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Brexit Vote Gets To The Heart Of What It Means To Be British
These last weeks leading up to the June 23rd Brexit vote will be about instilling fear. Cameron’s threats to the elderly on pensions and the scaremongering from all sides will trigger some reliable — and often noble — British character traits: to avoid controversy, to be risk averse, and to suffer quietly. As America’s Founders wrote in the Declaration of Independence, “[A]ll experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed.”
But deep in its heart, I believe the old Britain I know wants to leave, but will be too wary to change. In many ways, there is a cultural war of attributes over the British psyche. The love of what is British and the Island mentality, versus the fear of risk and change. To accept the risks of leaving is to change one’s identity; to stay is to lose it.
Published in Foreign Policy
It may not technically be the last chance, but since Parliament decides when to have a referendum, it almost certainly is the last chance for a the Brits to vote directly on this issue. When Parliament doesn’t get its way in a referendum, or wins in a close one, it strenuously avoids offering another.
Well, I can point to Russian invasions while the UK was part of the EU. Is your argument that it would have been worse if it wasn’t?
My argument is that a broken EU will be less likely to be able to maintain a united front on sanctions and defense, yes.
I disagree with you. Taking the UK out of the EU won’t break it, and the UK has no vote on sanctions or defense. It might be worth considering the EU stopping the massive flow of the barbarians into the area and demanding the UK taking in thousands more, especially in lieu of the ones they have have been grooming the UK girls for sex slavery, etc. Nothing good happens for the UK with the UN in control. And just maybe the UK like Donald Trump wants to stop the inanity.