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Sadly, the United Kingdom raises its drawbridge

There is sad historical symmetry in Great Britain’s retreat into isolationism through its vote Thursday to leave the European Union.

For much of its history England was a global superpower. Its adventurism underlies many of the problems roiling the world today. Tribal and religious wars in the Mideast are echoes of British dominion; arbitrarily drawn boundaries reflect British interest rather ethnic, tribal and religious realities. Likewise in Africa, where British and other European colonial enterprises generated profits while leaving post-colonial countries in poverty.

Now as refugees from war and poverty in those regions stream across Europe, England has raised its drawbridge. English advocates for leaving the EU contend that they acted to save British sovereignty. The EU structure, they claimed, transferred to Brussels decision-making that belongs in London. That view, however, has corollaries that the separation advocates might come to regret. The sovereignty argument plays into the argument of Scottish separatists. As English critics of the EU lament being told what to do by Brussels, Scottish separatists lament being told what to do by London. Scots voted overwhelmingly to remain in the EU, with 62 percent of the vote. The Scottish Independence Party says it will work for a new vote on independence.

In Northern Ireland, where voters voted 56-44 to remain in the EU, First Deputy Minister Martin McGuinness has called for a poll to assess the possibility of unification with the Republic of Ireland, an EU member. Northern Ireland is the only UK province with a land border with an EU member, thus the only one that likely would have to establish customs and passport controls along that border.

Across the UK, younger voters favored remaining in the EU. London might have to use its sovereignty to deal with buyer’s remorse.

The Scranton Times Tribune

www.times-tribune.com

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