"What is the EU", the question took over Google's search engines reaching among top searches in the UK, hours after Brexit results were announced where Britain resoundingly sided with the leave campaign gaining 51.8 percent votes. Curious question indeed; why don't people who don't know what the EU is, vehemently voted to leave?
The leave campaign has been accused of fear mongering, fanning anti-immigration sentiments that may already have existed in the large populace, fueling sparks of racism and xenophobia; while giving false statistics to the public about how much money is taken out of the UK and sent to the EU (meanwhile giving false hopes about where it would be spent instead) without any benefits reaped against this partnership.
In truth, Brexit had little to do with the EU, and much more to do with the masses reclaiming their voices. It was an outcry from the people expressing their discontent with their government against all international voices of reason, saying it would be an economic disaster. The people have been heard.
So who are these angry Brexiteers? Demographics of voters reveal a lot. An average leave voter was conservative, white, old, poor and lesser educated. People over the age of 65 were more than twice as likely as those under 25 to have voted to leave. The fault lines are even deeper in education: 70 percent of those who had GCSE or lower voted for leave against 32 percent of degree holders who voted for leave.
Many analysts have been drawing parallels between the leaves "Take Back Control" with Trump's "Make America Great Again" campaigns, and the comparison is a pretty stark one. The demographics for the two voters are uncannily similar: older, whiter, and lesser educated.
Trump may seem like a blithering idiot, but his supporters think he is tough enough to end the status quo. His rein will be the countdown of the elitist Washington machine with his uber nationalistic, anti-immigrant, anti-trade stance. As President, he would bring back jobs into the US and remove Muslims and Mexicans who supposedly bring terrorism and crime into the country.
And while liberal media is quick to brand him with some choice words: racist, bigot, sexist, so on; what about more than 40 percent of the population supporting him? Is more than a third of America Trump? Has liberalism and progressiveness failed in securing peoples lives, wealth and welfare? Nearly 8 years under a forward thinking Democratic black President; America is angrier, more racist, more divided than ever.
So is it that people are turning toward conservatism having seen liberalism fail in both foreign and domestic policy? A definite no. For one, conservative economics tout free trade, and Trump is not even on board with that. In fact, on Trump's opposing end is another pot brewing: roaring young hipsters singing songs of praise for the sweet socialist Bernie Sanders.
Bernie is another out of party candidate with revolutionary support from the people, He is after the big banks and big business promising free healthcare and free education for all. Though not officially out of the race yet, Sanders' campaign has dwindled down with Clinton likely to take over the nomination.
But it's not about who will eventually win the US election. It is more interesting to see where the western societies are moving- dramatically against the establishment. Sanders, though ideologically opposed to Trump is part of the same phenomenon that is driving the Trump campaign and drove Britain to vote to leave. People are increasingly frustrated with the shrinking of real wages and stagnant purchasing power making the average man poorer, which has led to a huge trust deficit between the governments and their constituents.
Hard numbers corroborate these sentiments: income inequality and unequal opportunity distribution has made the rich richer and the poor poorer. Out of the 30 OECD countries in the Luxembourg Income Study (LIS) data set, the UK is the sixth most unequal country in OECD, and the third most unequal in Europe. US is the second most unequal country in the OECD.
PEW research study shows that for most U.S. workers, real wages have been flat or even falling for decades, regardless of whether the economy has been adding or subtracting jobs. The study reveals "what gains have been made, have gone to the upper income brackets. Since 2000, usual weekly wages have fallen 3.7 percent (in real terms) among workers in the lowest tenth of the earnings distribution, and 3 percent among the lowest quarter. But among people near the top of the distribution, real wages have risen 9.7 percent".
So while many tend to level this blame toward outsiders; immigrants, refugees and of course Muslims that are associated with all terrorism; the youth that are idealistic by virtue of their age are turning toward socialism. Who wins anywhere depends on population distribution. Brexit happened because of its demographic: more conservative; older, and little diversity with 87 percent of the population white. The vote makes sense.
Trump might not win given there is more diversity in the US, and he is unfavorable among non-white and non-male populations. But win or no win, he along with his peers is showing the world a compelling trend. It's not as much hatred and intolerance or even racism as it is sheer unhappiness and fear. Trump supporters don't care about his policies, they care about his ideas that reflect their sentiments. Similarly, why would a poor British man who is already earning a low wage care about the stock markets crashing? He doesn't.
While Britain is already goners with this permanent decision and having to elect a new Prime Minister, governments of other western countries that have similar trends emerging- including America which will likely elect Clinton come 2017- should dramatically address this growing divide along classes and races. Just calling white people racist will not be the answer. In uprooting these belief systems that is being cultivated due to income inequality and rising terrorism threats, governments will have to change the narrative among the majority working class and not alienate large swathes of old and poor folks in attempts to bring inclusivity (and failing to do even that).
Meanwhile, the British youth wonder how they intend on living with the decisions made by their elders, a decision they will have to live with the longest. Brexit for the world is a forewarning.
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