It doesn’t appear there can be rapprochement of the competing narratives among progressives about the character of the EU vote in the UK. But what is is & what ain’t ain’t. Dealing with the new realities is priority now, not postmortems & excoriations of the opposition. The political, economic, & social consequences of this vote have not yet fully revealed themselves so there’ll be plenty of opportunity for polemics.
It was Marx who said human beings “make their own history, but they do not make it as they please; they do not make it under self-selected circumstances, but under circumstances existing already, given & transmitted from the past.”
The vote may have emboldened racists & nationalists but that only means political organizing in defense of refugees, immigrants, & citizens who are brown & black has to be more boldly advanced with no time to waste. That is a political task everywhere, not just in the UK, as rightwing extremists gain prominence.
It must be said the tone of the debate has been regrettable but that is inevitable when so much is at stake & the issues so heartfelt. However, one thing is clear: unity among progressives must be forged to respond to nationalist aggressions with massive & maximum political power.