IN BREXIT MODE
driven. What is happening in the UK now is the battle of
“descriptions” of the same set of physical facts. Brexit,
Non-Brexit, Soft-Brexit, Hard Brexit, Boris Johnson (he
is a physical fact that persuaded us that he is a ‘Story’),
Reese- Moggs (another physical fact that turned itself into
a Gothic Horror Tale), etc. What is happening is a war for
people's minds.
There are three fundamental narratives that need to be
looked at to understand the mess UK has got itself into.
1. EMPIRE
British physical Empire has been gone since mid-sixties.
It has been replaced by imaginary fi nancial services and
off shore tax havens based Empire (it roughly matches the
perimeter of former physical Empire). The problem with
economy based on fi nancial services and off shore tax havens
is that it can and does exist inside imagination of entire nation.
It could potentially work, provided it is supported by very
strong narrative of “National Identity”. That leads us to the
second narrative.
2. BRITISHNESS
One of core elements of story the British have been
telling themselves was "my word is my bond, we never
leave our partners behind at the fi rst diffi culty". The biggest
damage done by Brexit is not that of economy, but the one of
abandoning and leaving behind partners bound by promise
(word) given. Thus, the "treachery" as a new core trait crept
in. Consciously, majority could not articulate what was that
suddenly made the entire nation look for objective reasons to
alleviate the new national Cognitive Dissonance. "Clutching
the straws" commenced-stories that "EU was CIA creation"
(although this one is partially true), EU was created to enrich
Germany and France (partially true), "all jobs are returning
from immigrants to true Brits" (in fact, most of the jobs
done by immigrants are the ones true Brits wouldn't touch
with a barge pole) etc. When Cognitive Dissonance becomes
unbearable, it is time for “Misdirection”.
3. This leads us to the third narrative-BOGEYMAN.
The purpose of this narrative is to defi ne an outside force
that could be used to explain away everything that under
normal circumstances would call for admission of blame and
taking responsibilities for real or perceived mistakes that had
been made. In the past that used to be "evil communism". Now
replaced by "evil foreigners" (they speak in strange tongues
and have weird customs and they are suspect, anyway).
Then there is one stand-alone Narrative- THE ROYAL
FAMILY NARRATIVE.
The one constant "fixture" of the Kingdom, the one
Narrative that Still somehow holds it all together in British
psyche is the The Royal Family Narrative.
The core element of this narrative always has been the
Queen.
The Queen has been the most reliable Signpost for
the UK for the last 65 years. Although number of those
questioning what is the point to The Royal Family has
been growing sharply, it has never been really challenged
because of almost irrational emotional charge behind it. The
Rational answer of many Brits would be that Monarchy is
an anachronism. However, "rational" has been occupying
The Queen has been the
most reliable Signpost for
the UK for the last 65 years.
Although number of those
questioning what is the
point to The Royal Family
has been growing sharply,
it has never been really
challenged because of
almost irrational emotional
charge behind it.
26 • Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Diplomatist • Vol 6 • Issue 10 • Oct-Nov 2018, Noida