By Tim Baldwin
The British people voted to leave the European Union. Their exit will take time but will be peaceful. Some have criticized UK’s exit, pointing to disadvantages it will cause, but the bigger focus should be the people’s will.
The American colonies’ exit from Britain also had disadvantages. They lost Britain’s military protection and economic benefits and were vulnerable to foreign influence. But these disadvantages were not the primary concern to them. Independence was, and history proved that their separation was good for them and us.
No union lasts forever in one state: human nature doesn’t allow it. America’s founders knew this. Notably, Thomas Jefferson preferred a constitutional convention be held in a union every generation so the people can often inject their will into the political state. Ultimately, the Constitution’s ratifiers did not input an automatic convention process. Rather, Article V allows the states to propose and adopt amendments to the Constitution, which could include leaving the union itself. Or just as the states did in 1787, the states could call a constitutional convention for the purpose of leaving the current union and forming a new one with the exiting states.
Unions are a means not an end to political success. Separation is prudent at times. However, the people must use proper channels for the separation to be deemed legitimate by fellow citizens and foreign nations and to avoid another 1860 civil war.
By Joe Carbonari
Brexit is a warning. We are leaving too many people behind. As the who-makes-what, where, and with whom in the world changes, some benefit and some lose. Many of those whose lives are not improving have lost faith in the performance of the experts and professionals who are running the show, especially in the political realm. They want something positive done. Soon.
Many of those in Britain who voted to leave the European Union and its common market were disproportionally older, more rural, and less formally educated than those who voted to continue the European experiment. The weakness in the world economy has made it difficult to absorb the flood of immigrants seeking work in Britain. The possibility of others being added to the Union was additionally disquieting. Boris Johnson, former mayor of London, did an about face to support the Brexit issue and used it to advance his career. He’s now being spoken of as the new prime minster. He is a flamboyant type, a bit of a showman, a bit like Donald Trump. They are crowd pleasers. They entertain. They get votes, some votes of hope, some of protest.
Other European countries have strong anti-Union, nationalistic movements. This is not a time to put showmen in charge. We need steady, experienced hands … our best and our brightest.