Trump, Brexit, more and more people blaming the European Union. Will that stop ? Let’s hope so !

A bit of Europe

Some blame Europe. What has done the Union ?

Well… The European Union made peace between its members. I wish you to think about it harder: for the very first time in the History of the continent, none of the main powers had a major conflict (war) on its ground or against its neighbors!

During 1000 years, Europe has been an endless battlefield, with wars between France, Germany (or German states), England, Spain, whoever…

So for the first time in a thousand years, instead of sending young guys fighting and killing each other in order to conquer a piece of land, we send them so that they learn, open their minds and do good. Erasmus is not only an education (and somewhat touristic) program. It is also a way to educate amateur ambassadors. Ambassadors for peace, Europe, for other ways of thinking.

What else ?

• For the first time, the whole continent has enough to eat, roughly.
• Education, Health level and life expectancy are the highest in the history and currently the highest average on Earth.
• Women, mothers of Humanity, have their health (death for pregnant or birthing women, death of infants) at an unprecedented level.
• One can travel, work, study or live from Lisbon to Kiruna without much troubles.

For the first time also, women can hope to live their whole life without getting raped. Yes, still work to do there. Far from perfect, but let’s have a look in the past. Middle-Age was not really kind concerning women’s rights - arranged weddings, rape was common thing, and some lords had the right to sleep with you before your first night with your husband (That would be considered rape today, or at least sexual harassment. Not at that point in time !) And wars meant also war-rape.

Like, nothing. Indeed.

When I think about Europe and its building-process, I think of another country that did the same: Switzerland. Switzerland began as an informal defense deal and is now one of the highest ranking country in the world, in any term of human development. Took them 500 years to build the country. All of which was at peace. So when you think Europe has done few, I think it has done a lot for something that is barely a political teenager.

I can also point out that Europe itself is a patchwork of several nations and cutltures. Yes, it involves a lot of talking, summits, useless politics and so on. All of which in order for most to agree on the various subjects in politics. France place a lot of importance in culture (and everything related), where UK cares mostly about business. Scandinavia wishes to protect its well-balanced social system. Germany wants everything to be squared and in order.

True, Europe lacks democracy. Still. Read again the paragraphs above, just to be sure. Good!

Some democracy ?

A lot of persons who voted for Trump or for Brexit begin to think they made a bad deal. And for once, you cannot complain it’s not democracy.

Others did so to punish their governments. Once again, not better!

But you have to assume now! One cannot ask for more democracy and complain when the vote is not the way they want.

Democracy is not just vote! It’s barely that.

Democracy is to make get the wishes of the people, the land, the culture, collective unconscious, and incarnate it in a decision-making process.

This is one of the reasons why most democracies consider school an important place (we should actually do so much more). Formation of critic thoughts, free speech: a democracy needs well-informed citizens in order to lead her.

Brexit ?

Numerous Brexit voters did so in hope to become sovereign again, or they think so.

Yes, but on the other side, the Brexit program was… unclear, to say the least. They would finally be able to control their borders they said (but still keep access to common market on specific deals). Let’s quit this European standards bullshit. Get our money back. Let’s be free again.

How can you imagine you could close your border in one way but still do business with the common market and its 500 millions potential consumers and workers? Isn’t there a lack of logic? Nothing hitting you?

By quitting the Union, the United Kingdom will also loose decision power other a large legislative and standard corpus. Standards and laws which it have to remain compliant to in order to make business on the same continent.

The United Kingdom pretend to be a nation that attract the bests (Which is quite not cool actually, to want to attract only the bests). How are you going to maintain that, attracting the bests, if, at the same time, you close your borders and your society ? Theresa May promises it, but I sincerely wonder how she is going to make that happen !

Research and universities across Britain (Note that many newspapers have already dropped the “Great” from the country’s name ! Britain is already not Great anymore.) will suffer, as collaboration with the rest of the UE will reduce.

Before casting your vote, you ought to think more about that. Now you have to pay.

Trump

Donald Trump also got elected on weird promises.

We’re gonna build a wall to forbid bad Mexicans, drug dealers and rapers, to come and pass the border. And Mexico shall pay for it!

Let’s forget the idea of building a wall to stop migrants. If you close the door, they will go through the window, dig a tunnel, fly over or pass under.

Let’s also forget the idea of quitting some business deals in which USA are largely winners!

Once again, a bit of logic please. How are you going to make another country pay some building-works on your own ground, for something that will be bad for the so-called country ?

How could you avoid the fact that Trump was saying everything without reason ?

How could you avoid his disrespect of women, Latinos, his own employees and all other people that are not really winners in your society ? And chance is there, if you voted for him, you are a member of this social group (the not really winners)!

Haven’t you read the newspapers about his unpaid bills or contractors ? All the time where he was on bankrupt ? When he did not pay taxes ?

Haven’t you seen to what extend he lacks seriousness and statesman-hood ?

And you have given him the White House’s keys?

Today, he is there. You did it. That’s democracy!

So what ?

More and more people complain of lack of democracy in Europe, USA and the world. As if it has been stolen.

Not entirely wrong.

But on the other side, have we ever been that much democratic ? USA, land of the free, UK, home of liberalism are aristocratic countries.

But to complain about lack of transparency in the EU, its bureaucracy and technocratic side, while our national politics have always had the same flaws, isn’t it hypocritical ?

One can, today, work for the good of mankind, to a world more democratic. But it requires to believe in it, not miracles and illusions.