Will Brexit’s Populism Sweep the U.S.?

An unexpected outcome of Great Britain’s referendum on whether British citizens wished that their country should stay in the European Union brought about shock and dismay in some groups as globalist and liberal allies were forced to reckon with a surge in populist anger.

With British politicians including Prime Minister David Cameron and Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn, leaders in banking, media and business all in favor of remaining in the EU, the so-called “Brexit” decision has brought about much handwringing.

What the political establishment was surprised to discover was that despite a strong campaign in the press and online, older voters turned out in large numbers to reject the status quo that they felt was dragging their nation downward and tying it to the EU’s woes of debt, bailouts and illegal immigration, among other things.

In the end, an expected defensive bulwark against the forces of the “Leave” camp never materialized, and British Prime Minister David Cameron immediately resigned from his office in disgrace.

Former London mayor Boris Johnson appears to be all but assured of taking Cameron’s place as bankers, media pundits and progressive groups argue about the possible repercussions of this simple expression of voters’ will.

Could a similar event take place in America?

That is, could populist forces reject the Establishment order of trade agreements, international coalitions and obligations as well as the near-open-door policies of immigration of President Barack Obama and Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton?

Certainly, what seemed like an impossibility in the U.K. just weeks ago now looms like a wave that’s threatening to wash over the economic integration policies of both Europe and the U.S. in the coming years.

Political insiders are waking up to the possibility that candidates like GOP presidential contender Donald Trump in the U.S. and conservative nationalist politicians in Europe may have more respect and support among the common people than the media would have the average voter believe.

In fact, there may be a tide that will overwhelm the well-fortified armada of the current elite power structure that keeps the wheels of corrupt trade and industry turning in today’s hyper-capitalist environment.

Bloomberg Businessweek recently published a story entitled “Trump’s Coalition Looks a Lot Like Brexit Voters,” in which the publication declared that many U.S. voters’ “economic prospects have diminished in an era of globalization, and they feel that immigration is damaging their pocketbooks and their cultural identity. And they think the elites aren’t listening.”

In both countries, despite the respective national economies growing at a modest pace, wage growth has stagnated for years, if not decades.

Candidate Trump (who had backed the Leave forces prior to the U.K. referendum) declared that he saw similarities between his supporters and those advocating Brexit, saying, “I see a big parallel… People want to take their country back, and they want to have independence in a sense. They took their country back, just like we will take America back.”

Trump’s campaign slogan is “Make America Great Again”; the UK Leave campaign’s was “Take Back Control.”

Coincidentally, Trump took a victory lap following his virtual confirmation of becoming the GOP presidential nominee, traveling to politically vocal UK jurisdiction Scotland to open a golf resort there.

Although a majority of Scottish voters elected to side with the “Remain” camp in Brexit, Trump was correct that overall, British voters decided to “reject today’s rule by the global elite, and to embrace real change that delivers a government of, by and for the people.”

It’s no coincidence that Hillary Clinton has in the past favored every trade deal between Europe and the U.S. such as the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) that would ultimately cost the U.S. millions of jobs.

Just as the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) did, signed into law by her husband Bill during his presidential administration in the 90s, both the TTIP and the Transpacific Partnership (TPP), a similar agreement covering the U.S. and Asia, will further gut America’s manufacturing base and weaken food and safety standards.

Despite renouncing her support of TTIP and TPP, many suspect that Clinton’s opposition to both agreements will fade or vanish completely if she’s elected to the nation’s highest office. (Clinton was recently caught deleting mentions of the latter in the paperback version of her book “Hard Choices” after they appeared in the hardcover edition.)

Most observers agree that Clinton will almost certainly continue and expand the destructive trade and immigration policies favored by President Obama (who incidentally had chided supporters of the Leave campaign prior to the British referendum when he visited the country recently).

Clinton’s support of the Remain camp in the Brexit brouhaha was a “bad judgment call” according to Trump. Like other Clinton judgments, this one seemed woefully out of step with what the voters actually desired, and come November, it’s quite possible that the Democratic candidate’s continued misestimation may cost her the very job she believes already belongs to her.

~American Liberty Report


Most Popular

These content links are provided by Content.ad. Both Content.ad and the web site upon which the links are displayed may receive compensation when readers click on these links. Some of the content you are redirected to may be sponsored content. View our privacy policy here.

To learn how you can use Content.ad to drive visitors to your content or add this service to your site, please contact us at [email protected].

Family-Friendly Content

Website owners select the type of content that appears in our units. However, if you would like to ensure that Content.ad always displays family-friendly content on this device, regardless of what site you are on, check the option below. Learn More



Most Popular
Sponsored Content

These content links are provided by Content.ad. Both Content.ad and the web site upon which the links are displayed may receive compensation when readers click on these links. Some of the content you are redirected to may be sponsored content. View our privacy policy here.

To learn how you can use Content.ad to drive visitors to your content or add this service to your site, please contact us at [email protected].

Family-Friendly Content

Website owners select the type of content that appears in our units. However, if you would like to ensure that Content.ad always displays family-friendly content on this device, regardless of what site you are on, check the option below. Learn More

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *