I had hoped that the polls underestimated the appeal of leaving the EU proto-empire. That may have been the case because the British did indeed vote to leave the European Union:
Britain voted to break away from the European Union, toppling Prime Minister David Cameron and dealing a thunderous blow to the 60-year-old bloc that sent world markets plummeting on Friday.
Cameron announced he would step down to make way for a new leader by early October after voters opted to exit the 28-nation alliance in defiance of his predictions of economic disaster and isolation.
Britons, many of them worried by immigration, decided 52 percent to 48 percent in favour of quitting the bloc, a margin of more than one million votes, according to final results from Thursday's referendum.
I'm relieved. Assuming the Euro-elites in Britain respect the vote. It wouldn't be the first time voters who rejected the EU were ignored.
Britain will remain Britain. The EU won't destroy British military power by draining it to build an EU military that will no doubt be much better at suppressing dissent than stopping Russians, bombing Libya, or fighting in Afghanistan.
In the long run, Britain's economy will be fine. The way Europeans have been eager to make deals with Iran despite the record of the mullahs, I don't think French intentions to punish Britain for leaving will last long.
As for our president's threats to put Britain at the back of the line for trade deals? You already have nukes. Make a few ugly statements and our leader will swoon at the prospect of resetting relations with Britain.
And if the EU persists in being punitive? Well, then Britain can retaliate by aiding the resistance to the EU on the continent:
The European Union risks losing more members, after Britain voted to leave the 28-nation bloc, if it does not reform, Poland's EU minister Konrad Szymanski said on Friday.
I dare say that Britain can cause far more harm to the EU than the EU can inflict on Britain.
As an aside, I wonder if the example of Britain leaving voluntarily will lead the EU to expel less desirable member states to strengthen what remains?
Separation will no doubt be scary for Britain--and complicated. A lot must be done to break away after decades of adapting to being entwined within political Europe. But in time, Britain will find new ways to remain entwined economically with Europe without giving up the freedoms that Britain has created over many centuries. I do believe that those freedoms would have been dangerously eroded under the European Union.
Remember that after our separation from Britain, we found that our trade was suddenly vulnerable to Barbary pirates without the protection of the Royal Navy. We had to learn to stand on our own. And we did.
With NATO channeling British defense efforts, Britain at least doesn't have to worry about a defense gap. And without Britain, the EU independent defense aspirations will be difficult to create.
To the British people, congratulations. But stiff upper lip and all that. The struggle ahead to separate cleanly will be difficult. But by voting to leave the EU, you have voted to remain free.
This could be your finest hour.
UPDATE: Britain didn't wreck Europe--Britain is leading Europeans:
Germany is worried that France, the Netherlands, Austria, Finland and Hungary could also seek to leave the European Union after Britain's vote to quit the bloc, German newspaper Die Welt said on Friday, citing a finance ministry strategy paper.
Which isn't too shocking considering that the European Union isn't terribly popular among Europeans.
The European Economic Community, as a trading bloc, made sense. The political European Union as a proto-imperial state that destroys democracy in the long run never did.
It was only acceptable when a political entity of Europe that might mobilize European military power was the alternative to a Europe conquered by the Soviet Union. Since 1991, that barest reason to risk autocracy has disappeared.
UPDATE: Some Europeans will try to disrupt Britain to punish the British for wanting their independence. So what does Britain have now? As a wise man once said of America, "a
The British must remember that the referendum that declared Brexit is not binding on your rulers, and you rely on your leaders to follow through on this demonstration of popular intent.
Work the problems and be confident that the British can rise up to achieve what they built in the past--Great Britain--without taking orders from some continental with pretensions of power.
And be grateful that the European Union doesn't have tanks to send in to demonstrate the consequences of Britain rejecting the empire.
UPDATE: There is already quite the resistance movement on the continent:
Voters in France, Italy and the Netherlands are demanding their own votes on European Union membership and the euro, as the continent faces a “contagion” of referendums.
EU leaders fear a string of copycat polls could tear the organisation apart, as leaders come under pressure to emulate David Cameron and hold votes.
A "contagion" of free people voting. The horror.
UPDATE: More on continentals wanting the same option to leave. There is speculation about "Frexit" (France exiting) or "Italeave" (Italy leaving).
But no mention of "Grexit" (Greece exiting) as other stories have mentioned. Honestly, with one of the healthiest of the EU states voting to get out, I wouldn't be surprised if the European Union issue wasn't so much fear that Greece will follow Britain's example as it is that the EU might want to push the weak link of Greece out.
Call it "Grush" (Greece pushed).
