There
seems to be morning-after buyer’s remorse assaulting Britain after the vote to
leave the European Union. If not exactly
remorse, then at least “We/they did it. My
goodness, what have we/they done? And now
what?”
The
markets are in turmoil and the British pound committed hara-kiri, but I think
those things will settle down and return to some position of normalcy soon.
The
political implications are far more serious.
Almost everyone agrees that the onerous regulations coming from
Brussels, which is where the EU headquarters and bureaucrats are located, were
a large part of the Brexit (British Exit) success. Other factors were the lack of sovereign
borders with all the security and economic implications, supporting countries
heading towards bankruptcy and unwilling to take austerity measures (Greece), and
the feeling that Britain contributed far more to the EU than it gained.
The
EU began as an economic union of the coal and steel producing capacities of
some countries, and kept expanding until it is the behemoth of today, more
political than economic. Free movement
within EU countries was a boon for many years, with residents of one member
country able to move to any other member country to live, go to school, and/or
work without bureaucratic permits.
As
an Alaskan who traveled for a brief 10 days in Germany and Austria a few years
ago, not counting countless hours in the Frankfurt airport en route to and from
Russia, it’s impossible for me to understand and expound on all the benefits
and negatives about the EU. I can say,
however, the borders were seamless and without passport inspections., and there
were no visa requirements for Americans.
Had there not been occasional “Welcome to …” signs, I wouldn’t have
known I’d passed into another country.
The
use of the Euro as the common currency was wonderful and exceedingly efficient
in those two countries, though it did take four of us to figure out the machine
that dispensed Wiener Linien (tram) tickets to ShÓ§nbrunn Palace from Vienna.
Now,
with terrorism a major concern, that freedom of movement has become a dangerous
liability, in many opinions, with the flood of refugees from the war-torn
countries of the Middle East, and the very real possibility of ISIS or Al Qaeda
terrorists infiltrating the masses.
Economically some of the EU member countries have seen impossible
burdens placed on their resources as hundreds of thousands of indigent refugees
head to countries with the best social programs. Britain has received so many refugees that it
had to severely curtail immigration from non-EU countries, even though those
potential immigrants might contribute positively to Britain’s economy.
Now,
there are indications that the United Kingdom is in danger of breaking apart,
with Northern Ireland and Scotland going their separate ways, leaving Britain
and Wales. In fact, if we can believe
the rumblings coming out of Europe, the entire EU might be in the early days of
crumbling.
As
I sit here pondering the long-range implications of Brexit, along with the
entire world worrying and fretting, I wonder if this turmoil might be the
impetus needed to reconsider the purpose of a union of European countries and
to address the concerns of Britain and other countries to see if there isn’t a
solution that could retain the union in some form. Perhaps one with more sovereignty as to
unfettered immigration, less regulation from Brussels, as well as a retention
of free trade and the common use of the Euro for those countries that desire
it.
Something
along the lines of a “re-constitutional” convention. It’s just a thought.
