I couldn’t care any less whether Britain leaves or remains in the EU. But I think the Remainers will carry the day. …
The irony seems lost on both sides in this Brexit debate that Britain poses a far greater threat to the EU if it remains. …
The EU has 99 problems but Brexit shouldn’t be one. In fact, no matter the outcome of Thursday’s referendum, the Remainers should take it as a wake-up call to reform the EU Constitution to manage a common market (the feasible original intent), not to govern a United States of Europe (the quixotic adapted intent).
(“Brexit: Forget Leaving, Britain a Greater EU Contagion if It Remains,” The iPINIONS Journal, June 22, 2016)
Well, the people have spoken.
Britain has voted to leave the European Union, forcing the resignation of Prime Minister David Cameron and dealing the biggest blow since World War Two to the European project of forging greater unity.
Global financial markets plunged on Friday as results from a referendum defied bookmakers’ odds to show a 52-48 percent victory for the campaign to leave a bloc Britain joined more than 40 years ago.
The pound fell as much as 10 percent against the dollar to touch levels last seen in 1985, on fears the decision could hit investment in the world’s fifth-largest economy, threaten London’s role as a global financial capital and usher in months of political uncertainty.
(Reuters, June 24, 2016)
As comedian Bill Maher might quip, this outcome represents a triumph of British pride and prejudice over sense and sensibility. Except that this pales in comparison to the more ominous triumph of rabble-rousers exploiting rabid ignorance over political leaders respecting basic intelligence. Only his stoking of anti-establishment, anti-intellectual, anti-science, anti-facts, anti-globalization, anti-trade, anti-immigration and anti-diversity madness explains the phenomenon of Donald Trump, for example.
But things are bound to get a lot worse.
Nothing telegraphs this quite like Brexit’s mascot, Ukip leader Nigel Farage, making this foreboding admission – while taking a victory lap on morning TV:
Nigel Farage has admitted that it was a ‘mistake’ to promise that £350 million a week would be spent on the NHS if the UK backed a Brexit vote.
Speaking just an hour after the Leave vote was confirmed the Ukip leader said the money could not be guaranteed. …
The pledge was central to the official Vote Leave campaign and was controversially emblazoned on the side of the bus which shuttled Boris Johnson and Michael Gove around the country.
(London Telegraph, June 24, 2016)
This folks, would be like Trump admitting, just an hour after winning the presidential election in November, that it was a mistake for him to promise that he would build a wall (and get Mexico to pay for it) and ban all Muslims.
Hence, I suspect many Britons (both saddened Remain and sobered-up Leave voters) are feeling the anxious sentiment Paddy Ashdown, the former Liberal Democrat leader, tweeted upon learning the results:
God help our country.
American voters beware, especially you big-talking, no-voting, feel-the-Bern Millennials.
Related commentaries:
Brexit: forget leaving…
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