by Farouk Martins Aresa,
Sometimes a country may abdicate its leadership role if the financial and emotional costs may exceed what it can bear. These are the main reasons given to the supporters of Brexit, which the world found to be tenuous at best or unfounded at worst. Financially Britain may lose more money than it contributes to European Union and the migration in and out may not change in the foreseeable future to the disappointment of those that voted mainly on the two.
Some African ethnic groups have gone further, comparing their existence in different countries with those in European Union. They are now calling on their people to demand a referendum in the country to find out if they can win the exit votes. The irony is that they cannot even win an exit vote in their enclaves, not to mention in a whole country. Most of the people voted from their regions want to be part of the center in sharing national cake.
It is doubtful if Britain can have it both ways, which is cut off immigration of poorer Europeans while getting the benefits of trading in the European Union. They want control over their own destiny made in London, not anywhere else. Russia is happy because the other shoe, which is NATO may follow since it is already under threat by U.S.A presumptive Presidential Candidate.
Who is going to pay back billions lost in stock markets after the Brexit votes? While champions of Leave European Union recoiled at the sight of the loss, which is more than what Britain pays the Union, others try to reassure the market, hoping it will bounce back. Yes, it will but gainers will not be exactly the same as the losers. Indeed, some of the stock losers might have jumped to their deaths unannounced. Others, with pension in the market, shot themselves in the foot.
Brexit results demanding the exit of Britain from the European Economic Market is a symptom of underlying problem facing some western countries and the world in general. The developing countries led by China are opening more factories making finished products from raw materials instead of shipping out and importing them at ten times the price. Western workers of finished products want more raw materials brought in and finished products sent out to keep good jobs.
It is not only in United Kingdom but the whole world is becoming narrow minded clutching for the good old days where the world order were dictated by a few that still remain largely at the top but fear diversity of the new generation. As they aged, they now rely on social security or welfare that is largely supported by the younger generation that are white, brown and black.
Firmly on their side are those producers of manufacturing goods for the world in Europe and Americas that have lost these jobs to technologies and regional factories where the products are sold and produced cheaper but profits only go to the very rich. The Japanese have learned how to produce smaller luxury cars overtaking the American and the Europeans at their turf.
Without high skills and education, those left behind in western countries have been pushed on welfare for the first time in their lives and they are angry as hell that they are no longer the only makers of the world’s goods. So when they cried that their jobs were shipped overseas, it is the goods that were no longer exported: to where they can be cheaply made. Indeed, Asia countries where there are cheaper labors are also supplying the rest of the developing world.
Industrious developing countries have taken over textiles, plastics and manufacturing goods and services from low skilled workers in Europe and America. Highly skilled entrepreneurs have relocated back home to China, India, Pakistan and Indonesia while highly skilled Africans still complain about lack of infrastructure in their home countries. Even our African entrepreneurs export their profits in the guise of importing essential parts and materials for their factories.
It is so easy to generate passion and slogans without any substance to back it up. Eyes always clear the morning after. This has divided the old and the young, the uneducated and educated, the opportunists leading the uninitiated looking for quick solutions to their anger. By the time they realized what they voted for, they found themselves in a bigger hole than before. Despite all the assurances, recession may be closer than previously predicted. Listen to Bernie Sanders.
Therefore the elders and manufacturing jobs losers on the dole are flaming resentment and revolts to keep immigrants out so that they can have jobs that no longer exist or those they are too old and unskilled to perform. There are not even enough of them to pay the taxes in order to support their welfare, healthcare, social and infrastructure systems.
United Kingdom may turn out to be anything but united. Scotland and Northern Ireland voted to stay in the European Union but dither on staying in United Kingdom. It is doubtful if both would be encouraged to stay separately in European Union as that may encourage other disgruntled parts of member states in the Union. All these may expose the fault lines in their economic unity, which they had hoped would cement their interests.
It is not the same as the unification of Germany. They are one people split into political interest and war the same way most African countries were divided. Africans along border countries that are in the same ethnic group but different countries are further divided today by locations natural resources and they fight over who can control its income. African still fight over oil even as it is becoming obsolete. Nobody thinks about the future. Instant gratification matters more.
South Sudan is still struggling as a nation with ethnic leadership tussle that never ends in most African countries. Instead of forming big African economic blocks, we use limited income from resources sold outside to fight one another to death. We brag about some new countries in the sky that is going to be heavenly bliss, knowing their followers would suffer the consequences.
Nowhere is this true than in Nigeria. Separate ethnic groups have their own militia to extort money from the Federal Government into their pocket but not a single one of them has a clear-cut demarcation line that can form a country. They each have their own Scotland and Ireland that dithers in their enclaves.