Babel-on-the-Bay has decided not to do any Morning Line handicapping on the question of Great Briton voting to leave the European Union in the June 23 referendum (commonly referred to as Brexit). Unlike the Scottish referendum a couple years ago, we have no emotional ties to this argument. While there is no reason to think this vote will change anything, the foolish Brits seem to need the exercise as a way to clear the air, so to speak.
Quite frankly the entire exercise also seems to be a way for Brit Prime Minister David Cameron to play his usual games. What we are sure of is that no matter what side wins, it is the Brits who are going to pay the piper. This is a lose-lose proposition. It is already a stick in the eye to the French and Germans just for holding the referendum.
While Canadian expatriate Mark Carney, Governor of the Bank of England, is doing his damnedest to stay out of it, there are so many economic questions that he is being dragged into the middle of the fray. What he obviously knows is that the Bank of England will be paying for this referendum either way. England has already annoyed the rest of Europe for its smug bigotry on the refugee file, the slurs against EU membership and their ongoing snobbish attitude towards fellow members of the European Union.
Any person who has gone through a divorce can tell you that it pays to keep some friends among your former family.
And it not as though there is any solace in thinking the Americans are your best friends for life. When you weight the economy of the European Union against that of Great Briton, who the hell would you choose?
And the Brits can hardly count on the Commonwealth. Canada is tied so tight to the Americans that Ottawa would have to call Washington to ask permission before offering anything to Great Briton. And the Aussies and New Zealanders are likely to have a jolly good laugh if the Brits ever asked them for anything. And have the Brits tried doing business with India lately?
The smart thing for the Brits to do is to cancel the damn referendum before they do any more damage.
-30-
Copyright 2016 © Peter Lowry
Complaints, comments, criticisms and compliments can be sent to [email protected]