Jumping the Shark
The world may have just gotten a wake up call and it came from an unlikely source. Great Britain. Generally known as lying on the politically correct side of the global blanket, it was a bold move on the part of the people to demand that Great Britain exit from the European Union. The European Union was originally formed as an economic and political partnership but it has extended its reach to include issues like immigration. For some, trade was an issue but for the majority of the voting public the prevailing question was that of open borders for every country that is a member of the EU. As we all know, open borders haven’t been working so well in the land of tea and crumpets.
It is interesting that the issue of immigration and, in essence, homeland security is central on both sides of the pond. Unlike the United States, Europe has long been in the cross hairs of terrorists and it appeared that they had grown accustom to living with their presence. But, recent years have proven hard for Europe and the people have watched their security slip further and further away. The exit vote last week brought out the largest number of voters since 1992. Much like here, in the United States, people are so ready for a change that they are willing to take what some would classify as extreme action to enact that change. Great Britain’s issues paralleled many of our own, with trade and immigration heading the list. Is this week’s vote a foreshadowing of things to come? Will November find the voters in the United States making their own grand declaration? If the primary elections are any indication, I would say that many are ready to have their own red, white and blue bonfire of political correctness and let the old guard on both sides go up in flames.
We have reached a point, globally, where we cannot distinguish between a true threat and back woods discrimination. Make no mistake, we are all at risk and as long as those that wish to do us harm can hide behind the skirts of political correctness things will only become more risky. The people of Great Britain have made a stand to take back their liberty and security. Good for them.
Contrary to what some may say, it is not discriminatory or hate rhetoric to call for immigration reform. We teach our children, through much loved and revered stories, that the wolf is often in disguise. We must find a way to distinguish the enemy from the friend. I find it interesting that our government knows many things about each of us. They know our social security number, where we work, where we went to school, how many children we have and where we live, among many, many other things. Why is it beyond the scope to want to know at least as much about the people who enter our Country?
Those on the other side of the pond have made their voices heard. It is clear that voters here are disenchanted with politicians and policies that are out of touch with the concerns and views of the people. It appears that the concerns that are driving our political process are shared beyond our borders. If politicians cannot or will not digest the directive that is being sent by their constitutes then perhaps it is time for a radical change. Great Britain has already jumped the shark. In the wake of withdrawing from the EU, building a wall seems a little anticlimactic. Let the markets tumble and the old political guard turn on each other. The people want change and what the people want, the people get, be it in June or November.
