The citizens of the United Kingdom have voted to leave the European Union (EU). The reaction has been wild. The stock markets fell for two days. (It is now at record highs.) Some in the U.K. want a do-over. Scotland wants to leave the U.K. and keep its ties to the EU. Voters in Wales might decide to follow suit. The residents of Northern Ireland might want to leave to U.K. and join the rest of Ireland while staying with the EU.
If the nexits occur, England will once again be England. Scotland and Wales could still be part of Great Britain which would be like a little EU with free trade and movement between the three countries. I have always favored this idea.
But what other nexits could there be?
Sweden, Denmark and the Netherlands are said to be considering leaving the EU while maintaining free trade with the remaining countries.
Greece might also decide to quit the Union so that they could have their own currency and better control their failing economy.
In Spain, the Catalonians want to have their independence.
And Tibet still wants its independence from China.
Yugoslavia and Czechoslovakia have already been disbanded, replaced by about nine independent nations and two autonomous provinces. The Soviet Union was disbanded giving their 14 countries back to the people of Eastern Europe.
In the Middle East, it is beginning to appear that some of these nations whose boundaries were drawn by the Western powers after the fall of the Ottoman empire in the last century, will need to be split up. Iraq might become three countries: a Shiite, a Sunni and a Kurd, since the three groups do not seem willing or able to live together there. Syria and Yemen might also see a restructuring. Yemen became a united nation in 1991 and may need to be divided again. It seems that tribalism has even trumped nationalism in this region.
Here in America, we have been amazed to see the political success of a businessman and entertainer against 16 seasoned professionals. This success came regardless of the fact that this man has been called racist, xenophobic, sexist, dishonest, narcissistic, a bully, a liar and in it just for himself.
What appealed to a record number of GOP primary voters was his position on illegal immigration, outsourcing American manufacturing jobs and U.S. trade agreements. He promised to seal the southern border to stop the constant flow of migrants who can walk into our country and if caught be able to stay at least for a few years before facing possible, though unlikely, repatriation. He promised to bring back good-paying manufacturing jobs while making our country self sufficient by producing the goods and services Americans want and need. He promised to reduce our trade deficits with other countries like China and Mexico. He pledged to get American companies to stop outsourcing jobs.
He would make America great by putting America first. He defied the current zeitgeist of globalization in favor of nationalism.
Meanwhile, the globalists are in a state of panic. Their dream of one world order with no borders and no nationalities is fading.
Those who represent big business want to eliminate all barriers to expanded markets. Big business means global business that transcends nationalistic boundaries. They imagine a world with no tariffs, no passports, uniform laws and regulations, a common currency and even a common language, preferably English. They long to make business completely fluid with no barriers to block the flow.
Those on the left also favor globalization. For them it means equality for all people and cultures. Why should the 35 developed nations do so well while 160 second and third-world countries have so much trouble providing for their people? Aren’t all people created equal? Aren’t we all G-d’s children (if we believe in G-d)? Aren’t all cultures created equal?
The urge for globalization began more than 2500 years ago. The Persians wanted to spread their empire across the world. They were defeated and followed by the Greeks who under Alexander the Great wanted to Helenise the world. They were followed by the Romans, the Moguls, the Ottoman, the British, the French, the Dutch, the Russian, the Austro-Hungarian and the Soviet empires.
All of these empires are gone now. The attempts at globalization were defeated by nationalism. People wanted their own country, culture, language, currency and sense of identity. They still do.
But what has caused this recent surge in nationalism? I think it was the fear of future immigration from the developing world. I think that Angela Merkel, a globalist, opened the floodgates of nationalism by welcoming immigrants from the Middle East and Africa. The moment she made her invitation, I knew that we were talking millions of people. I don’t think that she realized how many people would arrive in Europe to make their way to its most generous nations to refugees - Germany, England and Scandinavia, while not choosing to go to nearby countries that share their cultural values, tradition, beliefs and religion. Germany appealed to the EU to force member nations to accept some of these new entrants. Many EU countries resented and rejected this mandate and closed their borders.
While our own mainstream media will not report the problems associated with this mass migration from totally different cultures, the British probably got the news of necessitated changes in daily life in these affluent, civilized nations. Cultures were being threatened by greater numbers of peoples with vastly different values and beliefs - especially regarding the treatment of women. The millions of migrants also receive welfare benefits greater than those available to citizens taking money away from each country’s less fortunate to offer needed services to refugees.
And some fear that the migrant problem will only worsen with low birth rates and aging population in the developed nations and the prospect of huge population growth in the poorest nations like those in the Middle East, Latin America and Africa.
The globalists want to believe that all cultures, like all people, are created equal. The problem is that they are not. Just as people are born very different, though equally human, cultures are not even close to being equal while being dramatically different. Globalists are unwilling to see the relationship between a culture and its success socially, politically and economically. There is a reason people are fleeing their homelands in record numbers - their culture has failed them. But unaware of this relationship, those making a new home in the developed world want to bring their old culture with them.
I believe that the answer is not mass migration, is not changing successful cultural practices and policies nor is it imposing our culture on others in the form of empires or occupation. I think it is in the developed world’s best interest to provide the less developed world with tools to improve their living conditions and to modify their cultural beliefs and practices so that residents will want to live in their beloved homeland not needing to risk their lives breaking into other lands to survive.
