these small practical issues into one huge calamity. Blurring all borders into one big imaginary one.
It's a bit like dealing with a friend or family member that doesn't want to do something, but won't admit it. Instead of just saying they don't want to go to the cinema they pretend they want to but make excuses..
"..but what if the film we want to see isn't on?"
"Don't worry, no problem, I'll phone up and find out."
"..yeah, but it's going to rain, we'll get soaked."
"No worries, I'll get a brolly."
"...but, but, but.."
It's a bit like that. Any excuse to drag their feet.
Finally, regarding the idea of a hard border on the "island of Ireland" as they say. The very idea that the EU would do this or insist upon it is particularly insulting to the UK and Northern Ireland. Just look at how poorly maintained the entire external border of the EU has been over the last decade or so. It's so porous as to be non-existent. The idea that they would go to such trouble and get so uppity about border problems in Ireland, while at the same time taking their real, wider border issues so unseriously just illustrates a complete lack of goodwill on their part.
I keep hoping, given the reality of the situation at present, that the EU will start listening to people and reform, but it's just not happened. Quite the opposite in fact. We're seeing a bigger push for further integration.
Why not be more flexible with Britain either within or outside the EU?
The fact that it will neither offer Britain the option to reform things from within, or to have good, friendly relations without, shows that we are dealing with sheer idealism here. An idealism that leaves no room for alternative opinions, and that puts ideology ahead of reality and compromise.
I really wish they'd all just chill out a bit.
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