First Brexit, now Trump. 2016 is panning out to be a fascinating (if not perplexing) year indeed.
In the midst of Brexit, the rest of the world looked upon the UK with horror and disdain. How could a country that served as a key component to the EU vote to leave it? And yet, they did. In a country priding itself on progressiveness, the popular majority dubbed the "shy voters", comprised primarily of older individuals residing in suburban and rural areas voted out. Fears were sensationalized by younger generations, who decried the deplorable actions of the "ignorant". Predictions painting horrifying pictures of a world thrown into a premature apocalypse were spewed by the young, the progressive, and oh so educated.
Brexit supporters were unabashedly shamed, deemed 'uneducated' and cast aside as the black sheep of society. The pound crashed and is still clawing its way back to its former glory. And yet, the UK stands - uninhibited and undaunted. In a way, I admire them for breaking the western European mold and embarking on a harrowing journey through unchartered territory. It will not be easy.
Fast forward several months. The U.S has just experienced a Brexit of our own - a mass exodus from the established political construct. A rejection of leftist thoughts and policies that have dominated American values and volition for the past eight years. Or so we thought. The similarities between Brexit and the Trump Train are striking. Both involve younger liberals pitted against older conservatives. Both involve an inherent distaste for the status quo. And both involve a key shift in political momentum.
The progressive pendulum, swinging radically out of control, has been reigned in by the dissident. A shift towards balance, equilibrium, and a habitable zone for bipartisanship has been initiated. A controversial movement, but a necessary one.
Arguably the two most powerful in the world have embarked on a symbolic journey that has bewildered the rest of the world. How could we possibly deem this as acceptable? Are we not supposed to be the most developed countries on EARTH?
Perhaps that is why this movement, this BrexodUS, has gained so much leverage in left-leaning societies. It is a bipartisan system, fitted with checks and balances to ensure a constant equilibrium shift back to the political middle. A perverse version of liberalism has run rampant in western society, in these movements serve as the collective remedy to counteract the negative side effects.
So here we stand, the U.S. and the UK, united in our BrexodUS and barreling down the path of uncertainty. Perhaps this unintended alignment of ideals will bring our two great nations closer.
In the meantime, I hope all of us can embrace the future with a sense of optimism. I know I will.
