NPR News in the United States begins its election day article on Brexit thus:
“Great Britain once ruled the largest empire in history, with colonies and dominions that spanned the globe and political and econonomic influence that wildly exceeded its modest size. Generations of school kids were raised on the mantra, ” The Empire on which the sun never sets.
“World War II marked the beginning of the end, and the not-so-United Kingdom votes Thursday on whether to cut itself loose from the European Union, the latest in a long line of moves that would shrink its international presence.”
Like many other British citizen who live part of their lives outside the UK, my vote was removed from me some years ago, but this does not mean I am uninformed or uninterested. Helpless, I can only hope for the best, reflecting that most Brits believe that it is better to work together than apart.
“Hope,” is right. It’s going to be a long day.
Interestingly, it tends to be those most nostalgic for imperial glory that vote for Brexit. The younger generation, who grew up in a firmly post-imperial era, have no desire to return to the glory days. Many in my generation are also disillusioned by American foreign policy of late. Thus, they see the EU as a bulwark against American adventurism- Iraq being a case in point. But despite having grown up in a post Cold War era, most young people are very sceptical of Russia, and see the EU as a bloc against Russian aggression.
I’m not entirely on board with my generation on most of this. I agree that dreams of a new British Empire are silly and infantile. I’m not as disillusioned with American foreign policy as they are; I think Iraq was a mistake but America still has the potential to be a force for good in the world. I don’t accept Chomsky’s idea that the main world security threat has been America’s lust for geopolitical dominance. I also totally disapprove of Western policy regarding Russia and Eastern Europe. We supported an undemocratic revolution in Ukraine, allowing some of the nastiest figures in world politics to seize power. The EU is trying to expand into what has traditionally been a Russian sphere of influence, and then it acts surprised when the Russians inevitably respond. This isn’t the Cold War, the Russians can’t afford and don’t want relentless territorial expansion. We should make peace with them. This is the area that I disagree with the EU most strongly (along with perhaps the Euro).