In light of the recent Brexit vote, a few things have come to my attention. Some of these I agree with, others the product of great quantities of false information that I personally find disgusting.
One product of this false information is the theory that they want to create a United States of Europe. While this is a worthwhile goal, much better in my opinion than the old divisive regime some conservatives preach, I doubt we'll see it happen in our lifetime.
I say this from looking at history and examples of forced unity the world over. Many European nations have had centuries to develop a national identity and distinct culture. You cannot simply expect cultures and identities to change overnight in order to create the United States of Europe. You cannot expect a Frenchmen to renounce his national identity and declare himself a European, a term which will refer to numerous people across different cultures. An international example are the nations in the Middle East, where opposing cultures have been grouped under a single nation, with disastrous results.
Another theory, more conspiracy than anything, is that there are plans to abolish Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty, making it impossible for countries to leave the EU. For such a thing to happen, a new treaty will need to be written up to amend the previous treaty, all 28 members of the EU to sign it, and then for the signatories to Ratify the treaty within a set timeframe. A simple google search reveals treaties that have not been ratified by all 28 signatories, making them null and void. They may amend Article 50 eventually, but campaigning for it could see some Political Leaders commit the equivalent of Political Suicide.
Now onto Brexit, the issue which has seen numerous people raise their heads for the first time in ages. The key argument for leaving the Union was immigration, or economic freedom or better job prospects for British People, but a baseless fear that your neighbour wasn't born in this country. One thing I've noticed is the number of small minded individuals who have been voicing their joy over the Brexit vote online, completely ignorant of the fact that this decision will have lasting affects on the people of Britain, and could very well see the United Kingdom fracture.
It annoys me seeing individuals like Donald Trump and far right members of the British Political Scene celebrating the results of this vote and declaring that this sort of protectionist political regime is a step in the right direction. I may be politically biased when I say this, little surprise as my family and myself have always been left leaning throughout the years, but hiding behind our national borders, placing restrictions on trade and immigration, just to satisfy a few is not the way to improve ourselves as a society. It is only by working together and abolishing restriction regimes that we as a people are able to advance and develop new technologies to make our lives better.
It is for this reason that I like the idea of the European Union. I may not approve of the idea of a Federation in the form of the United States of Europe, but I still want to see countries remove restrictions to make the sharing of ideas, and industrial goods easier in order to advance. Britain leaving the Union is an alarming decision, and any possibility to stop it should be investigated.
I'll end this letter with a final observation. The other day, my flatmate claimed that people are scared of being called racist, citing the German people as an example of this. I didn't feel comfortable with this, as I am not scared of being called something I am not. I was not raised to be racist, or sexist, I was raised to be accepting of others and open minded to new ideas. At heart, I am a cynic, a declaration which has closed the door to entering politics, as I haven't got it in my to fight tooth and nail for an issue ignoring any new information that comes to light.
Sure, some people may be scared of having their close minded ideas brought to attention, while others may be scared of a legal mess due to poor education on how to approach and resolve disputes. But people as a whole are not scared of being called racists. The reason there is fear in our society surrounding certain cultural and ethnic groups is due to the actions of a minority who hold conservative views, and the actions of media outlets, News Corp being the prime example, doing nothing more than riling people up. Some political figures do nothing more than rile people up, their conservative views acting as a magnet for the likeminded, their arguments revolving around misguided information.
As a final word, I implore people to investigate the major issues of the day, from an unbiased news source if possible, or to investigate the issue from both sides before setting their opinion in stone. It is my belief that once you know the issue from both sides, are you able to make a justifiable opinion. That is my belief though, so like everything I've said above, take it with a grain of salt and investigate matters for yourself.
With kind regards, A left leaning 19 year old
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