Notes From a Federalist or Back to the Future

Everywhere I look I see the world retreating from the Age of Enlightenment back to the Dark Ages.  Reason is losing out to emotions where everything is secretive, mooted, superstition and instinct.

The strong leader is sought out as the simple solution to seriously complex questions.

Human frailty in the face of crisis is reflected in the support for the Leader who will stamp their authority on the situation, for the Leader who through platitudes promises to remove all the evils from the world relying on xenophobia and ignorance to feed their angry and resentful audience.

Globalism is the root of evil to the thinly veiled National Socialists on the right in their appeal to the narrow-minded bigoted nationalists as portrayed by Donald Trump, the National Front, Alternative for Deutschland and all the populist parties of Eastern Europe.

Not far behind this group is the discussion of the UK's plebiscite to decide whether or not to leave the European Union. 

Britain has traditionally played the spoiler in European politics.  Whenever a continental power looked like it might achieve hegemony in Europe the British would pile in on the other side to force a stalemate/treaty that would keep Europe a divided continent.

There are two major themes underlying the Brexit supporters.

The one is a realisation that through economic strength there is actually a European hegemon.  It is Germany.  There is still much done to try and keep the image of a consensus driven EU but in reality Germany has the power to essentially impose its will on the Union.

Bizarrely, and luckily, the leader of Germany is a committed European.  She comes from East Germany and is a committed democrat.  Although not without her faults- she does know how to play power politics-her motives are by and large driven by a deep seated moral and ethical ethos and a belief that a united Europe is vastly superior to a divided Europe.  She is a rational, moral and intensely intelligent woman who will not stoop to populist rantings to support her policies.

So how does this fit into the Brexit camp?

They realise that there is no real continental heavyweight to counterbalance Germany, and they also know that the British are not in a position to play that role so under the guise of any number of myths and excuses around cost, sovereignty, balance of payments and the ability to become another "Switzerland" the Brexit group is actually throwing in the towel and saying we will retreat to our island fortress and won't play with the rest of the class.

The second and more disturbing driver is actually the more sinister Brexit "myth".  Immigrants are accused of taking jobs away from the British and so leaving Europe will get rid of all those job taking immigrants and the British Empire will rise again.

Actually, after a few pints, the average Brexit supporter will admit that given the choice between having immigrants and a growing economy and not having immigrants and a shrinking economy they would choose the latter.

So much for a rising empire...