The Telegraph compared Brexit to the Reformation but forgot some important facts – the 11 best reactions
If you throw a stick in the general direction of the print media – and you probably shouldn’t, because they’re having enough trouble as it is – you’ll hit ten think-pieces on Brexit. Why Brexit is happening, what kind of Brexit will work, how to make a Brexit out of sticky-backed plastic, and all the rest. The latest is a Telegraph piece, written by Giles Fraser, parish priest, broadcaster and Brexit supporter.
The English Reformation was the first Brexit, writes @giles_fraser https://t.co/sRI8o8vJsC pic.twitter.com/T3jC4k9hoF
— The Telegraph (@Telegraph) August 14, 2018
As he was trying to make a positive point, he might have been better off researching the Reformation a little more closely, as his comparison doesn’t stand up to scrutiny.
1.
Meanwhile in the Telegraph, Giles Fraser explains that it’ll be OK because we survived that thing in the 16th century when a reckless tyrant split from Rome, setting in motion a century of unrest, religious persecution, looting, burnings at the stake, invasions & terrorist plots. pic.twitter.com/3nAMWQFpj6
— Nicholas Pegg (@NicholasPegg) August 14, 2018
2.
@Telegraph As far as I recall the English Reformation was before the the act of union and so Britain didn't actually exist. This issue with #Europe has long been a very English issue. In #Scotland we embrace our European brothers and sisters #Brexit #BrexitShambles pic.twitter.com/4FR1oIO8BP
— Jonsy (@jdaddow) August 14, 2018
3.
I'm not sure that drawing links between leaving the EU and a series of events which preceded generations of bloodshed, persecution and civil war, makes as strong a case for Brexit as @Telegraph and @giles_fraser may have originally thought it might. https://t.co/7E9vzcpQID
— Sam Kerr (@GlobalCap_Sam) August 14, 2018
4.
By "break from Europe" do you mean replacing an English/Scottish/Welsh ruling family with one from Holland and then Germany ? https://t.co/ntP6stBtsa
— Nick Reid (@Shinsei1967) August 14, 2018
5.
I see that instead of claiming brexit will improve our lives we’re back to arguing that if we can survive spurious examples from history when Henry the fucking 8th was in charge we won’t be completely fucking annihilated by it. Let the good times fucking roll. pic.twitter.com/A54fRsLqZK
— James Felton (@JimMFelton) August 14, 2018
6.
Thousands died. https://t.co/itcw5iQQYA
— Timothy J. Collins (@WarAndCake) August 14, 2018
7.
Has anyone told the Telegraph that the Reformation started in the German states? https://t.co/CCKK5v7mMA
— Carolyn Hughes (@cazzrhughes) August 14, 2018
8.
https://twitter.com/SpillerOfTea/status/1029310363886657537
9.
Yes, and we also survived the black death, the year of the plague and the fire of London. I think if you are reduced to using a previous national trauma as a reference point for your argument, then you've… you know… lost it, really.
Shame. it was going so well for you (not). https://t.co/bhv1odnuuF— paul freeman (@freemp31) August 14, 2018
There were a couple of observations about the Telegraph’s paywall.
10.
Praise the lord this is behind a paywall so there is absolutely no risk of me reading it. https://t.co/cn23AZ8rfl
— James O'Malley (@Psythor) August 14, 2018
11.
Once more, the Telegraph’s paywall fade acts as the written equivalent of walking away from a drunk prick in a pub. pic.twitter.com/ta1u6AyTTO
— Alex Andreou (@sturdyAlex) August 14, 2018
Then Joseph S. Kovacs came up with a foolproof plan.
Just sent our vast hordes of troops to the EU to strip valuable assets from government buildings and make a success of Brexit. We can’t fail if we follow the blueprint that the Reformation laid out for us 😏
I wonder if Dominic Raab has thought of this.
