Welcome to DU! The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards. Join the community: Create a free account Support DU (and get rid of ads!): Become a Star Member All Forums Issue Forums Culture Forums Alliance Forums Region Forums Support Forums Help & Search

struggle4progress

(118,041 posts)
Fri Jun 24, 2016, 02:06 PM Jun 2016

Britain’s Leap in the Dark

Roger Cohen
JUNE 24, 2016

LONDON — The British have given the world’s political, financial and business establishment a massive kick in the teeth ... that will plunge Britain into uncertainty for years to come and reverses the integration on which the Continent’s stability has been based.

Warnings about the dire consequences of a British exit from President Barack Obama, Britain’s political leaders, major corporations based in Britain and the International Monetary Fund proved useless ...

... Geert Wilders, the right-wing anti-immigrant Dutch politician, promptly tweeted: “Hurrah for the British! Now it is our turn. Time for a Dutch referendum!” ...

Fifty-two percent of the British population was ready to face higher unemployment, a weaker currency, possible recession, political turbulence, the loss of access to a market of a half-billion people, a messy divorce that may take as long as two years to complete, a very long subsequent negotiation of Britain’s relationship with Europe, and the tortuous redrafting of laws and trade treaties and environmental regulations — all for what the right-wing leader Nigel Farage daftly called “Independence Day.” Britain was a sovereign nation before this vote in every significant sense. It remains so. Estrangement Day would be more apt ...


http://www.nytimes.com/2016/06/25/opinion/britains-brexit-leap-in-the-dark.html

1 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight: NoneDon't highlight anything 5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
Britain’s Leap in the Dark (Original Post) struggle4progress Jun 2016 OP
kick Dawson Leery Jun 2016 #1
Latest Discussions»Issue Forums»Editorials & Other Articles»Britain’s Leap in the Dar...