A known devil is better than an unknown angel

Brexit. What a mess. 


The EU started off in 1951 as a more complex acronym, the ECSC, and then simplifying into the EEC in 1958, before finally setting down to the simple EU we all know and apparently don't love, in 1993. Since then, it has become the largest single market, flourishing nations in the East of Europe and ultimately making Europe a quasi-federal country. However, as the acronyms became simpler, the Union grew more complicated than ever fathomed. Now, the EU is a political tyrant, controlling and setting laws to all 28 of its member states; central economics of the past have become miniscule for the future. Much like the acronyms.

So on the 23rd June 2016, the people of the United Kingdom couldn't bear living in a Union that has the prospect of soon being called 'E'. 

The only problem with initiating Article 50 is that no state has left the EU before. Both remaining and leaving had complete unknowns, where politicians gambled away their careers... apart from May, she somehow came up on top, but we'll get to that later. The night of the 23rd saw the pound sterling not come on top however. Remain voters then saw this as a clear win for them, as something bad economically had actually happened and they had facts to support this. Unfortunately, this is not the case, it's not a win. The pound dropped not because leaving the EU will lead to the Rapture, but because of instability; since no one actually knows what to do from now on. 

The future is now a void for the United Kingdom. Not a bad void, but just an unknown. The United Kingdom was in an abusive relationship, and 52% decided that leaving would eventually make the UK succeed and become an independant women, whereas 48% decided that at least they're pummeling is consistent; a known devil is better than an unknown angel. 

What now for Europe, then? May has said that Brexit talks won't start until the end of 2016, and that there's no need to rush anything. Apart from when she said it should be quick. I'm not saying she contradicted herself, but a break-up, even a divorce, should not mean the relationship carries on for 6 months until one of the partners sees the other going psychopathic. May, having 2/1 odds on being said psychopath, because it can't be Germany who elected one, definitely succeeded. She beat off Johnson... and Gove and Leadsom; prominent Leave voters, so an achievement to be proud of. However, it could be only short term significance. She has the stage for 3.5 years, where she has to manage the break up of the largest financial sector from the largest trade union. Even Leave voters didn't expect to see positives in less than 5 years, meaning May has a time bomb, and no real way of knowing how to defuse it. Johnson pulled out... which could be seen as political tactics, knowing he can run in 2020 when May has sailed the ship into inevitable turbulence. From 2020, he can focus, not being blinded by unknowns or voids. From 2020, Johnson can run the United Kingdom he wanted to run, not manage a break-up.

The relationship analogy, one which I've relentlessly used, is because that's exactly what the EU is. The UK just doesn't feel like it benefits them anymore, and with democracy, the majority seeks Leave. Unfortunately, just like a relationship, the feeling is purely irrational, love (or the break up of) doesn't have facts or figures or projected outcomes with graphs. Of course there is initial despair, but afterwards, the future is unknown. 

The debates and conversations over the past few months has been an exercise to show that it doesn't matter, and won't matter. There will be no drastic change, there will be no rise in power or crumble of states. Instead, Western civilisation has plateaued to a point where issues such as the UK leaving the EU are meaningless, because anything big enough to affect one will affect the other. Leaders have changed, policies have been amended, but the life of you and I has, and will, stay the same. Unless the Rapture actually does happen.