The recent vote by the people of the United Kingdom (UK) to leave the European Union (EU) has rocked the world. Many of my friends living in London, England have expressed their disappointment over the result of their referendum. There are lots of uncertainties and this has rocked the UK market as well as the British Pound. But why did things go sour with the British with regards to being part of a powerful and influential collective group? My friends in the UK lament that the prime motivation of the people who voted to leave the EU was xenophobia; that the prime driver of those who wanted to leave was anti-immigration. I do not agree entirely with that. I think it was more fundamental. I think BREXIT was the result of misplaced faith on social and economic collectivism.
On the social front a good friend of mine, Arcie Pragale, tells that:
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“The main issue it appears is immigration. The EU open borders policy has resulted in an influx in the U.K. of immigrants that apparently ‘scared’ the majority of the British population. As an immigrant it is very important to assimilate and integrate into society. Whenever I can I try to give back in time or money to the communities here in Southern CA that has given me a lot of opportunities and business. Assimilate, educate yourself, respect the old timers and status quo, be charitable and there will be no problems.”
I think he got it spot on. Many of the “Leave” voters were probably workers frustrated about their jobs being taken by immigrants who don’t share the British tradition and culture. Instead of this frustration being addressed by proponents of the status quo, this frustration was probably even more aggravated by smears of racism and xenophobia from the “Stay” group. The problem is not that the majority of the “Leave” folks are racists (although some probably are), it was probably more about the fear of losing a nation’s cultural identity as a result of the seemingly uncontrolled influx of many immigrants who refuse to be assimilated to the British culture. Can you imagine a slew of, say, Muslim immigrants coming in a predominantly Christian or even secular state? These folks are coming in with different religions, traditions, and social practices so much different from the UK’s. How open would these people be to adopting the culture of the new land they moved to? I imagine not so much as evidenced by the large Muslim immigrant concentrations segregated in turfs like the Banlieues in Paris. Many of these people hold on to their beliefs and cultural practices so tight despite some of these being frowned upon (even abhorred) in the Western World like in the UK. Beliefs and practices such as honor killings and forced marriages – these things would easily lead to a backlash against the Muslims. Now imagine these people taking advantage of European generosity by claiming “free” benefits, education, healthcare amongst other freebies and subsidies but also wanting to hold on to their cultural beliefs, practices, and traditions that are contrary to Western ways and beliefs? (Beliefs like the sanctity of human rights, political freedom and equality.) If we think about this, the seemingly anti-immigrant sentiment (being labeled as racism) now doesn’t sound too groundless, does it?
In 2011, the Muslim Council of Britain published a study showing that an unprecedented growth rate of the Muslim population in the UK. An article from The Commentator states that:
“This study revealed that Britain’s Muslim population (including Scotland and N. Ireland) increased from 1∙6 million in 2001 to almost 2∙8 million on census day 2011. That represents an almost seventy-five percent increase over a ten year period, an “unprecedented” population growth according to Prof David Voas of Essex University.
Such a growth rate may well be unprecedented for Britain, but it has not been that unusual for other parts of the Muslim world. The MCB study also stated that Britain’s Muslim population would continue growing “for many decades”.
That projection makes sense as the study also revealed that the number of Muslim children in the UK has almost doubled in the past decade. Almost ten percent of under-fives in England and Wales are Muslim, twice as high as in the general population.
Given that these figures relate to a statistically significant ten year period, it’s reasonable to conclude that those increasing percentage rates represent the future demographic make-up of Britain, with Muslims becoming a higher and higher percentage of the British population.
The reason for this is that the expanding Muslim population in Britain is only one side of Britain’s demographic story. The other side is that average British birth-rates at 1∙6 per female are below replacement level (2∙1 births per female). Muslim birth rates in Britain (even taking into account the social diversity of the Muslim population) are significantly higher than the non-replacement birth-rates of the wider British population.
It is this combination of falling average non-Muslim British birth rates and increasing Muslim birth rates that could well determine the future demographic picture of Britain.
Continuing immigration, not just birth rates, also contributes to Britain’s growing Muslim population. The immigration picture changes over time, but between 2001 to 2011 almost four million immigrants came to Britain, 30 percent from the EU, 70 percent from outside the EU, mainly from Africa and Asia.
Given such demographic facts, and accepting the MCB report that Britain’s Muslim population will continue to grow for many decades, it’s interesting to ask what the demographic picture of Britain will look like, for example by mid-century.”
So in considering the UK’s continuing non-Muslim birth rate decline, the higher and increasing Muslim birth rate, and the large influx and concentration of unassimilated Muslim immigrants one will able to see where the “fear” is coming from.
