Au Revoir dear EU, it was nice while it lasted!

Momentous and disastrous, foolish, a leap into the unknown driven by petty nationalism.  That sums up my feelings today regarding the Brexit, the decision by 52% of the voters to leave the EU, few of them knowing what it means, what is has meant or has done for them. In fact, I am so bloody angry about Brexit. My life since 1988 has been positively shaped by the EU and Europeans since I left my small town. Looking at the results show me I was right to leave. I may be from there but I don't belong there and that is sad! What many of them back there do not realize is, much of the economic renaissance since the dreadful 80s was due to the EU, money from it or access to its markets.  Ignorance of many economic realities and the belief that the UK will be better somehow if we turn our backs on 70 years of neighbourly cooperation is what has fed people’s fury.  I am lucky to have experienced the EU and its positives, I have worked for a French company that sent me to the USA to work, and invited me to Paris for meetings and paid for my French lessons, I worked and lived in Spain for two years, and taught English to people who were passionate about it and curious about my country, some come here to work, some would like to, we have trashed their hopes. They will be fine of course, they can go elsewhere but that is our loss, clever people from the EU won’t come here, they won’t want to, the racist rhetoric of the past few months has made Europeans nervous about Britain and this hasn’t been helped by the ugly language from our right wing or the resurgence of English hooliganism at the Euros. Rather than experience the good things, they will see the bad, the racist politics stirring up nationalism and represented by the brutes on the streets of France throwing bottles as they drunkenly “defend” their country. Well mate, it isn’t just your country, it is mine, it is home to people who chose this country and wanted a better life and they strived for it.  Today’s Brexit vote was won by people who blame foreigners for their weaknesses and fear an organisation that our government has simply not engaged well enough with. The EU has helped make our water cleaner, our air cleaner, our pay equal, our working conditions better and now we think our country can be better by getting closer to the USA (a friend who wants us most when we are willing to fight alongside it) China, the world’s biggest polluter and most populous dictatorship. China and the USA will not save the jobs threatened by Brexit (China has already crippled our steel industry by ignoring international trade laws) and the USA doesn’t buy enough of our exports to fill the gaps.

Even my parents, retired and comfortable, voted for Brexit, they don’t understand my anger, the fact the amazing opportunities I’ve had since leaving school will not be available to my nieces and nephews and then who will they blame next?

Here is a link to the petition for a 2nd referendum (now with over 2 million signatures)

Reality will be bite soon enough and I’ll probably be ok, I am fortunate to be educated well enough to be mobile and I work in an industry that is not reliant on the EU, but god help those less fortunate.  Your nationalism will not pay your mortgage or feed your kids.

June 24, 2016.  Not independence day, national stupidity day!