I can imagine a prosperous Latin America with honest and wise politicians and a happy, hard working population and reduced birth rates reflecting a greater respect for women. I can wish for the same in the Middle East and Africa. I can dream of a world with people who love their homeland and have no thoughts of ever living anywhere else.
Surely, every human deserves no less.
If the nexits occur, England will once again be England. Scotland and Wales could still be part of Great Britain which would be like a little EU with free trade and movement between the three countries. I have always favored this idea.
But what other nexits could there be?
Sweden, Denmark and the Netherlands are said to be considering leaving the EU while maintaining free trade with the remaining countries.
Greece might also decide to quit the Union so that they could have their own currency and better control their failing economy.
In Spain, the Catalonians want to have their independence.
And Tibet still wants its independence from China.
Yugoslavia and Czechoslovakia have already been disbanded, replaced by about nine independent nations and two autonomous provinces. The Soviet Union was disbanded giving their 14 countries back to the people of Eastern Europe.
In the Middle East, it is beginning to appear that some of these nations whose boundaries were drawn by the Western powers after the fall of the Ottoman empire in the last century, will need to be split up. Iraq might become three countries: a Shiite, a Sunni and a Kurd, since the three groups do not seem willing or able to live together there. Syria and Yemen might also see a restructuring. Yemen became a united nation in 1991 and may need to be divided again. It seems that tribalism has even trumped nationalism in this region.
Here in America, we have been amazed to see the political success of a businessman and entertainer against 16 seasoned professionals. This success came regardless of the fact that this man has been called racist, xenophobic, sexist, dishonest, narcissistic, a bully, a liar and in it just for himself.
What appealed to a record number of GOP primary voters was his position on illegal immigration, outsourcing American manufacturing jobs and U.S. trade agreements. He promised to seal the southern border to stop the constant flow of migrants who can walk into our country and if caught be able to stay at least for a few years before facing possible, though unlikely, repatriation. He promised to bring back good-paying manufacturing jobs while making our country self sufficient by producing the goods and services Americans want and need. He promised to reduce our trade deficits with other countries like China and Mexico. He pledged to get American companies to stop outsourcing jobs.
He would make America great by putting America first. He defied the current zeitgeist of globalization in favor of nationalism.
Meanwhile, the globalists are in a state of panic. Their dream of one world order with no borders and no nationalities is fading.
Those who represent big business want to eliminate all barriers to expanded markets. Big business means global business that transcends nationalistic boundaries. They imagine a world with no tariffs, no passports, uniform laws and regulations, a common currency and even a common language, preferably English. They long to make business completely fluid with no barriers to block the flow.
Those on the left also favor globalization. For them it means equality for all people and cultures. Why should the 35 developed nations do so well while 160 second and third-world countries have so much trouble providing for their people? Aren’t all people created equal? Aren’t we all G-d’s children (if we believe in G-d)? Aren’t all cultures created equal?
The urge for globalization began more than 2500 years ago. The Persians wanted to spread their empire across the world. They were defeated and followed by the Greeks who under Alexander the Great wanted to Helenise the world. They were followed by the Romans, the Moguls, the Ottoman, the British, the French, the Dutch, the Russian, the Austro-Hungarian and the Soviet empires.
All of these empires are gone now. The attempts at globalization were defeated by nationalism. People wanted their own country, culture, language, currency and sense of identity. They still do.
But what has caused this recent surge in nationalism? I think it was the fear of future immigration from the developing world. I think that Angela Merkel, a globalist, opened the floodgates of nationalism by welcoming immigrants from the Middle East and Africa. The moment she made her invitation, I knew that we were talking millions of people. I don’t think that she realized how many people would arrive in Europe to make their way to its most generous nations to refugees - Germany, England and Scandinavia, while not choosing to go to nearby countries that share their cultural values, tradition, beliefs and religion. Germany appealed to the EU to force member nations to accept some of these new entrants. Many EU countries resented and rejected this mandate and closed their borders.
While our own mainstream media will not report the problems associated with this mass migration from totally different cultures, the British probably got the news of necessitated changes in daily life in these affluent, civilized nations. Cultures were being threatened by greater numbers of peoples with vastly different values and beliefs - especially regarding the treatment of women. The millions of migrants also receive welfare benefits greater than those available to citizens taking money away from each country’s less fortunate to offer needed services to refugees.
And some fear that the migrant problem will only worsen with low birth rates and aging population in the developed nations and the prospect of huge population growth in the poorest nations like those in the Middle East, Latin America and Africa.
The globalists want to believe that all cultures, like all people, are created equal. The problem is that they are not. Just as people are born very different, though equally human, cultures are not even close to being equal while being dramatically different. Globalists are unwilling to see the relationship between a culture and its success socially, politically and economically. There is a reason people are fleeing their homelands in record numbers - their culture has failed them. But unaware of this relationship, those making a new home in the developed world want to bring their old culture with them.
I believe that the answer is not mass migration, is not changing successful cultural practices and policies nor is it imposing our culture on others in the form of empires or occupation. I think it is in the developed world’s best interest to provide the less developed world with tools to improve their living conditions and to modify their cultural beliefs and practices so that residents will want to live in their beloved homeland not needing to risk their lives breaking into other lands to survive.
I can imagine a prosperous Latin America with honest and wise politicians and a happy, hard working population and reduced birth rates reflecting a greater respect for women. I can wish for the same in the Middle East and Africa. I can dream of a world with people who love their homeland and have no thoughts of ever living anywhere else.
Surely, every human deserves no less.
