I am fed up with the powers that be trying to motivate me to do what they think is best for me and for the future through fear! Good grief! There is enough negativity and fear in the world. Why keep piling it on? This is definitely the approach of those making the case for and against the UK leaving the European Union at the moment. (Before I go on, a disclaimer, I am writing this as a citizen, not as an expert in international relations.)
Besides, I don’t know if you’re like me, but I don’t respond well to being shamed into doing something that is for my health and well-being. For example, I do not appreciate the scare tactics the British government is currently engaged in to get me to drink fewer units of alcohol. Okay, 14 units is the recommended norm in the UK for women and men now. Hooray! And to be honest, I feel much better if I have three or four days a week where I don’t drink at all. My brain works better, I sleep better, I lose weight, what’s not to like!
But instead of emphasizing these positive benefits of not drinking too much, the government likes to scare me. They say people who drink too much are likely to become obese, have social problems, die younger, have chronic liver problems and the list goes on. All probably true, but it just makes me feel guilty and ashamed when I read their dire warnings! And who likes guilt and shame? I don’t imagine many people do!
Another fear campaign at the moment is the arguments for the UK to either leave or remain in the European Union. I was so annoyed last week when an article came out in the London Times that stated that if the UK left the EU airfares to the Continent would go up and that travel to Europe would be more difficult for those of us living in the UK.
Fair point and one of the reasons I became a dual citizen and got my British passport in 2007 was because it meant as a British citizen, I also had the right to live and work in any other European country that was a member of the European Union. That is a positive thing! Other positive things about the UK being a member of the European Union include free trade across the borders of Europe. Europe is a bigger trading bloc together and as a bloc is as big, if not bigger than the United States and is able to compete with the US, China and other large countries who are economic powerhouses.
Another benefit is national security and information sharing across borders. The UK on it’s own cannot combat crimes that transcend international borders. On it’s own it is difficult for it to govern multinational corporations that span continents. It is difficult, on its own, to gather intelligence to combat terrorism, trafficking and international crime syndicates. On it’s own, it’s national defense is not enough to protect it’s own borders let alone try to secure justice in countries torn apart by war like Syria.
The European Union is frustrating on so many levels. It is not perfect, but what human institution ever is? It isn’t as democratic as it should be and it’s parliament is overly bureaucratic and unwieldy. It is expensive and the members of the European parliament are guilty of overspending. Immigration is an issue that is challenging and figuring out the solutions to the refugee crisis that threatens the future security of Europe, including the UK whether or not it stays in the European Union, is one that demands all of our nations’ creativity and resources. However, if the UK pulls out, these will still be issues, but the UK will no longer have a voice in shaping the EU and reforming it. It will have far less clout outside the tent rather than being a squeaky wheel inside the tent. Who will hold Germany and France accountable if the UK leaves? How will the UK influence the refugee situation outside of the tent? How will we hold the EU to account for its responsiveness to its publics outside of the tent? How can we make it more democratic if we the people of Britain are not part of it? How can we creatively work together to create a more robust European civil society that exists as a counterweight to the authoritarian regimes of Russia and China, to the violent fascism of ISIS that threatens our societies from without and from within, if we leave the European Union?
Both the pro and con camps here in the UK are fear mongering and are negative. Why? Why can’t both sides appeal to the positive aspects of leaving/staying? I’m sure there are positive benefits to leaving as well. What are they though? Can someone tell me without trying to scare me witless and without shaming and guilting me into agreeing with them?
Why do politicians on both sides of the argument fear the public and treat us like stupid, idiotic children who don’t know what is best for them? Why can’t they appeal to us like the mature, sensible adults that we are and trust us that we can make responsible decisions on our own behalf? Creative solutions for the EU are out there but no one can hear them over the fear mongering Trust us with the facts and give us the information, pro and con, that we need to choose our own destiny. Isn’t that what democracy is really about?