For those of us who haven’t followed closely the European political scene these days, The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland on Thursday is to be faced with a choice: remain within the European Union or leave.
The present British government was forced by public opinion to hold a referendum, now nicknamed “Brexit,” on remaining or not within this transnational pact, which relinquishes much of each nation’s sovereignty to the ever-proliferating edicts of the European Commission — such as the proper shape of bananas — to the point at which nothing or very little can be accomplished without resort to the European Commission.
And there’s the problem of mass immigration, virtually without national barriers within the European Union, of refugees from the miserable and war-torn Middle East, threatening the cultural and political stability of Europe itself. What Germany’s Chancellor Angela Merkel’s promised open door to 800,000 (this year alone) Middle Easterners will do to Germany and the rest of Europe remains to be seen, but already some — notably Hungary, in near panic — are rediscovering their frontiers.
This transnationalism can go too far, at least it would seem so to a growing percentage of British. Perhaps Brussels has no business dictating the composition of English stout, German beer or whatever the Greeks drink. What’s sauce for the goose isn’t necessarily sauce for the gander. And when you get down to the economics of it all — and doesn’t everything after a while? — the net cost to the U.K. is great when one takes into account all the promised benefits that have not yet materialized against the known costs, according to the London- and Brussels-based think tank Open Europe. The continent now has youth unemployment as high as 50 percent and sluggish economic growth.
Diagnosis: The EU is sick from an overdose of regulations, i.e. socialism.
It’s no surprise President Barack Obama entered this fray recently in a European visit, much to the resentment of the “mind your own business” crowd in the country to which until recently we had a “special relationship.” He’s all multicultural, multinational and idealistic to a fault. The Paris climate “agreement,” which was steered clear of the Senate confirmation required of a treaty, is a recent example. Small detail.
It isn’t just a nostalgic fondness for the history of Western civilization that’s important to understand. It’s our future too. Are we ready for world government, to which this is leading?
Secretary of State John Kerry told college graduates recently to prepare to be living in a “borderless world.” That’s a chilling thought — unlimited immigration, worldwide free trade, no tariffs to protect our workers. It’s as simple as this: There are those in high places today who in the spirit of “redistributive justice” would enact policies harming America and other “rich” countries to favor third world nations.
There’s no doubt that European, primarily German, nationalism in its ugliest form was responsible for the horrific first and second World Wars. Granted. And “never again” was the dominant political theme in western capitals after both conflagrations. It may be that the “cure,” this time ending up with the European Union, has overshot its goal. Another great European war seems unlikely, unless Mr. Putin takes our apparent willingness to be friendly and accommodating as a blank check allowing a resurgent Russian empire. But at what price does all this togetherness come?
That the country of Henry V, Marlborough, Wellington and Churchill could ever submit to such a weak and passive role in the world is sad. England has for centuries fought for a balance of power in Europe, against tyrants from Louis XIV to Napoleon to Hitler. Nationalism has a good, even necessary, role to play now and then. It’s called patriotism.
Think of those Royal Air Force fighter pilots who confronted and defeated swarms of German bombers and the Allied armies with whom Americans stormed the Normandy beaches 72 years ago. If we wish well to our friends “across the Pond,” let’s cheer for “Brexit” and an end to this internationalism run amok.
Alan Boone is a retired physician living in Bangor.