Britain’s Choice

By George Handlery, on April 29th, 2016

Evidently, Britain’s decision about her continued EU membership (“Brexit”) is crucial. Obama’s threatening butting in on the debate underlines this assessment.

The consequences go beyond the “Europes”. (Yes, plural!) The term reflects that there are several Europes. One is the developed Atlantic West. Then there is the “South”; wobbly although it enjoyed the “north’s” opportunities and escaped Soviet rule. With local consent, it remained misgoverned. Lastly, there is the “new” Europe, of the “Visegrád Group” (Poland, Czechia, Slovakia and Hungary.) England’s special tag expresses her island-geography and tradition. Their combination enabled her to defy, Spanish domination, then French tutelage, and Nazi conquest.

Recently, a new threat arose. It aims to unify Europe through the bureaucratic centralism of an “ever closer union”. Peripheral Norway is not a member, and the encircled and extorted Swiss, continue to resist. The region’s highest GDP society is defiant because its federal government by plebiscite clashes with the EU’s system.

While the belt is tightened by “Brussels”, the pressure hurts. Additionally, the mismanagement of the € -the common currency- threatens an economic crisis. Add the mishandling of the migrant question and the rise of Islamic enclaves. This nurtures doubts –in the people but not the elite- about the union in its present form.......To Read More....