Brexit and democracy

The original deadline for Britain's exit from the European Union is expected to pass Friday without anything more dramatic than the acknowledgment that Britain's politicians need more time to solve a problem that is unsolvable. Whether Brexit is postponed until April 12 or May 22, EU officials and the 27 other member-states have been preparing for the day after a no-deal exit; they are expected to demand that Britain pay a 39-billion-euro bill for leaving, that Northern Ireland remain in the customs union and single market, and that citizens' rights and social security arrangements be protected. Difficult as they are, though, these issues are not as profound as the great question that Brexit poses: How democratic is it when a single yes-no vote, without any appeal process, determines a whole nation's fate for many years, disregarding the votes, arguments and fears of those opposed...