Brexit and the politics of ignorance

Thanks to a combination of fear mongering, racism and nationalism, Great Britain will withdraw from the European Union.  Even assuming an agnostic stance as to the benefits or drawbacks of leaving, it seems like a stupid, retrograde policy.   Soon to be ex Prime Minister David Cameron agreed to this referendum to quiet the Tory base voters, assuming an overwhelming majority of Britons would see the long term interests of the country being served by remaining part of the EU.  Republicans in the US made a similar calculation and are now dealing with The Donald.  It is fashionable to say the voters who made these choices are worried about globalism or are raging against the elites running their countries.  From neo-Nazi skinheads in Germany to Marie LePen's nationalist party to Trump's republicans, I believe the real reason for these contrarian votes is plain old fashioned racism.   There are a lot of grumpy old whites who feel the world is passing them by and they are being overwhelmed by "those people".  If we only build walls, retreat to our national borders and shrink from engaging with the rest of the world our white privilege will be restored.  Those who sugar coat this naked appeal to prejudice are doing all of us a disservice.  Brexit and Trumpism must be called out for what they are; naked appeals to the basest motives.