“Nationalism is an
infantile disease. It is the measles of mankind.” – Albert Einstein
Right now, the world is in a period of transition. The
United States is losing its place as the world’s primary superpower, Russia is
stirring up trouble again, and the Middle-East continues to be a seemingly
unsolvable problem. Humans are on the move more than they ever have been
before, many of them as
refugees, and, the world over, economies are suffering as free market
capitalism collapses under its own weight. Information travels faster than it
ever has before, and people demand news that is ready made and easy to digest
straight from their smartphones.
Considering all this, the Brexit debate doesn’t seem
terribly surprising.
I’ve hated the term Brexit (“British Exit”) from the start,
as it seems like a silly, trivial name for such an important issue. For those
unaware, it refers to the referendum
the UK will be having on June 23rd to determine whether or not
the country will remain in the European Union.
It surprises me that North American media outlets aren’t
paying more attention to the referendum, given the possibly disastrous effects Britain’s
withdrawal from the EU will inevitably have on the world. While the referendum
debate might seem like a far-off issue for Britons and Europeans, the outcome
will have real world consequences that will affect all of us. Considering the
fact even the anticipation of a Brexit has a significant
effect on the Canadian economy, it is well worth it for Canadians to be
informed about the issue.
For the Brits reading this, I’m not going to argue Vote Leave
is a con, or why Boris
Johnson and Nigel Farage don’t give two shits about the working class.
Brexiters are notoriously stubborn, and no amount of logic seems to convince
them. Better people than me have tried.
What interests me is the origin of Brexit sentiments: why do
intelligent people so staunchly (not to mention angrily) support a decision
that would ultimately do nothing to benefit them? Each of Vote Leave’s arguments have been thoroughly
debunked, from the absurd notion that an economically
independent Britain would be more prosperous to the idea that Brussels
is somehow to blame for the woes of the working class. It continually
astounds me that intelligent people are campaigning to leave the EU.
As far as I can tell, Brexit, and other such nationalist
movements, invariably begin with patriotism.
For all of my adult life, I have refused to call myself a
patriot. I was born in the UK, but was raised in both Canada and Britain. I am
a citizen of both countries, yet I don’t think of myself as either “British” or
“Canadian.” My accent flip flops back and forth, and I consider both countries
to be an intrinsic aspect of my identity. Perhaps it is because of this
background that I refuse to identify myself as particularly belonging to either
country.
“Aren’t you proud to
be British?” Canadians often ask me. “Aren’t you a Canadian now?” my British
friends say.
Sure, I appreciate my British heritage as much as I
appreciate Canada: the UK is a richly vibrant nation with a deep connection to
its history, just as Canada is full of wonderful people, landscapes, and cultures.
Do either of these things make my homelands any better than
the rest of the world? Do my Britishness or Canadianness make me intrinsically different
from, say, a Frenchman or a German?
Hell no.
Human beings are the same wherever you go. In every nation,
you’ll find good and bad people, a vast mix of privilege, class, and ideology.
These things are a constant of human society, unaffected by the arbitrary
borders and illusions of shared identity that form the abstract concept of “nationhood.”
The particular manner in which these facets of humanity manifest is based more
on circumstance and attitude than any facts of identity. In short, people are
only different because they choose to be different based on race, religion, or,
in this case, nationality.
While I respect those who are proud of their country, I also
fear them. Patriotism is dangerous, fostering divisiveness and widening our
divides, inevitably leading to nationalism and ultranationalism. We’re seeing
the fallouts of seemingly benign patriotism right now in the rise of Donald
Trump and the possibility of a Brexit on Thursday.
The world over, we are seeing people turn to nationalism,
the big brother of patriotism, as the answer to what they perceive as their own
powerlessness in the world. This is why Donald Trump is the Republican Party’s
presidential candidate, and this is why Vote Leave has so much support. For
once, people feel that they are being given a voice in issues that affect them.
Looking at Britain, it is easy to understand the desire to opt
out of the EU. The economy is suffering and it is easy to blame those who are
visibly “other” for the sorrows of the working class. The EU is an overly bureaucratic
organization that seems to do little other than stifle Britain’s success as a country.
Political parties like UKIP and news outlets like the Daily Mail stoke the
fires of discontent by continually spouting off about the
EU’s misuse of British money.
Are there problems with the EU? Yes, obviously. But all
logic suggests that the UK is far off as a member than not. The arguments are
vast and numerous (I’ll attach some further reading on why the EU should remain
at the bottom).
Yet, despite the logic of Remain’s argument, people are
unconvinced, and so many members of Britain’s working class see Brexit as the
answer to their woes. Come Thursday, the referendum is anyone’s game.
Brexiters are thinking with their hearts and not with their
heads. When Boris Johnson promises to make Britain great again, it’s
understandable that people want to jump on the idea. Given that, for all its
history, Britain has been a ruling force in the world, Brits don’t relish the
idea of playing a bit part in a larger group.
Nevertheless, the facts are undeniable. This Thursday’s vote
will not help people to “get their country back.” Britain will not reclaim the
days of the Empire and become the great power it once was. There is no changing
the fact that the sun has indeed set on the British Empire.
Intelligent people are being blinded by nationalist propaganda
and rhetoric gone wild. A single referendum will not change Britain’s fortunes
for the better. Rather, it is likely to do quite the opposite.
If Britain leaves, Europe will
crumble as other restless states follow their lead. The continent could very
likely slide backwards into the bickering group of schoolchildren it was prior
to the Second World War, and international sentiment will turn against the
United Kingdom for setting that ball rolling. Internally, the UK itself is also
likely to crumble as Scotland and Northern Ireland hold onto a dying EU. Nationalist
parties throughout the world will receive a propaganda boost, and the success
of Brexit will encourage Donald Trump and his supporters as the US heads
towards an election in November. We could even see a serious movement for an independent
Texas, and, if that succeeds, I wouldn’t be surprised if there was a
revival of Western
Canada’s campaign for independence.
There is nothing inherently wrong with patriotism. Pride in
one’s country is not a bad thing. But people need to avoid making the mistake
of thinking that divisive nationalist sentiments will drastically improve their
quality of life.
For everyone voting in the Referendum, it might feel like
you are taking back control, but you are not.
Because of circumstances, partly of my own doing, I am unable to vote as
an expat in the Referendum, which I deeply regret. For everyone who is voting,
please don’t make a mistake of historic proportions.
As always, thanks for reading!
Further reading on the referendum:
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