BREXIT: Cameron Announces Resignation As Brits Reject Obama’s Dire Warnings
jonathanturley
Prime Minister David Cameron has stated that he will step down after the historic vote yesterday for the UK voted to leave the European Union. It is a blow for President Barack Obama who put everything on the line to push the British to stay in the EU, including seriously overplaying his hand (and role) in issuing dire warnings to the British people as did other world leaders. The warnings backfired and only reaffirmed the feeling that there is now a world order that will not tolerate traditional democratic controls over national policies and practices.
Boris Johnson is likely to be the next prime minister and heralded the ability of of Britain to now pass its own laws, set its own taxes and control its own borders.
I could see both sides of this argument. I have long been uncomfortable with the shifting of governance powers to international organizations like the EU which are not subject to the same democratic pressures as a national government. The proponents scored huge points by pointing out that few people could even name the top officials in the EU.
I thought that President Obama was overbearing in his intervention in the debate, warnings that seemed to only harden the resolve of the independence movement. I can see the economic benefits of being part of the EU, though it would seem clear that close trade would necessarily have to continue. The Brits wanted control over their own laws and I am highly sympathetic to that desire. EU countries are subject to edicts that seem to come from no where on everything from cheese preparation to taxes. People felt that they no longer had a direct say on who was writing their laws and who was really leading their country. Neither Cameron nor Obama seemed to get the movement. They also continued to miss (as do the Democrats in this country) the strong sentiments over immigration.
