Monday 11 January 2016

Imagine what the United States would be like if all its states seceded from the Union and imposed tariffs on each other. Imagine what would happen to the American Dream. It would be destroyed, and the US would be a hell hole. But would this really be the case?

People could argue that if all fifty states seceded from the Union then they would be free to negotiate free trade agreements with each other and live in peaceful co-existence and harmony, with full control of their borders to keep migrants out. The major flaw in this view, of course, is that it assumes that every person in each of the states holds the exact same view, background and values as the person propagating the view. This would not be the case. The individual states are as divergent as the people who populate them, even though they share a common language. They are diverse in terms of politics, economics, history, religion, values and outlook. The Southern and Mid-Western states, for instance, are hugely divergent socially, religiously and economically from the Eastern and Western states. In reality, if all fifty states of America seceded from the Union there would be years of torturous trade negotiation with states arguing over natural resources, workers’ rights and the protection of their own industries. There would be major disagreements and states would blame each other for increased crime, drug and gun proliferation, with some states imposing bans based on new constitutions, while others followed constitutions based on the Union’s. Eventually, millions of Americans would be turned into evil migrants trying to move from state-to-state in search of work, as occurred during the great depression. In reality, America, after the disintegration of its Union, would quite quickly descend into huge instability, chaos and eventual conflict. In short, it would turn into a hell hole that would destabilise the whole world. This is also true of Europe, medium to long-term, if the European Union disintegrates: huge instability, dispute, tension, distrust and eventual conflict. You only have to look at two hundred years’ of European History to see that.

The American Dream is not just about reaching the very top from the very bottom, it’s also about freedom; freedom of imagination and freedom of movement. The freedom to be able to get in your car in Farmington, Maine, with a change of clothes, and drive to California. That’s the American Dream (founded by migrants), and even Donald Trump – it doesn’t matter how many migrants poured into the country – would never try to take that away from Americans.

The free movement of people is to UK and EU citizens what the American Dream is to all Americans. That’s something they all agree on and would never give up, Republicans and Democrats. They would give up their guns first – or think about it – despite their aversion and distrust of the Federal Government.

The EU has got a problem with immigration at the moment, exacerbated over the last couple of years by decades of failed policy of the West in the Middle East. The point is, these problems are short-term, and will be solved if we work together, while the huge benefits of EU membership are forever.

To the Don’t Knows:

Think about this freedom. Don’t give up this freedom because of short-term problems over immigration, because if you do we will have lost them forever. There’ll be no going back when it doesn’t work out (which it definitely won’t). They won’t want us back who caused them so much trouble and was never committed. The only aspect of the Outers argument that’s real is immigration, but that’s short-term and will be solved. The rest is untrue and the opposite of what they say. Think and feel. Keep us in. Don’t let the Outers take away your freedom. Don’t let them take us over the precipice that David Cameron, for self-serving political reasons, has so foolishly led us to. Say to yourself: “Well, they can go over if they’re stupid enough, but I’m not. I won’t let them take away my dream, my children’s dream, my grandkid’s dream.”

To the Outers:

You might not like the EU, but think about your children and your grandchildren. You talk about never having been asked, but you’re not asking them. They will never have a say. You’ll be barring them forever from this dream, from this freedom. Do you think they’ll thank you for it?