Editor,
I wanted to share a little bit of my opinion on the “Brexit” outcome in the United Kingdom. As most people on campus probably know, the U.K.’s referendum to leave the European Union passed by a slight majority. The political right celebrates this as a victory for nationalism and a resistance to the establishment.
I however, feel some caution towards the so called “Euroskeptics” is due. While the European Union is at, present, an undeniably corrupt institution, I’m hard pressed to believe taking one of its leading nation states out of the equation would serve to mitigate the problem. Firstly, the majority of people who were for the motion seem to be so for simplistic reasons when this is a complex situation; in short, the pro-Brexit camp is largely anti-immigration.
It is true that the Western world is currently undergoing a significant refugee and immigration crisis, but blaming the situation on refugees and illegal immigrants ignores the root causes: U.S. & U.K. war policy and corporate abuse and outsourcing. The nationalist option appeals to a lot of these people as it is much easier to point the finger at the powerless.
I worry that this new development in Britain may radiate into continental Europe and spur the elections of far right nationalist parties. These groups rule by exploiting fear and hate, and not by rational inquiry as to where the system is failing. Furthermore, Saturday morning’s economic volatility shows us that the U.K.’s exit of the EU will have profound effects on the global marketplace.
Ultimately, my skepticism to the Brexit is a contrarian one; it seems that advocating for immigrants is an unpopular stance these days. But I feel it’s a necessary perspective to be considered.
Jeremiah Wall
Daily Lobo reader
