If the surprise outcome of the recent UK referendum - on whether to leave or remain in the European Union - teaches us anything, it is that supposedly worthy displays of democracy in action can actually do more harm than good. Witness a nation now more divided; an intergenerational schism in the making; both a governing and opposition party torn to shreds from the inside; infinitely more complex issues raised than satisfactory solutions provided. It begs the question 'Was it really all worth it' ?
mistakes poverty fear breakup lies inspirational-quotes worth empowerment growth choices separation regret decisions identity power breakups control neighbors blame leadership breaking-up friendship-quotes education lessons deceit racism protection enmity worth-it life-changing democracy left-behind introspection protect break-up stronger power-of-thoughts power-of-words teachings self-harm danger security disaster fascism currency politicians english unity peace-of-mind conviction breaking-free race jobs debate prosperity peace-making peace-movement rights life-changing-events elections surprises issues status-quo campaigning safety choices-and-consequences surprise economy decision-making political-philosophy complexity capitalism results reform political-parties warning british political nationalism political-commentary irish employment persuasion error wales welsh errors lessons-learned debates result division terrorism philosophy-quotes peace-quote introspective generations lessons-learnt worthwhile remain right-path immigration historians democracy-gone-wrong economics-society britain lessons-learned-in-life crossroads scepticism collaboration quote-of-the-day empowering-quotes warnings growth-ideology lessons-for-man lessons-of-life quotable quotable-quotes quotes-about-life judgement-day blame-game team-building england decision-quotes educational-quotes cooperation decisions-in-life teamwork controlling conviction-quotes leadership-quotes teaching-quotes identity-crisis mistakes-quotes unity-quotes wealth-creation poverty-quotes team-spirit choices-quotes integration powerful-quotes unity-of-all-people teacher-quotes stronger-quotes inclusion separation-and-union life-challenges regret-quotes leadership-styles politics-quotes youthful-optimism scotland scottish vote antagonism schools collaborative fear-quote new-dawn election-results new-day-quotes racism-quotes neighbours hospitals confrontation jobseeking self-inflicted outcome-quotes uk voters european european-history judgement-quotes enemy-quotes safeguard choices-based-on-faith harmful cultural-identity deprivation right-wing-politics united-kingdom reformers dangerous-minds campaigns divorce-quotes national-security lies-we-tell-ourselves results-quote trying-times war-on-terror poverty-alleviation antagonistic austerity better-in better-off boris-johnson breaking-rules brexit british-history british-people brussels budget-cuts campaign-contributions campaign-promises choices-you-make clash-of-civilizations clashes co-operate-leaders co-operation complexity-and-information confrontational cultural-diversity currency-trading dangerous-liaisons dangerous-world david-cameron debate-quotes deceit-quotes democracy-criticism democracy-voting devolution devolve disaster-quotes discord disenchantment disenfranchised disengagement divisions divisions-in-society divisiveness economic-collapse economic-crisis election-promises employment-laws enemy-of-the-state enmity-quotes eu euro euro-eurosceptic european-civilization european-economic-area european-imperialism european-union europeans euroscepticism fascism-in-europe generation-gap going-it-alone history-repeating-itself identity-confusion identity-politics inclusive introspective-quotes leadership-contest left-wing lies-politics life-changing-quotes little-england little-englander national-identity northern-ireland persuasiveness political-quandary political-quotes politicians-quotations politicians-quotes politicians-tradegy politics-observation poor-choices poverty-and-politics poverty-inequality prosperity-quote quotability racism-and-culture referendum referendums regression regrets-in-life remain-quote right-wing sceptical schools-of-thought self-harmer self-inflicted-misery self-inflicted-pain separation-anxiety separation-of-powers separations sovreign sovreignty squabble squabbling take-back take-back-control tariffs torn-apart torn-from-the-inside-out tory tory-party vote-for-the-truth vote-leave vote-remain votes warning-quotes
What some politicians really mean when they saythis country: me, my party, my ethnic groupinternational justice is biased: they want to arrest meterrorists: oppositionillegal immigrants: refugeeselections: remaining in powerpeace: eliminating the oppositioninternational community: the rich countriesthe people: sympathisers of my party