But things are not just about fear of losing national and cultural identity. The bigger thing, I think, is economics. Again, Mr. Arcie Pragale, a certified public accountant in California, said:
“The European Union is an experiment that is headed for failure. Integrating economies of various countries in different stages of development is an insurmountable challenge. The truth is that EU economic policy has only favored Germany the last five years to the detriment of stagnant economic growth in Portugal, Italy, Greece, and Spain, etc. How can a central body in Brussels dictate one economic policy for various countries with different needs and challenges? States in the USA has independent governance, however in times of economic and/or natural catastrophe; the powerful Federal government in Washington D.C. steps in and restores order. No country in the EU has the mandate or resources to perform that function.”
I think Pragale, again, made a great point. No central body can dictate one economic policy for different sovereign nations. Every sovereign nation has different needs, challenges, and if I may add – different traits. Take for example the case of Germany and Greece. We have seen how the Greek economy has taken a nosedive starting in 2009 because of the bloated size of their government, their over-regulation on Greek businesses, out of control social welfare spending, and insane retirement benefits of Greek retirees. Germany, one of the few countries that prospered under the EU tried to get Greece to adopt austerity measures involving huge spending cuts in order to save Greece from totally collapsing. But instead of embracing the much needed measures, the people of Greece still voted to reject the much needed measures due to an already ingrained entitlement mindset. Is it any too farfetched to find the rationality behind many German people’s objection of the continued subsidy (bail-out) to Greece when a lot of the hard-working and thrifty Germans see Greeks as too lethargic with their economic affairs and too submerged in their entitlement mindset? I imagine a lot of the British voters who chose to “Leave” the EU felt the same frustration of having to carry the burden of bailing out indolent EU member countries.
The whole aim of the EU was indeed noble. Some of its mandates include:
• Establishing an area of freedom, security and justice without internal borders
• Fighting against social exclusion and discrimination. Promoting social justice and protection, equality between women and men
• Promoting economical, social and territorial cohesion and solidarity among Member States.
However, the EU’s vision, I would argue, was too idealistic. It seems to have focused too much on the similarities of people from different nations and shunned their differences. As BREXIT seems to show us, no single currency or socio-politico-economic body can ever eliminate the things that separate the nature of nations and different people. Afterall, different people are products of their unique culture, traditions, religion, histories, language and other various traits.
(Image taken from Vox Europ )
Calling a spade, a spade…
Immigration was probably a factor, but I doubt it was “racism” as such. The UK is a very small island. The population density is now about the same as the Philippines. Whereas Filipinos are content to keep cranking out babies into a life of poverty, the British are, not unreasonably, worried about being able to feed themselves.
However I agree that it’s pointless trying to shoehorn different cultures into a single administrative framework. The tragedy is that co-operation doesn’t require anything so complex: all it needs is a handshake.
Do not free a camel of the burden of his hump; you may be freeing him from being a camel.
You forgot to mention how these unassimilated immigrants cry foul of racism whenever criticism is shoved to their faces. It does not matter who is on the right, these twats will never admit their mistakes and any flaws in their culture or religion. There comes a time when enough is certainly enough. Angela Merkel, Chancellor of Germany, saw through this and openly declared that multiculturalism has failed. What many liberals fail to understand is that all the positive concepts of multiculturalism goes down the drain the moment you allow Muslims in the fray. Islam is fundamentally flawed and its followers don’t have a he balls to accept it.
European Union did not work; and will never work. Europe was as place, where bitter wars were fought, a few centuries ago. The Brits are a lot different from the Polaks or from the Grunts.
Europe is now inundated by Muslim refugees. These people came from countries ruled by dictators, or political religious leaders. Their Islamic religion intertwines with their lives. They have their own culture and tradition. Western culture is foreign to them. They may even think western culture as “devil inspired”. It runs against their Islamic religious culture and belief.
There is also the reality of Islamic radical terrorism. Muslims do not practice birth control. They multiply like rabbits. While they take advantage of the freebees in their host countries…
BREXIT is a show of frustration, among the Brits, with regards to these problems !
Personally, I think the EU brought and brings a lot of good things.
– Free travel within all EU countries.
This means no need to get a Visa to enter any member-country of the EU.
– Since the start of Schengen there is even no need to travel with a passport.
– Since the introduction of the Euro (Euro-zone) we dont need to be bothered with the cost of foreign exhange.
– We can work and live in any EU-country without the need to obtain a work-permit first.
I really think the attacks on London (Metro and bus), Paris (Bataclan), Brussels (metro and airport) and the vast number of Muslim refugees wanting to settle in England, was the crux for many older and nationalist English people to vote for a ‘Leave’.
The EU could have prevented all this by not allowing those refugess seeking asylum in EU-countries or at least allowing far less (in numbers).
The EU should and must protect its EU-citizens and its EU-civilians.
It is hoped that EU will never grant Turkey to become an EU-member.
Example
If I want to spend a weekend in Paris (just 400 km or a 4 hrs car drive away) then I can decide to go now. Before Schengen and before EU, I had to get a Visa first.
