Brexit lessons: You can check out any time you like, but you can never leave

There is no point in waiting to see how the Brexit drama ends, as it is highly unlikely it will turn out as the British people wanted. Whether Mrs. May’s agreement finally passes or the MPs vote for a ‘soft Brexit’, one thing is clear - the UK won’t get a clean break for the European Union. As things stand, London will remain tied to Brussels by trade agreements, or even a customs’ union, free movement will continue, billions of pounds will be paid to the EU. The sole difference: being no longer part of the union, the UK will have no say over EU regulations, but will have to abide by most of them.

_Source

This is the first lesson from the prolonged drama taking place in London - you can never leave.
The second lesson is even more important. The forces battling behind the scenes to shape our future are so strong even a country as strong as Britain could not resist being torn apart in the process. As one German minister very undiplomatically put it today Brexit has become ‘a big shitshow’. Right now, the British are the world’s laughingstock, everyone watching in dismay the impotence of the British government and its Parliament.

How did it come to that? Britain is an old country with a Parliament whose origins can be traced to the 13th century, a country renowned for its diplomacy. It cannot be said current British politicians are significantly dumber than their predecessors or more corrupt, for that matter.
One of the reasons Brexit became such a ‘shitshow’ is that the issue has become a tremendous battle between globalists, who favor a united Europe, and American neo-cons who’ve wanted to see the EU destroyed for years. As it is well known, George Soros fought adamantly against Brexit, warning Europe is facing an existential crisis. At the same time, the new-cons hiding behind current US president have strongly pushed for the UK’s departure. Trump himself waddled into the dispute rocking London, using his less-than-subtle Twitter diplomacy to push May into hardening her stance or to promote his ‘friend’ Boris Johnson, a more vehement Brexiteer.

_Source

As a citizen of a small insignificant country, I’m well used to big powers meddling in our internal politics and telling the people who to vote for. Yet, this is the United Kingdom we’re talking about, a bloody empire less than 100 years ago. Still, they are now experiencing the kind of meddling one would never have thought possible. If the Americans think they have the right to interfere in Britain’s affairs what hope is there left for smaller countries?

The lesser of two evils?

It is hard to say what would be best or worst, if you will.
Brexit failing, so no other country would dare to want out of the EU? That would put a big smile on Soros’ face. Theoretically, given our violent past a united Europe would be a good thing, but Brussels would be even more insufferable in the event the will of the (manipulated or not) British people would be defeated.
One must also try to understand the American conservatives’ views. If they push for Brexit, it is not for the good of the British people. As I was saying in another post, nobody in Washington gives a damn about any other country’s well-being. Neo-cons hate a united Europe because it is less dependent on the US and it’s more difficult to manipulate one country against the other as long as they are in the EU. Steve Bannon’s prolonged stay in Europe promoting right-wing parties is aimed at weakening the European Union. Whoever is funding him is no bleeding-heart philanthropist, devoting their fortune to help the oppressed countries of Europe liberate themselves from Brussels’ tyranny.
Britain’s leaving the EU would almost certainly quash any project of the Union creating its own army. And that’s a big deal. Remember Donald Trump’s last visit to Europe when he berated all Europeans for not paying enough to NATO? I doubt it he or other future president would have the same nerve if Europe had its own army to protect itself. The US want a weak and dependent Europe, which is not in our best interests.

Putin's game

The most interesting aspect is where does Russia stand in all this? A fragmented Europe would be convenient for Moscow, too, that’s obvious. On the other hand, as long as the solid relations between Moscow and Berlin hold, Russia can manage well enough with a united Europe. Actually, Britain getting out would leave Germany in an even stronger position, which works fine for Putin. For now, at least. There’s even a bonus in it if Brexit succeeds. It’s been decades now since the UK has become a US mouthpiece, supporting the United States’ view from within the EU. Remember Tony Blair playing Bush’s poodle? Britain getting out would obviously lessen American influence over Europe.
The final lesson from all this - we live in a world where few countries can pretend to be independent and the will of the people doesn’t matter.

After shamelessly stealing some lyrics for the title, the least I can do is share the song as well. Enjoy!

Thanks for reading