This morning after is so British: Brexit explained on Twitter
"The finest Brexit was in 1947." This cool one-liner, from Indian journalist Manu Joseph, could have remained just a joke, had it not for the "morning after" that Britain has subjected the entire world to. With its referendum to "Leave the European Union", now notorious as "Brexit", United Kingdom has not just shocked most of us, it has also called into question its very union - with Scotland and Northern Ireland, and its position in this altered world order, as the previously 28-strong EU is now at a reduced strength of 27.
Obviously, the man cheering Brexit the loudest is UKIP's Nigel Farage, the far-right leader who has hailed the June 23 vote as an "Independence Day".
We have done it! #IndependenceDayhttps://t.co/C96aoqlnpM
— Nigel Farage (@Nigel_Farage) June 24, 2016
We've left behind a failed political union. We can now rejoin the world as an independent, self-governing nation.https://t.co/oqMbzLWhqO
— Nigel Farage (@Nigel_Farage) June 24, 2016
Guess the folks behind the sci-fi franchise whose next release will be in a few months are not quite okay with Farage encroaching into daylight fantasies.
The Ironi #Brexit pic.twitter.com/ayR2p4VVVF
— Pegboard Nerds (@PegboardNerds) June 24, 2016
But of course who can outshine by a million watts the halo that Farage suddenly finds around his museumisable head? Obviously, the Real Donald Trump. The US presidential hopeful and the Republican candidate is in Scotland to promote, wait, the new golf course he has just launched, and he made the following observation:
Just arrived in Scotland. Place is going wild over the vote. They took their country back, just like we will take America back. No games!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 24, 2016
America is proud to stand shoulder-to-shoulder w/a free & ind UK. We stand together as friends, as allies, & as a people w/a shared history.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 24, 2016
Many are going wild over the imminent confusion that may arise between the next British prime minister, the ex-mayor of London and Etonian Boris Johnson - the chiefest Leave proponent - and Trump.
#trump and #BorisJohnson share a ❤️ for freedom and sovereignty but they also share the same stylist. pic.twitter.com/CFnysCY7XT
— Tore (@drlindeman) June 24, 2016
On the upside, having Donald Trump and Boris Johnson in charge should see increased interest in crowdfunding a Mars mission #brexit. #Seat1A
— Aaron Kearney (@aaronkearneyaus) June 24, 2016
“The U.K. needs fresh leadership:” Cameron resigns as British Prime Minister #EURefResultshttps://t.co/xPnGLWBOun pic.twitter.com/dEc8hJ6UY7
— Newsweek (@Newsweek) June 24, 2016
Okay world we need a strategy to stop this @GeorgeMonbiot pic.twitter.com/0HJJgiwIhx
— Jony Easterby (@EasterbyJony) June 24, 2016
My god, what have we done?
— GeorgeMonbiot (@GeorgeMonbiot) June 24, 2016
This country: screwed by the rich for the rich.
— Aditya Chakrabortty (@chakrabortty) June 24, 2016
'Brexit' to be followed by Grexit. Departugal. Italeave. Fruckoff. Czechout. Oustria. Finish. Slovakout. Latervia. Byegium.
— Mikhail Golub (@golub) June 23, 2016
It's strange thing to live both in Sadiq Khan's London and Nigel Farage's Britain.
— Sarfraz Manzoor (@sarfrazmanzoor) June 24, 2016
While some are weighing in David Cameron's legacy, by which they mean turning Great Britain into, eventually, Little England.
Cameron: oopsey daisy, I broke your world, ta ta...
— Philip Gourevitch (@PGourevitch) June 24, 2016
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The front page of the New York Times printed its two cents of lament from across the Atlantic. US president Barack Obama and Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton were openly against Brexit.
The front page of The New York Times for Friday, June 24 pic.twitter.com/byKJDgV9xl
— The New York Times (@nytimes) June 24, 2016
The English, meanwhile, took refuge in memes and gifs.
THIS, my god, THIS (from https://t.co/uYpMAFt2S8) pic.twitter.com/Cjg318Wgq6
— Sunny Hundal (@sunny_hundal) June 23, 2016
And wept over statistics,
HOW AGES VOTED(YouGov poll)18-24: 75% Remain25-49: 56% Remain50-64: 44% Remain65+: 39% Remain#EUref
— Ben Riley-Smith (@benrileysmith) June 23, 2016
The markets did what they do best: crash.
The Great British Pound took a pounding, to say the least. It hasn't stopped raining puns.
