Brexit And The European Union (For Someone From The United States)
Start writing a post
Politics

Brexit And The European Union (For Someone From The United States)

Let's be honest, most of us don't know what we need to know about this.

14
Brexit And The European Union (For Someone From The United States)
EU Commission

As someone from the United States, I had to pull a Tony Stark and learn about the European Union quickly as I saw the #Brexit trending on Twitter.

Sure, I knew that the European Union existed, but suddenly memes appeared, United States politics got involved, and everyone has an opinion about The United Kingdom stepping out of the European Union. So let's break it down.

What exactly is the European Union?

The European union was formed five years after World War II, basically ensuring that the countries of the European continent would cool it with the world wars. This politico-economic union combines 28 — soon to be 27 — member countries' money and politicians into a sort of "United States of Europe" so to speak. Each country is represented in committees and decide on laws and how money is spent.

Should they "Bray" or should they "Bro"?

Reasoning behind Brexit and Bremain

After my failed attempt of making a witty heading, I am seeing why #Brexit and #Bremain went viral. Anyways, as with the United States having our conservative and liberal parties, Republican and Democrat, respectively, the United Kingdom had more conservative groups wanting to leave the EU and liberal groups wanting to remain.

The reasoning to leave the European Union could lie in a loss of autonomy for the UK. EU laws go over the helmet of all member country laws, and understandably that could be seen as particularly uncool.

Another big issue fueling the referendum was the immigration policy. Those that supported "Brexit" didn't believe that The UK had the means to take in anymore refugees or immigrants with their current public service programs. They felt that their money that went towards maintaining the European Union didn't benefit them, and after the Greek Economic Crisis, the world has become a little bit more wary of the Euro.

In short: They want control of their borders, and more bang for their buck.

As for the Bremaining people (see what I did there, much better than the sub-headline) they see the European Union as a huge component to how much The UK has advanced in terms of trade, employment and the economy. The European Union created a free market throughout Europe. By "cutting the red tape" the EU eliminated possible embargoes and trade quotas between countries. The EU has created an influx of jobs for The United Kingdom, in addition to the other member countries. With more trade and more jobs, this naturally creates a pretty healthy economic climate.

In addition to this, and the ultimate reasoning behind the creation of the European Union, it allows for protection. The EU now ensures lack of war in Europe, because they are all interdependent upon each other. As George Lindsay-Watson put in her article, "you don't go to war with people you trade with."

In short: Mo' jobs, mo' economy, less problems.

So, uh...what now?

In the time since the referendum revealed a "majority vote" to leave the European Union, now we are onto the next step of actually leaving by invoking an agreement on Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty, which basically says, "You know you could always leave, right? Okay, cool, just tell us if we're still cool and then we will stop enforcing our rules on you. Bye."

The current Prime Minister, David Cameron, has decided to resign by October 2017 causing some strain between the UK and US, since President Obama and Vice President Biden low-key supported #Bremain by stating that if the country left the EU that it would go "to the back of the queue" as far as some trade is concerned.

In addition to this, Scotland and Northern Ireland voted to remain in the in the EU, which could cause some tension between the semi-autonomous regions of The United Kingdom.

What's to come in the upcoming month(s)? We'll just have to wait and see.

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
the beatles
Wikipedia Commons

For as long as I can remember, I have been listening to The Beatles. Every year, my mom would appropriately blast “Birthday” on anyone’s birthday. I knew all of the words to “Back In The U.S.S.R” by the time I was 5 (Even though I had no idea what or where the U.S.S.R was). I grew up with John, Paul, George, and Ringo instead Justin, JC, Joey, Chris and Lance (I had to google N*SYNC to remember their names). The highlight of my short life was Paul McCartney in concert twice. I’m not someone to “fangirl” but those days I fangirled hard. The music of The Beatles has gotten me through everything. Their songs have brought me more joy, peace, and comfort. I can listen to them in any situation and find what I need. Here are the best lyrics from The Beatles for every and any occasion.

Keep Reading...Show less
Being Invisible The Best Super Power

The best superpower ever? Being invisible of course. Imagine just being able to go from seen to unseen on a dime. Who wouldn't want to have the opportunity to be invisible? Superman and Batman have nothing on being invisible with their superhero abilities. Here are some things that you could do while being invisible, because being invisible can benefit your social life too.

Keep Reading...Show less
houses under green sky
Photo by Alev Takil on Unsplash

Small towns certainly have their pros and cons. Many people who grow up in small towns find themselves counting the days until they get to escape their roots and plant new ones in bigger, "better" places. And that's fine. I'd be lying if I said I hadn't thought those same thoughts before too. We all have, but they say it's important to remember where you came from. When I think about where I come from, I can't help having an overwhelming feeling of gratitude for my roots. Being from a small town has taught me so many important lessons that I will carry with me for the rest of my life.

Keep Reading...Show less
​a woman sitting at a table having a coffee
nappy.co

I can't say "thank you" enough to express how grateful I am for you coming into my life. You have made such a huge impact on my life. I would not be the person I am today without you and I know that you will keep inspiring me to become an even better version of myself.

Keep Reading...Show less
Student Life

Waitlisted for a College Class? Here's What to Do!

Dealing with the inevitable realities of college life.

100722
college students waiting in a long line in the hallway
StableDiffusion

Course registration at college can be a big hassle and is almost never talked about. Classes you want to take fill up before you get a chance to register. You might change your mind about a class you want to take and must struggle to find another class to fit in the same time period. You also have to make sure no classes clash by time. Like I said, it's a big hassle.

This semester, I was waitlisted for two classes. Most people in this situation, especially first years, freak out because they don't know what to do. Here is what you should do when this happens.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments