Let's Play Risk

"Let's play Twister, let's play Risk." I don't for one moment imagine that Michael Stipe and REM entered the thoughts of protagonists debating you know what, but they should have. Let's play Risk. Or initially, let's play a simple card game involving risk. One option is the known (or as known as can possibly be known). The other is unknown. Stick or twist? Let's play Twister, moving into precarious positions and then falling.

The British, though imbued with a streak of entrepreneurial risk-taking, are generally a conservative people (small c). They are a middle-of-the-road society with middle thoughts who more or less invented middle class. Down the middle. But then that's what happened. Right down the middle. Split apart. One half has opted not to stick. Let's play Risk. If you are given those options, and be truthful, which would you take? Status quo or the mould-breaking twist of punk raging against the machine? How very contrary the British can also be.

Let's play Risk. It's not about occupying every territory on the board, more about retreat. Ah yes, but it's a game of strategic conquest. Victory! All hail the risk-takers. And now what? The Risk map could be re-drawn. London, the Scots, the people of Ulster forming a union, declaring a separate nation. Don't be daft, that wouldn't happen. But who knows what will happen? Really happen. Down the line. Back to the Risk board, and the dotted armies of populists who roam the hinterlands of the European continent.

Drawing up a post-European map was the easy part. Predicated on hypothesis for the obvious reason that waters are not charted. Lack of precedence. Though one could say the same for European union, wherein lies the rub. They forgot to make people love it - union, that is. Middle-of-the-road societies still need to express love and to feel that they are being loved. Let's play Risk. But what remains because of leave? What do the conjurors, the magicians, the illusionists of leave have? Michael Stipe again: "If you believe there's nothing up his sleeve."