For a country with semi-detached houses, I struggle to comprehend the argument to leave the European Union. But then I think about the flag referendum in New Zealand. Our Prime Minister sought to differentiate our national identity from both Australia and England. John Key wanted to make a statement about being our own country, creating a unique New Zealand symbol with no outside influences on our emblem.
Inherently a nation wouldn’t want to be governed by exterior authorities and many English residents fear for the exploitation of their resources and benefits particularly amidst an immigration crisis. They look to other non-EU members to demonstrate stability without subscription. The national Remain/Leave debate is met with the same controversy as the New Zealand government signing the TPPA. Being vetoed in the EU has consolidated the idea of loss of control for many of the English, who have dug their heels in further.
You can get behind the tradition that a country is autonomous. If England has given someone else the reigns in some areas, are the governors of England in a sense, redundant? for show?
However, international communities have been built on a foundation of utilitarianism, to diffuse and aid international problems but when it’s not proximal to your nation or you are required to support and contribute countries often look the other way. Can you imagine being trapped in a war-zone you called home and desperate enough to swim across an ocean or die trying, with your children.. And no-one in the world wants to take you in?
Statistics show that large percentages of the immigrants stranded in 2016 are capable and willing to work. Personally, the hardest working people I know in Solihull are Hungarian. They’re washing dishes more than they’re sleeping and they’re smiling because they’re making more money than the elites back home. They’re watching their children grow up on Skype. That’s not the life they’d have picked if they were in my shoes.
Traditional notions of sovereignty are growing outdated with the incremental introduction of a global political unity. World wars have been replaced with civil wars and international governance largely exists to alleviate conflict and advocate peace. Where America has taken responsibility, whether it be viewed beneficially or destructively, governments around the world are using globalisation to make your problems our problems and step toward international consociationalism – preserving culture and regional governance but sacrificing national governance.
We’re all human; remember to weigh human rights when you’re measuring economic logic and national pride.
You Live and You Learn 