OK, it's not like I know what I am talking about because the more I read up on the European Union and UK politics, the more confused I get. But the upshot is this: The United Kingdom Independence Party carried the recent Parliament elections with about 27.5% of the vote. The British versions of Democrats and Republicans, The Labour Party and Conservative Party respectively, placed second and third.
There is no US parallel but imagine an election where the D's and R's got second and third. It might turn a few heads. UKIP is the closest thing the UK has to a Tea Party movement. They want to leave the EU and send a lot of imported criminals and terrorists back where they came from. Not surprisingly, UKIP members are portrayed as bigots in the British press.
Britain holds general elections in 2015 and I am not sure what this portends or if portends anything. Meanwhile, the Front National Party is getting attention in France. Similar "Eurosceptic" organizations are forming throughout Europe.
I am of two minds about globalization. I think cross-border trade is a good thing but unfortunately it comes with baggage, often in the form of elitist imperialism. Trading with Asia is good but UN small arms regulations, not so much. In the case of the EU, it is rule by the escargot class. If I lived in Europe I would reject everything the leaders endorsed.
I don't know much about IKIP but to paraphrase a great president, "Ich bin auch ein Eurosceptic."
1 comment:
I think I read that about 25% of the European Union parliament are members of minority parties and some are very hostile to the very concept.
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