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2016-06-22

No BReaking up, PLZ! – Europe without the UK?? No way!

If only it was as simple as if the far right was gaining ground and trying to cut the UK off the EU. The problem is way more complex, unfortunately, the splitting is happening at every segment of the UK society, and at that of every European society likewise, even as we speak. If the referendum comes out BLACK, it'll give free way to the splitting at a massive level, the outcome of which is as unpredictable as that of the climate change happening. If it turns out good, however, it can be a historical gift. A new beginning. It's up to the UK society...

Splitting is a general happening today, and the demand for splitting is present in everybody's life, basically. Our societies – as “groups”, in the psychological sense – are exposed to a new condition (climate change, post-growth, post-postmodern, post-capitalism, etc.) of which migration is just one thread, and all group members are reacting to this at their individual level. This omnipresent condition is like a central signal that keeps all units and cells society-wise alerted, and it only takes a sparkle to explode.

Should the majority of the UK citizens vote for EXIT, it'd be a trigger which would cause the situation – thanks to the gasoline in the air – go up in flames, and everybody everywhere would start running to the nearest “exit”. Should the voting result in the breaking up with the EU, it'd be like an announcement of an emergency situation, like “the ship is sinking!”, and this message would go all the way down in the body of our societies, causing them to cease to function as that, and to split up to their atomic units, which in Titanic terms means the phase of “every man for himself”.

the trap of individualism

The “gasoline in the air” is individualism of which vast amounts have been accumulated over time. Individualism is everywhere, it's in our minds, it's in our streets, it's in our body cells. It is being propagated in the media 24/7, and not only by commercials but say 90% of all media content. It's at the core of modernism and capitalism, too, not to mention the concept of consumer society. It has been a basic program-code in our behavior since ever, and it's also the type of behavior that we take on in a critical situation. That is, nothing is working against our getting more and more individualistic, Europe-wise.

Individualism is not just far right, not only extremism – neoliberalism is also individualism. Those UK citizens who are immune to far-rightism might still be prone to falling for the idea of splitting because of individualism, because of their sympathy for neoliberalism. It is ironic, however, that it's Norway that attracts the UK citizens – appearing to them as “less EU, less migrants, more wealth” (see this article in The Guardian) – to engage more in individualism, I mean, Norway, one of the rare examples for a collectivist culture.

It's understood that the UK society needs a response to “a” crisis (which is actually a condition causing various crises), but like in so many cases, this response can be a bad one which would further escalate the crisis. And this can well be perceived as what's being at stake.

 

the Norway model vs. the Nordic Model

Norway is one of the sexiest country-idol of the world, for sure, but what makes them wealthy is not what most people (very probably) think. It's not the oil, but their wonderful policies, social-democratic policies, and their collectivist mindset and attitude, and their devotion to social equality and fairness. Even Saudi-Arabia has oil – as Zoltan Pogatsa will point outyet the life there doesn't by far resembles the life in Norway. It's the Nordic model behind their wealth and good life quality, not the “Norway model” (which means staying outside the EU). Look at what their PM said about how the UK might like it to be outside the EU, by the way. The Nordic model is the product of collectivism not individualism, and it's about sharing more, not sharing less – to make the contrast more obvious.

a historical turning point

The referendum is really a tricky challenge – Do you want wealth like the Norwegians enjoy? Vote for the exit! Do you want to stop the migration crisis? Vote for the exit!and there's this football craziness, too, which brings up testosterone levels, as well as nationalism, to the highest. Not good news. But the on the other hand, the most tragic and sad thing, the murder of Jo Cox could being light into the dark situation. In fact, her death started out an immense rising of consciousness about what's at stake, and this can change everything.

What would have happened to Europe in the WW2 without the UK? It is impossible to imagine, of course. But we can imagine, very simply, what exactly would happen now to Europe if the UK left the EU. Splitting, everywhere, at every level of our societies. More and more inequalities – more and more reason for the further splittings, Europe-wise, and there would be no hope that it'd stop anytime soon, cause for that, first there should be some processes working against this trend, and there isn't any.

 

But if the UK citizens stop it, it'll mean stopping the most malicious process that has been threatening Europe since the 1920s. If they stop it, it'll be like winning a horrible war without allowing it to even break out. It'll be – let's HOPE!! – like putting out a fire before it could cut loose. It'll be – the EXIT simply can't happen – the greatest victory of humanism in history, and it'll unite us all in a way, and to an extent, which we Europeans, Westerns, never have experienced before. Let's hope so, let it be so! Let's trust the UK with the life and the future of Europe once again.

 


Címkék: UK referendum, Euopean Union, BREXIT