BREXIT: Markets- Pound down 10% against Dollar- Down 15% against Yen- American stock futures plunge- Oil down 6%- Gold up 7%
— The Int'l Spectator (@intlspectator) June 24, 2016
Meanwhile, Britain looked like a sorry and aged version of itself, as it became increasingly clear that the young had voted overwhelmingly against the Brexit, while the older, white Britons wanted to leave.
The past just hijacked the future, and the English stiff upper lip was actually stitched shut out of awkwardness this time.
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Considering how the West likes to solve problems in the rest of the world, I think we should split the UK: one side in the EU, the other out
— Karl Sharro (@KarlreMarks) June 23, 2016
Just amazing that Nicola Sturgeon the first to reassure 100s of 1000s of European workers living in our country. Boris didn't even bother
— Sunny Hundal (@sunny_hundal) June 24, 2016
this episode of black mirror is terrible
— Anthony V. (@fascinated) June 24, 2016
Chin up, Britain. After the Tang dynasty fell it only took us 1100 years to regain global influence. You’ll be back in the saddle by 3116CE.
— The Relevant Organs (@relevantorgans) June 24, 2016
Proud to be part of #TheIndecentMinority https://t.co/wb91hJm1n8
— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) June 24, 2016
The next James Bond will just be him spending 2 hours in passport control at De Gaulle
— Bobby Big Wheel (@BobbyBigWheel) June 23, 2016
I'm so glad democracy has finally been restored to us by a government 24% of us voted for that is owned by HSBC. Sovereignty is a joke.
— Lawrence Richards (@L_K_Richards) June 24, 2016
Of course, the Indian commentariat couldn't stay away from contributing to the background score. From loud wails of despair to careful, unattached, airy fence-sitting - every tweet chirped its way into Indian Twitterverse.
There were the media coverage on media coverage ones too.
Funny to hail #Brexit as victory of democracy. This is a lazy, stupid, irresponsible elected govt giving the keys to the mob & sitting back
— Shekhar Gupta (@ShekharGupta) June 24, 2016
David Cameron resigning is the highlight of David Cameron’s legacy.
— Granit Chacko (@sidin) June 24, 2016
Very very interesting. Basically, young Britain voted for the future, older Britain for the past. https://t.co/WHqhBVb7zy
— Rajdeep Sardesai (@sardesairajdeep) June 24, 2016
Biggest moment in Britain's history in decades and look at the calm and grace with which BBC is covering it. Imagine what we would've done.
— Kunal Pradhan (@_kunal_pradhan) June 24, 2016
Private Eye pic.twitter.com/m6PCzExZu0
— Sidharth Bhatia (@bombaywallah) June 24, 2016
Oh the other side batted as well, loudly cheering for British Empire 2.0 in which India offers up its [insert unmentionable body part] yet again.
Indian policy makers should begin process of negotiating a FTA with post-Brexit UK. Time to move quickly and get into the new game fast.
— Swapan Dasgupta (@swapan55) June 24, 2016
#BREXIT it is! Looks like British intelligentsia and power elite got a kick in the rear end from the voters.
— Rupa Subramanya (@rupasubramanya) June 24, 2016
Democracy scary for"liberals" when kicks em in the rear end.Type of arrogance/stupidity normal folks react against. pic.twitter.com/ZzMTcG18rc
— Rupa Subramanya (@rupasubramanya) June 24, 2016
Then there were the coincidences, the captures, the epiphanies and the raptures.
On the Eurostar. It's broken down. Pure poetry. #Brexit pic.twitter.com/gCsce8WEBL
— Dizraeli (@mcdizraeli) June 24, 2016
I'm not going to tell you which way I would vote. But He-Man would vote #Leave, and he's a complete bellend. #EUref pic.twitter.com/N3lgxGbBia
— Skeletor (@GrumpySkeletor) June 23, 2016
This is just sad #Brexit pic.twitter.com/3s6rI7gW5P
— Lilian Wagdy ليليان (@lilianwagdy) June 24, 2016
And the meme's begin. LOL pic.twitter.com/GHeEBnxF1W
— Leith Abou Fadel (@leithfadel) June 24, 2016
And the anti-nostalgia nostalgia.
only 90's kids will remember #EUref pic.twitter.com/bu5dIwEioq
— Lay (@layla_oneill) June 24, 2016
Strange vibes today… ???? #EU #BREXIT pic.twitter.com/rjoMsDXT4T
— Kurt Martinez (@kurtmartinez) June 24, 2016