Saturday, June 25, 2016
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.
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