Bob8

Critical thinking combined with self-awareness and self-criticism, as well as peer review and academic discipline. Critical thinking without that produces the sort of posts we get from @Arpeggio.

Critical thinking rarely ends well. Very few of us have understanding of evolution, but we trust people telling us it is true. If we think critically, we will realise we are just trusing people and could end falling for any nonsense. People who think critically about climate change realise it does not make sense to them. That does not actually stop it getting hotter. Critical thinking is highly over-rated.

He also likes theories about 5G causing Covid-19 too.

That has become far more stark in the last eight years.

Understood. I sympathise, it is a surreal discussion at times.

I am saying the brexiters rewrote history because they did.

Before the referendum, we were told that Norway and Switzerland had great deals, while I argued they paid to obey rules and not set them. Post referendum, I was told that they paid to obey rules and not set them adn I was an idiot for not having know. History gets rewritten by people scared of being wrong.

They are more engaged and better informed. It is not a case of being thick or ignorant. The modern world has left fewer Swiss people on the scrap heap.

The mantra is "Everything is someone else's fault!" Blame Remainers! Blame the EU! We got what we wanted! I do not believe they are stupid, but the arguments are clearly stupid.

Well, that is remarkably stupid. If brexit can be defined it is "Not that!".

You are arguing with someone who just makes stuff up. It is pointless.

That has been the biggest eye opener for me this year. If I were to supposed to defend Trump, I can imagine that people think modern politics is bonkers, straight white men are discriminated against unfairly (bonkers, but plenty believe it) and his self-regard and unearned privilage is a bulwark against that. Instead, they are coming up with nonsense about the Democrats being a front for the protocols of the elders of zion and Trump is only pretending to be a dick. But, brexiters have said we would be in the free market and then that they were always determined to leave the free mark

Perhaps. I think we would have left by a larger margin. I think what this shows is that we do not have people who are poltically engaged brexiters, who will confidently argue for it and do not seem to be bonkers.

It cannot be, by its very nature it is a compromise. So, why have it? The answer for Remainers is that it is necessary as we have to workout how to make things operate as smoothly as possible. For Leavers (generally), they cannot see there would be any issues; so the answer to why have it is "Why indeed!". When issues arise, they then assume it is the EU or Remainers making them up because otherwise they would be wrong.

The rest of the UK leaving the EU would have been even messier. This does put Scotland in a tricky situation, as its biggest market might not be the EU.