Intro:

I saw a video today on Channel 4 News of Nigel Farage (leader of the UK Independence Party) talking in European Parliament. The short video contains highlights of the full speech but nevertheless the contents of it caught my interest.

Background on Nigel:

Nigel Farage is quite simply the reason Britain has left the EU at this point in time. Without his charisma in leading UKIP, he wouldn't have collected so many votes from the two main political parties in the UK over the last few years and the prime minister David Cameron wouldn't have had to resort to the promise of a referendum in the last general election to ensure his party's success in the polls. Until recently, unless he has had something to say furthering his perceived goals of gaining support for his party and leaving the EU, he has been largely out of the media spotlight (a concept i'm sure we can understand here).

A significant portion of the UK voted for to leave the EU based at least partially on his arguments for a better future. Largely his arguments are blame games which look at small issues people can relate with and he assigns blame to a particular group for this issue, whether it be immigrants, the other political parties or the bureaucratic nature of the EU. I'm sure there is some truth to his arguments but he uses them in a way to appeal to the lowest common denominator and get their vote away from other more responsible parties.

Now that the UK has decided to leave the EU, people are looking to him and the Leave campaign to keep up their promises and to deliver a plan for the country post Brexit. The Tory majority of the Leave campaign has fallen suspiciously quiet. Whether Nigel and 'Leave' really wanted to win at this point in time or not is speculative but regardless the result has been decided.

The Video:

https://www.facebook.com/Channel4News/videos/10153852068921939

His charisma sold the idea of Brexit to the public and in this video he is stating to other MEPs of the European Parliament why it is a successful decision. Whether it really is or isn't is irrelevant, all that matters to him is the concept that it is a good idea and he uses this perspective to showcase the power of the UK.

The video is a demonstration of his confidence and attitude; his strong frame. From the get go, he actively provokes the audience of MEPs from around Europe.

He starts off by stating “I came here with the idea 17 years ago and now I have achieved that goal”. This implies it was an inevitable outcome and more importantly the RIGHT outcome and that HE had the idea 17 years ago.

He then redirects the reasons to why they are having feelz of anger in this present moment and TELLS them it's not because of his arrogance but because they are in denial because their 'project' that is the EU is a failure. A huge claim to make but presumably it must be true since the UK has decided to leave.

He then states that Brexit has global implications and states how 'the oppressed' has rejected the 'oppressor'. Here he brings the idea of ethics as part of the reason; 'EU bad'.

He predicts that this is the the start of a trend with the UK being the first to leave, resulting in the dissolution of the EU. Presumably all it took was someone with the right idea and the balls to steer their country in the right direction.

At the midway point things get quite interesting. He makes an incredibly bold and insulting claim that “none of you have ever worked a real job in your lives”.

He is stating how much better he is than them, whether they believe it or not by implying he has worked in business and in real jobs, reducing the rest of the EU parliament to the idea that they are mindless bureaucrats who don't understand business. By stating he is better than them he is showcasing that his country is better because HE is representing them, someone with a vast knowledge and experience of real world trading.

The reaction of the other MEP's is noteworthy. Most seem to be amused at his claim, people who are able to find his jabs amusing and are secure in their knowledge & contributions to their country and their value as an MEP; his words mean nothing. A more insecure person may get angry at his evaluation and attempt to defend themselves and/or justify their value. Obviously this is not a forum where such a reaction is relevant or even expected but I can imagine some of the MEPs would have taken offence.

For the rest of the speech, the woman in seat 122 seems to be visibly enamoured with him. He has ferociously expressed his superiority over them and showcased his individuality. He is different to everyone else there and better than them. The woman is amused at him and the atmosphere he has managed to create in the EU parliament today. It's 'interesting', he's creating an experience. He's not some boring everyday MEP. This guy has charisma/game.

Finally at the end he states and implies that, whether they like him and the UK or not, there is business to be had. He mentions 'sensible trade agreements' which implies that the UK won't accept one sided deals because they are considered to be in a position of weakness. Actually they are the prize, who can pick and choose trade deals from anyone and don't have to settle for countries just inside the EU. The EU simply cannot do without the UK whereas the UK can do without them. This is pretty much abundance mentality.

Again whether it's based in reality or not is irrelevant to him. He is trying to bring the rest of the MEPs into his frame.

Interestingly, my sister who is currently residing in Italy, talked about how the news station played the same clip and were simply commenting on what an arrogant buffoon the guy was.

Summary

Even though the perceived position of the UK is currently in a weak position (fall of the £ sterling, loss of AAA credit rating) Nigel is actually changing the script on the situation to his audience in this video by stating the (potential) power the UK without really using any facts. He tells the other MEPs they are simply inferior and uses that frame to explain why they need the UK more than the UK needs any other country. The use of many Redpill identified strategies to build a strong frame to build himself up and therefore the decision of Brexit.