The Fate of the Union
I’ve always been somewhat sceptical of my British patriotism. The sight of a St. George’s cross more often brings about images of xenophobia and racial hate than it does the green mountains and pleasant pastures that William Blake referred to. Any pride I could muster towards my British heritage is often dispelled by the horrors of my own forbearers — the genocides, the slavery, the rape of nations to fuel our imperialistic ambitions. The privileges we enjoy as Brits have been created off the backs of others; their property and their sweat is the reason our country is so ‘great’. When these thoughts come to settle, I am left with a far different feeling towards Britain than that of fervent patriotism.
But in recent times I’ve found a sense of pride separate from all that. A pride in Britain as it is today. Not in terms of politics and policies, but in terms of cultural innovation and our distinct personality. I’ve grown up viewing Britain in a somewhat romantic way – I suppose it’s the same way everyone views their home. From our island in the Atlantic Ocean we remain one of the superpowers of culture, a bastion of strength, and outward-looking beliefs. Unfortunately though, these beliefs have been undermined by the politics of the EU referendum.
For all their lofty rhetoric about sovereignty, independence and the good old days before Westminster shackled itself to the malevolent bureaucrats in Brussels, the Brexiteers represent no United Kingdom I am familiar with. A campaign fuelled by lies, clouded in subtle prejudices and a warped sense of nationalism, is being led by powerful, wealthy men pretending to be on the side of the little guy. We, the people, shall not benefit from a Brexit; despite what it is being dressed up as, this is no revolution of the proletariat. As Paul Mason rightfully pointed out in his article in the Guardian recently, in a real revolt, the rich and powerful usually aren’t the ones leading it – they’re running to hide.
The whole campaign is a false promise. There shall be no independence when we vote to leave. Packing our bags and leaving Brussels won’t free us from anything that matters, it will just mean we won’t get a seat at the table whilst decisions are being made – and who in their right mind can say that’s a good idea? Furthermore, as a lot of leading Brexiteers see it, a British exit will be a great chance to rekindle our relationship with the United States. But given the current state of politics over there, one of legalised bribery, post-truth ideologies and barely concealed hate ranging from homophobia to xenophobia, will it really be in our best interests to strengthen our ties with such a malodorous nation? Influential they may be, there’s substantial evidence to support the belief that their cross national policies and brokered deals will be far more dangerous to us than the current EU regulation. And what’s even worse, is that we won’t have a say in the details.
We have awoken on the morning of the 24th June, not as the nation that seized it’s sovereignty back from evil foreign bureaucrats, and reigned supreme once again in the freedoms of our ‘independence’. No. We wake as a nation that, led by our own conniving politicians and free market ideologues, was coaxed into turning our backs and giving a symbolic fuck-you to an institution that is the only attempt at cross-border continental governance of its kind in modern history. And which, even for all its flaws and shortcomings (which there are many), operates on a basis of cooperation, progress and unity in the hope of a better world.
The Brexiteers, as they disregard expert opinion from across the political dichotomy, appear to be riding an inflated sense of self confidence and their own intelligence, much to their detriment. They ignore the huge geopolitical consequences from such a monumental decision. It’s highly likely a Brexit would cause a knock on effect of anti-EU attitudes throughout Europe, as the aftermath left by the political success of Eurosceptic, anti-immigrant populism bolsters similar parties across Europe, eventually consigning the Union to the annals of history as more countries jarringly brake away from Brussels. Perhaps we may enjoy a novel sense of sovereignty away from Europe for a decade or two after Brexit, but as xenophobic sentiment rises in parts of Europe and spreads throughout the continent like wildfire, and the refugee crisis continues to escalate as the situation in the global south intensifies, perhaps we’d all wish we had some sort of institution enforcing and ensuring common cooperation and diplomacy in tackling extremism and desperation in all forms, and encouraging stability in the immature democracies throughout the Baltic and post-fascist states.
But by then it shall be too late. Engulfed by our fear of immigrants, the newly erected borders between our once fence less continent will attempt at all costs to keep the human waves out, but alas, they will fall.
And the eyes of the world will be on Great Britain, separated by our Channel, divided from the chaos by a deep body of water. But of course, a glorified moat cannot divide us today. The complexity of our global systems – economies, institutions, corporations – prevents it. For we are no longer disparate tribes with basic communication, the very stability and success of our nation depends on that of our neighbours. We are consigned, whether we like or not, to a geopolitical pact of which we can never break free from. The situation in Westminster is utterly dependent on the condition of the continent.
Yes, the EU currently appears a sinking ship, filling up with water as its crew mutiny, but this isn’t to say it couldn’t be saved with sufficient innovation and determination. Despite how the debate is framed, the consequences of our decision for Britain to stay or leave the EU are far more significant than addressing our parochial worries (however legitimate they may be), because none of that will matter if we face crises that push our very societies to breaking point. If we allow isolationism, extreme nationalism and xenophobia to breed in the void left in the collapse of the European Union, then our dreams of solving the vital problems our planet faces will slip further and further away. But presently, one of the few things preventing our continent from falling back over the precipice into separate states fractured by hate and suspicion is the fact that our nations – whether they be powerful or rather inconsequential – sit and discuss as equals, issues ranging from trade and climate regulation to workers rights and the migrant crisis. Cooperation is a matter of sink or swim if we’re all in the same boat, so perhaps by having institutions that enforce and encourage the realisation that we’re all shareholders of the same Earth, then maybe the issues of the future will be dealt with far quicker than ever before.
Diplomacy will continue between the United Kingdom and the European Union, it would be moronic to think it wouldn’t. But it will be entirely different, and it will be significantly harder to encourage a political mandate at home in support of the liberal, left-wing reforms being fought from within by the like of Syrizia and Podemos, both of which face an uphill battle against Schauble and Co. in their aims for radical, anti-austerity economics.
This shock result should be watched extremely attentively, for the failures of the Remain campaign and successes of Leave exposes plenty about the current trend and direction of contemporary politics, something that our generation needs to demonstrate a detailed understanding of in the hope to win back some of disenfranchised defecting to the far right. This victory for Brexit is a direct result of the repercussions stemming from neoliberal policies and imposed globalisation that have destroyed so many peoples livelihoods, and if the New Left rising along with our generation can’t reach out and connect with this alienated demographic, then we will fail to gain enough support to keep the Far Right at bay. The votes have been cast, the people have spoken — as the future of our country, as young people, our job now is to work together, across generational and cultural divides, to heal our bitterly divided nation in hopes of winning a progressive majority in 2020. We can mourn for Britain's relationship with Europe today, but we must keep proceeding onwards, and play optimistically with the cards we’ve been dealt.
We are a great nation, and no one is certain of the future — perhaps we can flourish if we go it alone, utilising the experimental benefits this huge leap could bring about? But where does that put the rest of the world? We have a duty to help keep the world in order and help those who cannot help themselves, for we have the power and wealth needed to exercise positive change. But when our continent needed us the most, we ran. I believe 52% of our population chose the easy way out, simply because they lacked the political will and compassion to remain and push for reform in a more inclusive, fair and democratic Europe, and allowed an old-world cynicism and a knee-jerk reaction to threaten their children's future in an increasingly volatile world. Our horizons have narrowed, and the true victors of this referendum are only those who aim to divide us.
Today, the best solution the Great British electorate could come up with in response to a struggling Europe was to leave it. An utterly cowardly exit, lead by wolves in sheep’s clothing. This is the harsh reality of the choice that was made.
