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And so we start to see the consequences of that small-minded attitude of withdrawing into oneself. The UK can decide that it doesn’t want to be involved in Europe, because it’s easy to look at it like we’re paying lots in and getting nothing in return (unless you look at the actual facts of the matter). But we’re not the only ones who can do that. And so a similar attitude in America will make them think, hey we’re doing all this stuff for the rest of the world and where does it get us. NATO relies on us, but what do we get in return. So if America thinks only of its own interests, then Russia is able to chip away at its neighbours with no fear of consequences and slowly but surely everything falls apart. Until suddenly, too late, everyone realises the advantage of working together. But now the only way back is a great big war.
It’s happened before and it will happen again.
And Brexit showed the way.
Sure Trump is happy to tell Michael Gove that he will do a swift deal with the UK and maybe in the short term we might even come out of it OK. But Trump has made no secret of the fact that all he cares about is himself. And America and Russia being more friendly might be a good thing, if it were for proper motives. But Trump (at the very best) wants to be friendly with Russia for his own economic advantage (and at worse to protect himself from blackmail). But looks like, once again, we want to learn our lessons the hard way.
Sometimes you give something up because ultimately it will be better for you down the line. But it takes an ability to look beyond your own back yard to understand why doing something that appears negative for you in the short term, is actually good in the long term. And America withdrawing into isolationism, the exact same impetus that we’ve had here in the UK, is going to be pretty fucking terrible for us all. But we can’t complain. We started it (this time).
It’s a pretty human reaction to things and that’s why politicians who are able to see that not always acting from self interest can actually work for your self interest are a rare and admirable breed. What we give up by uniting together will usually make us stronger and safer and more prosperous. By going it alone we’re just saying that it’s survival of the strongest and the richest. And the funny thing about that is that that’s not the UK. Once America goes the same way, it suddenly becomes apparent how much we needed them and we either get left behind or basically give up our sovereignty to them (but on much worse terms than we would have had in the EU). I can see that that might actually work out better for us in the long run, but not for the world.
Self interest is understandable, but it’s in no one’s self interest.
But I'm just a comedian and one who is just scraping his thoughts together here. Luckily our politicians are much more far-sighted and take in the big picture, rather than just trying to keep their own ambitions and parties on track.
And it’s sort of queasily exhilarating to see where all this is going to go. I quite enjoy the way that the sanctity of democratic principles are outweighing common sense. Even though the actual democracy of everything that is happening are rather blurred. With a US President who lost the popular vote and a Brexit that can only logically go along with the wishes of a minority of the people who voted in the referendum (even if most brexiteers wanted a hard Brexit, many did not, meaning we’re making a decision based on the wishes of maybe 25% of the people who bothered to vote - and I don’t care about the ones who didn’t, they gave up their right to a say).
Brexit seems at best like a bit of a risk, but the Trump stuff is on another level. Putin has won whatever happens and I for one welcome our new overlord. Either Trump stays in which case it’s party time for Putin. Or he doesn’t and the US is dangerously destabilised. You’ve got to admire the Russian Grinch. Well played.
And talking of that, the 5th episode of AIOTM bonus audio content is now out here. And on iTunes.
