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Freedom Requires Viligance

July 4, 2016

Last week the British people voted, by a 52% majority, to leave the European Union (EU).  In many ways this was a vote for freedom and self rule.  Today we celebrate our Independence.
 
In many respects Britain has never been a part of Europe.  Looking back at history, we patterned much of our system of government after Britain and its democratic system.  It had a more democratic system than the “top down” philosophy of the Europeans.  Our founders got the idea for our House and Senate from Britain and then stopped short of having a king; opting instead for a President who was to have limited powers.  In the British system people have a say in how things are run.  The Magna Carta, which gave British subjects rights, became a pattern for our Constitution.
 
The “Leave” vote was truly a choice between two different worldviews.  The one held by progressives, including our President, is that the multinational community is better equipped to decide what is best for individual nations; not the countries themselves.  We have seen this played out as President Obama continually “leads from behind” allowing other nations to fill the vacuum he has left.  Hillary Clinton is cut from the same cloth.  This thinking ultimately concludes that government “elites” know better what is good for the people and not the people themselves. Consequently this vote was a blow to both Obama and Clinton.
 
The “Leave” vote was a vote for sovereignty and self determination.  It embodied the very ideals the American people hold dear: self-determination, limited government, democratic accountability, and economic liberty. A truly free and powerful Great Britain will be good for the UK, EU and the USA!
 
It means the European Court of Justice will no longer be able to overrule British judges.  British businesses will not be burdened down by regulations imposed by the Europeans.  This vote was to get out from under an oppressive European Union.
 
Much is being made of the financial “chaos.”  In 1776 when the U.S. broke from England there was upheaval but the free American people proved up to the task of governing themselves. This break from the EU gives the Brits an opportunity to become strong again.
 
Germany wants the UK to start the separation immediately.  Rather than having a friendly and well planned departure, they want to punish the Brits.  But this could backfire on them.  Such abusive treatment could convince others like Spain, Italy, and Greece to leave as well start an unraveling of the EU altogether.
 
It’s clear the departure of Britain, the world’s fifth largest economy, will be a financial blow to EU members.  As investors seek secure places to invest, the UK could become a new "safe haven" for investments; while Britain seeks new opportunities abroad. Another issue: the Brits wanted to be able to control a flood of immigrants into their country.  Now they can!  
 
Keep in mind there are similar ideological issues facing voters as we go to the poles this November.

Bill, Mark and John