Worst of both worlds Twelve
I had originally intended to post this article on Thursday 16th but after the tragic events of that day it seemed appropriate to step back for a few days.
Here is what will probably be the last in my series of the worst nonsense and scaremongers of both sides
The most extreme "Remain" scare of the campaign
Donald Tusk, President of the European Council, is normally one of the most sensible of the top Eurocrats. This week he was suggesting correctly that the EU will have to learn lessons from the issues raised by the UK referendum campaign even if there is a "Remain" vote, one of them being that the enthusiasm of the elites for the European project is not shared by the peoples of Europe.
Nevertheless last week hecame out with probably the most extreme scare of the entire campaign when he suggested that Britain leaving the EU could threaten Western Civilisation.
I could not at first believe that Donald Tusk could really have said this. I wondered if it might be another press exaggeration as when the newspapers wrongly described David Cameron as having said that Brexit might lead to World War III (which is a ridiculous exaggeration of what the PM actually said).
So I checked both Reuters and the BBC, and it appears that the President of the European Council really did say of Brexit to readers Bild, a German newspaper,
"Why is it so dangerous?
Because no one can foresee what the long-term consequences would be,"
and Tusk added.
"As a historian I fear that Brexit could be the beginning of the destruction of not only the EU but also of western political civilization in its entirety."
Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear.
The worst collection of Leave scares of the last fortnight of the campaign.
Despite describing the Remain side as "Project Fear" the Leave side has run their own fear campaign comprising a large number of totally ridiculous scaremongers every bit as bad as the worst scaremongers from the Remain side.
Leave's comments about Turkey have been particularly inaccurate and irresponsible, ranging from rubbish to dangerous and incendiary rubbish. We have also been treated to vast quantities of nonsense from Leave about the proposal for a so-called "European army" and a non-existent threat to Britain's seat on the UN security council.
I have a lot of time for Dan Hannan MEP, but considering that he has been tweeting all sorts of pictures taking the mick out of the Remain for supposedly predicting everything from Godzilla and giant bears attacking London to meteorite storms and floods if there is a Leave vote, perhaps he should not have also written an egregiously fact-free article in the Daily Mail predicting ten supposed EU bombshells timed to go off after the date of the referendum in the event of a Remain vote.
Having read the answers to these points on the In Facts fact checking website I am convinced by their arguments that not one of these ten supposed bombshells represents a real threat.
I am very glad indeed that in another two days this referendum campaign will be over.
I just hope that whichever side loses accepts that we have to make the majority decision work and resists the temptation to concoct another barrage of nonsense to justify their defeat.
Here is what will probably be the last in my series of the worst nonsense and scaremongers of both sides
The most extreme "Remain" scare of the campaign
Donald Tusk, President of the European Council, is normally one of the most sensible of the top Eurocrats. This week he was suggesting correctly that the EU will have to learn lessons from the issues raised by the UK referendum campaign even if there is a "Remain" vote, one of them being that the enthusiasm of the elites for the European project is not shared by the peoples of Europe.
Nevertheless last week hecame out with probably the most extreme scare of the entire campaign when he suggested that Britain leaving the EU could threaten Western Civilisation.
I could not at first believe that Donald Tusk could really have said this. I wondered if it might be another press exaggeration as when the newspapers wrongly described David Cameron as having said that Brexit might lead to World War III (which is a ridiculous exaggeration of what the PM actually said).
So I checked both Reuters and the BBC, and it appears that the President of the European Council really did say of Brexit to readers Bild, a German newspaper,
"Why is it so dangerous?
Because no one can foresee what the long-term consequences would be,"
and Tusk added.
"As a historian I fear that Brexit could be the beginning of the destruction of not only the EU but also of western political civilization in its entirety."
Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear.
The worst collection of Leave scares of the last fortnight of the campaign.
Despite describing the Remain side as "Project Fear" the Leave side has run their own fear campaign comprising a large number of totally ridiculous scaremongers every bit as bad as the worst scaremongers from the Remain side.
Leave's comments about Turkey have been particularly inaccurate and irresponsible, ranging from rubbish to dangerous and incendiary rubbish. We have also been treated to vast quantities of nonsense from Leave about the proposal for a so-called "European army" and a non-existent threat to Britain's seat on the UN security council.
I have a lot of time for Dan Hannan MEP, but considering that he has been tweeting all sorts of pictures taking the mick out of the Remain for supposedly predicting everything from Godzilla and giant bears attacking London to meteorite storms and floods if there is a Leave vote, perhaps he should not have also written an egregiously fact-free article in the Daily Mail predicting ten supposed EU bombshells timed to go off after the date of the referendum in the event of a Remain vote.
Having read the answers to these points on the In Facts fact checking website I am convinced by their arguments that not one of these ten supposed bombshells represents a real threat.
I am very glad indeed that in another two days this referendum campaign will be over.
I just hope that whichever side loses accepts that we have to make the majority decision work and resists the temptation to concoct another barrage of nonsense to justify their defeat.
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