As a foreigner in this or any other country despite my citizenship it is interesting to think about the relationships that have and continue to develop all over the world and here in the UK in particular. There is a referendum coming up where the people of the United Kingdom will vote on the relationship they have with the rest of the continent. Do they want to continue to belong to the European Economic Zone and the agreements they have amongst each other regarding movement of people between each other. They are going to vote between trying to reform their present relationship or start fresh from the beginning. 

My mind was thinking of this problem subconsciously as my body was busy with the chores and projects that fill the day. Football was the final stroke that  drew the mind away from the sadness and search for meaning on the newscasts regarding recent events that have tragically transpired. Art and history that can be found even in this tiny little town offered a further insight into the situation. 

This whole situation is kind of like a multigenerational family get together on an island. Britain right now is feeling a little petulant at the state of affairs but the rest of the family is also having issues. They all kind of love each other but have a hard time showing each other affection. 

Europe is a complicated place. It has historically always been a place where emotion and passion thrived but where those forces have also gone too far. It has been a place where our present day world has emerged from due to the colonizing influence of its people, languages, and customs. For better or for worse. The environmental impact of our progress is still unfolding as is the more immediate threat of a wider cultural clash. 

In a few days on the 23rd this clash is between the people of Great Britain and Europe as those who want to leave say that they can get a better deal for everyone. They say that they can get a better special deal with America with Asia with anyone else who will want to trade. There is no deal in place yet not have any negotiations started.

Security will be tightened and fewer migrants will settle here. They will be turned away at the shore sent back to the mainland to keep these shores free of their presence. The British might find that they get the same reception when they go over there to visit European shores. How will that bode for their negotiations?

Financial figures were bandied about regarding how much actually goes to the EU. Everyone pays something into the pot to fund the bureaucracy. Some decisions don’t go the way they should and there is the slow pace of reform. Britain has been an attractive place to come to get work and the locals are upset at the perceived theft of employment. Business people are utilitarian though and they seek qualifications in order to prosper. 

The problem with the EU is also the problem that the common person has with the whole system in general and that is the exorbitant wealth of a relatively small number of individuals and the disproportionate influence they have on the state of our lives. Leaving the EU won’t solve that it might actually make it worse. If the economy starts to tank because of the uncertainty it will be the common wo/man that will feel it.  

I wouldn’t of have been able to come here if the UK wasn’t in the EU. My European birthright has allowed me to seamlessly enter into this country to live and work and experience what life has to offer here. Europe (and I include England in it because the country can’t move) has contributed a lot to what we now see as a society of countries and people. The style of dress and the way that business is conducted, how we see ourselves within the context of the world and the universe has been greatly influenced by Europe. Society should be moving towards a greater unity and not just in Europe but as a planet. Exiting will be a step backward delaying the inevitable which is the free movement of goods and people everywhere. This will hopefully be on a planet that by then has developed to the point where everyone shares in prosperity and exposure to differences isn’t as frightening. Hopefully this is not just some dream but an achievable goal.