Robert,I don’t know how old you are,but I have been travelling on a UK passport since 1964 and had visited 5 European countries before I voted to join the European Economic Community. The only visa I have ever had to apply for was in 1980 for the USA. The Euro has been goodish for the Netherlands,as policy has been run for the benefit of the Germans.Convince the Spanish Italians and Greeks that not being able to devalue their currency as a method of keeping their economies afloat has been a shining success.
Uncontrolled immigration has been a major factor,as working class people have found that EU employment protection is wonderful,until the job you wanted has gone to a Bulgarian or Romanian,because he would accept lower wages.
For the benefit of Philippino readers,a major source of discontent has been the supremacy of EU law over local law.
Imagine ASEAN as the EU.If the ASEAN Court of Justice decides that the 60/40 rule impedes the free movement of capital,then the 60/40 is overruled.Vietnamese and Cambodians can come in,work or set up businesses and there is nothing you can do about it,except provide free health care and education.
Farther down the road,the ASEAN diplomatic service will be negotiating with China about the Spratleys,having to take into account the interests of Laos and Myanmar,which rely on Chinese investment.Similarly,the ASEAN Rapid Reaction Force could mean Filipino forces fighting under the command of Indonesians or Brunei,because it is their turn to command this year.
I hope this gives some more insight into the Brexit vote,and that you have managed to stay awake this long.
Niall,
I was born in 1963. I am not sure but I think I visited England in the 1970s for the first time (as part of the family vacation). After that, I visited England many more times. Never been to Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland but did visit Rep of Ireland a few times. The only time I needed a Visa was when I visited Budapest somewhere in the 80s.
All I can say is that so far I only benefitted/gained from being a EU-citizen.
I am not afraid of my job getting ‘robbed’ by a Polish or Bulgarian.
I can live anywhere in EU, I can start a business anywhere in EU, I can travel without Visa to any EU country and for most EU countries I dont need another currency and most EU countries have the same time zone (except UK, Ireland + Portugal).
Robert,I apologise for misinterpreting you comment on visas a meaning that you required one before the EU.Your job might be safe,but I doubt you are a bricklayer,seasonal agricultural worker or unemployed,who are the types of people who feel threatened.
You may well have benefitted from the EU,but it might be a hard sell to the 25% unemployed in Greece or the 40% of Italian teenagers without jobs.
Still,we can agree to disagree in a civilised manner,and I’m off to bed before you find out the football score.
Niall,
No need to apologies. Can happen to all of us.
Thats correct, I am not a bricklayer nor any of the other mentioned professions. Our agriculture uses the most modern technologies and is therefore not in need of many hands (workers).
Greece, Italy (and also Spain) have different problems that causes/caused the high number of unemployed.
I would love to work in both Italy and Spain but my grasp of both languages is rather poor.
Tonight we had Brexit#2 where England was beaten by Iceland in the UEFA Euro2016 in the round of 16.
There are good and bad effects of the European Union. We have an ISIS, Al Queda, Islamic Radical terrorism problems, at present. Islamic Radical terrorists can move freely from one European country to another European country in the European Union. This occurred in the Paris ISIS attack. The Islamic Radical terrorists were based in Brussels, Belgium; went easily to Paris to murder people. Islamic refugees can move from Turkey to Greece to any European Union country…to settle or commit terrorism or both !
The biggest problem of any immigrants are failing to integrate and assimilate. You go to another country. Learn their ways and don’t bring your baggage IMHO. The problem with the Muslim culture is majority of them don’t want to integrate and learn the European Culture.
The GBPound-Sterling has NOT been rocked,it has been trading at $1.36 to $1.55 since 2008, the MSM is trying everything they can to reverse the results of the people’s collective voice to “LEAVE”. Cameron should resign,NOW…not in October and all the other nonsense about ‘Market Crashes’ and all else is patently false and just scare-mongering bull-shit to try to get the SHEEP scared, the ‘elite’ will try to crash the GBPound-Sterling but it will take massive money and the ‘elite’ are now desperate to prevent another 10 countries from doing EXACTLY what the people of the U.K. have done, which is take back their SOVEREIGNTY from the unelected ‘Technocrats’ in Brussels.AND ANYWAY, if the GBPound Sterling takes a hit it would lower the cost of the U.K.’s exports and ,BTW, that is good for business.
Well, the debate was not about Muslim immigrants. I don’t believe that the British Muslims have such a high birth rate. The one of Muslims in continental Europe is dropping and has almost reached the rate of native Europeans.
The Brexit debate was mostly maneuvering between political parties and between the diferent wings inside the parties.
Many workers and retires ex workers were concerned of cultural change caused by immigrants from Eastern Europe, especially Poland. They usually take blue collar jobs which the British don’t want to do themselves anymore.