Brexit

It's funny, many would say that as an American, it's not my place to share my opinion on this matter, but I was actually in the United Kingdom in 2016 when the referendum was being held and I found out a few shocking things that are definitely worth sharing. While I was there I asked many people what they thought of the whole thing, and I was astonished to find out that most people I asked only knew as much about it as I did. It was absolutely mind blowing to learn that so many people were in the dark about all of the details concerning the monumental consequences of the decision that was there before them. From what I learned, UKIP, otherwise known as the United Kingdom Independence party, ran a swift and severe propaganda campaign depicting the European Union as a rats nest of endless bureaucracy that the United Kingdom was better off not being a part of. Another big aspect of their platform was xenophobia. They ran commercials depicting hoards of migrants pouring across Europe to the sound of menacing music, and they said that remaining a part of the European Union was essentially saying you're alright with the British Isles being overrun by immigrants. I observed that it was strikingly similar to some of the tactics employed by the Trump campaign here in my home, the United States. UKIP stoked fears, manipulated the masses under the façade of patriotism, and unfortunately, they ultimately got their way. Two years later, the United Kingdom is still struggling to hammer out all of the details of the transition and sadly, many of the negative consequences that the British people hadn't considered when voting for Brexit, are coming into development. One of the largest issues is what will become of the border between Northern Ireland (which is part of the United Kingdom) and the Republic of Ireland (an independent state that remains part of the EU). The British Prime Minister Theresa May floated the idea of going back to having a hard border which was overwhelmingly shot down by parliament, most likely because most of them remember how terribly having a hard border worked out the last time it was implemented. Trade across the English channel is also turning into a complete mess, since every single vessel coming through it will have to individually be processed through customs. Another consequence is that now it will be incredibly difficult to travel between the British Isles and the main land, which is something many UK citizens enjoyed doing, whether it be for work, vacation, or simply visiting relatives in different parts of Europe. As someone observing from the outside, I can see what the appeal was for Brexit. The United Kingdom would supposedly be freed from the shackles of European bureaucracy, spirits were high, they were voting for their independence! But the sad reality was that they just created a political, economic, and cultural quagmire that will likely affect the region for generations. It deeply saddens me to see this struggle going on in the United Kingdom because my ancestors and my entire cultural identity comes from the British Isles. It is painful to see the islands of my ancestors putting themselves through this. Unfortunately, all I can do as an American, is to observe and hope for the best. After all, we have more than enough on our own plate to deal with over here.