No Brexit?

My beloved British godfather, Lynn Perkins, always used to warn me of the manifest evils of Europe and beyond, “remember, Eric, the wogs begin in Calais (pronounced ‘Callis’ by the Brits.)” Wog is a nasty British term for oily, untrustworthy foreigners.

I recall the Perkins warning  because of the upcoming British referendum to stay in the European Union or pull out. Polls suggest Brits will narrowly decide to stay in the EU; my instincts say the same.

But then again, remember all those ‘wogs.’ Britons are often too well-mannered to bring up this issue, particularly in polls. But deep down, many of Great Britain’s people still think of  Europeans (Germans, Swiss and Scandinavians excepted) and all Arabs and Indians as wogs. These are people who eat smelly food with garlic and don’t turn bright red in the sun like the Brits.Russians and Americans would be pleased to see the EU founder, thus removing a strategic and economic competitor.

But a British departure from the union would be very unwise, even tragic. For all its blundering bureaucracy, over-expansion, stultifying regulations, and lack of full financial integration, the European Union was a majestic, historic achievement for war-ravaged Europe. Today, the EU is the world’s leader in human rights, education, more humane treatment of animals, transportation, environmental protection and universal health protection.

This is a huge, unprecedented accomplishment that must be safeguarded. I was again reminded of it while recently watching the commemoration of the frightful battle of Verdun that cost nearly one million French and German casualties.

If the Brits want out, let them go – but keep the Irish and Scots. The Brits never added much to the EU anyway beyond sneers and complaints. But they can’t go without paying a steep exit tax to discourage other potential deserters. An independent not so great Britain would likely become a giant American theme park in the North Atlantic while being mooned by the annoying French.

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