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Johnson Invokes Hitler as Brexit Debate Heats Up
Source: Bloomberg
Johnson Invokes Hitler as Brexit Debate Heats Up
By Craig Stirling
May 15, 2016 — 10:40 AM EDT
Brexit campaigners invoked Adolf Hitler as a parallel with the European Union and criticized the Bank of England governor, evidence of the debate becoming increasingly caustic six weeks before Britain’s referendum.
The two-pronged offensive began with former Mayor of London Boris Johnson making the historical analogy in an interview with the Sunday Telegraph, saying attempts to unify the region tend to end “tragically.” Allies backed him in that analysis and also used media appearances to criticize Mark Carney for the BOE’s warning of the economic consequences of a vote to leave, forcing the governor to defend his actions.
The remarks reflect pressure points in the fight over EU membership that were underscored in a ComRes poll published over the weekend showing Brexit arguments for the June 23 vote are convincing people more on national security grounds than on the economy. The Bank of England and the International Monetary Fund last week both released analyses on the risks of an exit, and Carney insisted that was the right thing to do.
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“The truth is that the history of the last couple of thousand years has been broadly repeated attempts by various people or institutions -- in a Freudian way -- to rediscover the lost childhood of Europe, this golden age of peace and prosperity under the Romans, by trying to unify it,” Johnson was quoted as saying. “Napoleon, Hitler, various people tried this out, and it ends tragically.”
[font size=1]-snip-[/font]
By Craig Stirling
May 15, 2016 — 10:40 AM EDT
Brexit campaigners invoked Adolf Hitler as a parallel with the European Union and criticized the Bank of England governor, evidence of the debate becoming increasingly caustic six weeks before Britain’s referendum.
The two-pronged offensive began with former Mayor of London Boris Johnson making the historical analogy in an interview with the Sunday Telegraph, saying attempts to unify the region tend to end “tragically.” Allies backed him in that analysis and also used media appearances to criticize Mark Carney for the BOE’s warning of the economic consequences of a vote to leave, forcing the governor to defend his actions.
The remarks reflect pressure points in the fight over EU membership that were underscored in a ComRes poll published over the weekend showing Brexit arguments for the June 23 vote are convincing people more on national security grounds than on the economy. The Bank of England and the International Monetary Fund last week both released analyses on the risks of an exit, and Carney insisted that was the right thing to do.
[font size=1]-snip-[/font]
“The truth is that the history of the last couple of thousand years has been broadly repeated attempts by various people or institutions -- in a Freudian way -- to rediscover the lost childhood of Europe, this golden age of peace and prosperity under the Romans, by trying to unify it,” Johnson was quoted as saying. “Napoleon, Hitler, various people tried this out, and it ends tragically.”
[font size=1]-snip-[/font]
Read more: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-05-15/hitler-invoked-by-johnson-as-team-brexit-seeks-carney-s-silence
