Is Britain Becoming a Failed State?

The over the top rhetoric is getting tiresome. It’s become trendy to dismiss every legitimate viewpoint you may disagree with as being the harbinger of the end of civilization. Of course Britain isn’t a “failed state.” It’s a sovereign country going through a contentious internal debate on disengaging from a multi-national trade union.

By the way, the “enemies of the people” quote is from a Daily Mail headline, not anyone in government as the author implies.

We're at a stage where ignorance is celebrated. The EU has been attacked by the press so much people blame it for everything.

This week a football pundit blamed the EU for a recent handball rules change[0]. On live TV. What hope do we have?

Frankly, we are an embarrassment and don't deserve the EU.

[0] https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/premier-league/...

> But given the extent to which the Brexit campaign has undermined Britain's institutions through lies, it is reasonable to worry that the country will soon come to resemble a tinpot dictatorship.

One could contend that the Brexit crisis is a culmination of decades of bad governance, that itself bears ultimate culpability. It's all too convenient to pretend that the other side is composed of nothing more than gullible rubes.

Let's not forget that the state is not just the politicians. When we talk about failed states, it's often not just that the wrong people are in political leadership positions, but that everyday responsibilities of the state are not being fulfilled.

So for instance you have countries where you don't expect the police come and help you if there's a crime. Or where kids aren't offered education. Those kinds of things certainly are also the responsibility of the political leaders, but it will probably be a while before they break down in the UK. There is at least some institutional memory in the civil service that will allow things to keep going for some time. Belgium ran for a while with no government.

"Yes, (Prime) Minister" was very much about this; whatever fool is in power doesn't matter terribly much, because there's capable people in actual power.

Really? If you want to see a failed state look at Venezuela. Britain might have her challenge, but it's far from a failed state. I'll stick pick Britain over many other locations in EU

Before dismissing this (although I suspect it will be flagkilled anyway), it's worth noting that the author is a Conservative, and the former govenor of Hong Kong.

Written by Chris Patten, a long time Conservative party member that has always been very pro-Europe. So of course he thinks leaving the EU is a disaster, because it goes against his long held belief that the UK should be all-in with Europe.