In a rather unlikely turn of events, Britain has opted to leave the European Union in what has been popularly called Brexit. The decision has had immediate effects, with the value of the British pound and the euro both dropping substantially amid concerns from the global business market over Britain’s future. It may be early to say whether Brexit will become a major detriment to Britain and Europe as a whole, but the decision made to leave the EU raises similar questions and fear for some when considering the larger implications of such a monumental political shift.
The decision to leave the EU was not motivated by a tangible benefit to the UK’s involvement in the global marketplace, and if anything, it will have the opposite effect. As the rest of the world watches Britain as fix-eyed spectators, it is likely that the uncertainty of events to come will make investment in the country less favorable. Speculation is a dangerous game to play in the business sector, and if monetary benefits weren’t the largest consideration for British voters, it raises a question what exactly was.
It would appear as though immigration was on the forefront of British voters’ mind when it came to decide on whether Britain should stay in the EU, and the mentality in terms of support for Donald Trump in the United States bears striking similarity. If the population of a country be swayed with bigotry and xenophobia to make decisions with potential political and economic implications that could last for decades, it signals a possibly unsettling future for democratic countries across the globe.
Democracy’s greatest selling point has been giving power to the voice of the people, and the greatest rationalization for the suppression of democracy has been the idea that the people are not fit to rule themselves and make their own decisions. That said, criticism of Brexit, which may be premature, is unfortunately almost intertwined with a criticism of democratic processes. Ultimately, it is far easier to disagree with a specific policy than it is to disagree with a mentality shared by the majority, even if some would argue it defies logic.
Public opinion on immigration seems to be similar in both the U.S and Britain when it comes to fear of immigrants taking jobs from native born citizens and a general chipping away of the country’s identity, which is apparently tied to the ethnic makeup of the population. While these fears and attitudes are not ideal, before Brexit they had yet to take shape into a viable political alternative, and they had not been demonstrated to hold enough sway over voters to persuade them to vote against the best interests of the country as a whole.
In some sense Brexit can be seen as a victory for the will of the majority and the ability for the people to dictate the way a country is governed. On the other hand it may foreshadow a potential Trump presidency and the rise of misguided ideology domineering the political process and governance of democratic countries. It is probably too soon to say whether or not Brexit will become a calamity, but it does give us the opportunity to watch our neighbors across the pond and possibly avoid making the same mistakes.
