Britain's Misguided Move

The United Kingdom has voted by a narrow margin to leave the European Union. This has been a highly self-defeating decision.

There is a reason that the European Union formed in the first place. The European countries found out that by themselves they could not compete against the much larger United States, and they came together to create a larger blok that could. Now, they not only have to compete against the much larger United States but also against the much larger rising China. Britain by itself would not be in any position to compete against either power.

There was a time when Britain was the world's greatest power; but then again so was the case with Mongolia. We hardly hear anything about Mongolia now. By itself, Britain is weak. A nation of 50 million people and GDP of $2 trillion cannot compete against a nation of 300 million people and GDP of $15 trillion. In leaving the European Union, Britain has vastly weakened its position.

Wounded national pride is a very dangerous thing. It is the emotion to which Hitler appealed in starting the Second World War, and it is the emotion that Tea Party demagogues have exploited in America to form a destructive, obstructionist Congress that has no agenda except to nullify everything that comes from Obama's desk. The people who think that they will restore Britain's greatness by leaving the European Union are deluding only themselves. Britain cannot by itself stand up to either America or China. It needs its neighbors if it wants to do either.

Patriotism can take both constructive and destructive forms. Constructive patriotism works on making one's country a good place to live. Destructive patriotism attacks other countries. The two have very little common with one another if judging by the results. The first results in peaceful, prosperous, livable societies. The second results in rape and pillage.

The Germans and the Japanese who worked to make their countries economic powerhouses after the Second World War made much better patriots than the Germans and the Japanese who fought in the Second World War. The first created beautiful, livable, respectable countries; the second killed and maimed. For Britain to leave the European Union out of a sense of patriotism was a very misguided move. It did not make Britain stronger; it made Britain weaker.

Right now, there are any number of countries that wield power in the world. Britain is smaller than most of them, and it is weaker than most of them. The British electorate has simply failed to think. And it has done great damage to their country.