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AUTONOMY TRUMPS ECONOMY 6/24/2016 11:25:14 PM
A Yank weighs in on the Brexit...
The general consensus has long been that people tend to “vote their pocketbooks” when it comes to political elections. Jobs and income are usually uppermost in the electorate’s mind. Every once in a long while, that concern proves to be a secondary priority. Two hundred & forty years ago the people of a fledgling group of colonies, despite facing near term economic travails, opted to assert their independence. In the years since, that decision established the foundation upon which a new nation developed and prospered. The nation from which their independence was declared has just enunciated a similar declaration and the majority of that population should be applauded for having done so.
Having spent a considerable amount of time in Europe during the past 40 plus years, the attempt to establish a so-called ‘United States of Europe’ seemed doomed from the start. When the U.S. was founded, it had a common language and a relatively homogeneous culture. Most importantly, its predominantly immigrant population was determined to learn the language and become part of, not apart from, that culture. People migrated to the United Stated because they wanted to be Americans. Unfortunately, that has diminished a bit in recent history but, not nearly as much as it has in Europe. The European Union consists of a disparate group of nation-states controlled, to a great extent, by a politburo of bureaucrats in Brussels. Many of those bureaucrats have little direct experience in dealing with the native populations of their member states. Greece is an obvious example.
Your typical Greek fisherman will stay out at sea long enough to catch a bounty sufficient to feed his family and cover basic necessities. If he manages to do that by noon then, by 1:30PM he will be freshly bathed and comfortably ensconced in a twine woven chair at his favorite taberna sipping ouzo, munching on grilled octopus tentacles and engaged in lively conversation. In contrast, a German would work till dusk accumulating as much profit as possible in order to cover future expenses and investments. Clearly, the Germans are much more industrious and that is perfectly admirable. I would argue, however, that the Greeks enjoy life more and that is equally admirable. The contrasting perspectives explain why Germany is the economic powerhouse of Europe and Greece…well, Greece is not. The economic problems that have beset the Greeks during the past decade are of their own doing. They and they alone should be held responsible for resolving those problems. If the powers that be in the European Union really understood the Greek mentality, Greece would never have been invited to become a member. The much better managed and fiscally sound members of the E.U. who have contributed hundreds of billions of dollars to “bailout” Greece are sadly mistaken if they think all those billions will ever be repaid. But, Greece has become increasingly upset with the cost of this bailout. Not the economic cost…it’s the toll on their pride that rankles the most. The birthplace of Western democracy has become a puppet state that no longer has control over its own destiny. As with the U.K., Greece will, sooner or later, opt for autonomy to trump economy. As Patrick Henry proclaimed, “Give me liberty or give me death!”
My ancestors migrated to the U.S. in the 1870s. I’m of Irish heritage and very proud to be so. Am also very proud of Europe’s influence on my country and have always relished my exposure to European culture…the art, music, cuisine, humor, etc. I hate to see it being undermined by elements which have no respect for that culture. Stop trying to be “The United States of Europe”! You can do better than that...maybe.
Disclaimer: I’m simply a Yank weighing in with an American’s perspective on an issue that the vast majority of Europeans are, presumably, much better informed than I am. The above is a cursory response and by no means pretends to be an in-depth analysis.
