Of course we're all fallible (and mostly human) but that wasn't what I was responding to. Wasn't Spen's point that people voted as they did because they felt insulted? If they did, that's not terribly smart.
No, that was not my point at all.
to give an example about brexit - although this could be applied to other votes.
A person (lets call him X) has concerns about the immigration situation and about the number of people coming into UK from say Asia and blames this on being in the EU . They express concerns and is called a racist or a Little Englander. or because of seeing this happen to others who have raised concerns - they do not raise their concerns. The debate about immigration does not take place.
X therefore is not disabused of his view that the EU is to blame and so at the referendum votes Leave. If the debate could have taken place without insults and abuse, then X may have realised the EU was not the problem and so would not have voted leave.
The insults and abuse prevented the debate and the exchange of views, thus educating people
This happens all the time about various issues and those especially on the left in UK do not seem to have realised they need to have the debate with people who they need to vote for them. This contrasts with Northern Ireland, where Sinn Fein have realised they need to appeal to both Unionist and Nationalists and are making big steps forward, whereas the Unionists still continue to insult and abuse those who disagree with them and as a result are fading away slowly
