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The call for “positive thinking” is increasingly being used by politicians and journalists to shut down proper discussion of Brexit. 1/?
“Be positive” is posited as an alternative to “be informed” or “be smart” about this. 2/
interview with exporter on #r4today this morning was classic example of this. 3/
A leading stakeholder at Brexit coalface was prevented from raising issues, & instead corralled into saying we need to think positively. 4/
This is not “positive thinking” but “magical thinking”. The more we indulge in it, the less likely we are to have an ‘orderly’ exit. 5/
Notably, such calls for “positive thinking” seem to go hand in hand with negative portraits of the EU as cartoonishly nefarious. 6/
It’s equivalent of saying “let’s all close our eyes, stick our fingers in our ears, hum Rule Britannia & the bogey monster will go away”. 7/
IMO “positive thinking” is transparent airing of issues, proper consideration of evidence, clear setting-out of options & consequences. 8/
For which we need to hear from and listen to experts and stakeholders, not shut them down. 9/9
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