While various American governments historically have been pretty awful, the American people themselves are and will always remain the salt of the earth. In enumerable polls the compassion, the generosity and the love of the American people always come through time and again. So it is, so it was always so it will always be. Therefore it is particularly painful as we're witnessing a monumental tragedy of historical portions taking place in Britain.
The center of the oldest continuous Parliamentary democracy in the world still active today, falling apart before our very eyes and ears, and Americans most of whom have ancestry hailing from the British Isles, say and do nothing. There are no protests for the new human rights abuses going on in Britain under Brexit. We are however very active and wildly condemning human rights abuses all over the world, most prominently and recently human rights activists protest what's happening for example in North Korea. Yet these same defenders of the flame of democracy stand silent at the tragedy of Brexit about to roll over the United Kingdom, which is among other things certain to destroy the Union of the United Kingdom.
First with Northern Ireland and then with Scotland both of which will be leaving soon, and America and Americans stay shtum and saying nothing, in what can only be described as a cacophony of silence that is so loud that it must be recorded by history to the tune of hooray Britannia and cheers of the sun never sets on the British Empire. 62 nations have left the British Empire and none have ever come back. So when Northern Ireland and Scotland leave as they must it will be a one way ticket. Yet Irish Americans and those of Scottish ancestry stay shtum. These are independent nations as Nicola Sturgeon is fond of reminding us particularly in the case of Scotland, who entered the union as an equal partner being torn out of the EU against its will despite the fact that 62% of Scots voted for staying in the European Union. But Boris Johnson and his Brexiteers don't care. They are too busy salivating over all the money they will make over breaking up the National Health Service and selling it to for profit health insurance companies.
Let's remember in Britain today nobody has to have private health insurance. It is cradle to grave free care and now they with Brexit are on the verge of losing it, where are our compassionate American progressives? Why don't we help these people with go fund me pages with campaign contributions to help British progressives rescue themselves from the health care disaster that Brexit is sure to bring and will certainly destroy these peoples' lives certainly if they are members of the working class.
Why can't we help? Why can't we say something? Why can't we do something? Doesn't it matter, don't they matter? Don't we matter? If we do why don't we speak up, step up and offer a hand up. Isn't that what Americans do? It is certainly what Americans use to do. This use to be who we were and what we were all about and if it isn't anymore then who have we become? There is the old aphorism that all it takes for evil to triumph is for good people to do nothing. Well do something Mr and Mrs America. Say something, shout out, speak up show people that you care. You have a Tory Government who is trying to curtail judicial power under Boris Johnson. Why aren't we protesting that? There are peers in the House of Lords who are speaking out, who are quite concerned that in the wake of Brexit could this empower some of those on the fringes to behave in historically tragic ways. I refer to the remarks of Lord Greaves of the Liberal Democratic Party quote: “I am particularly concerned about what the government is doing about prevention of discrimination in the transition period. I am fearful that on January 31st some things may happen in some places which could be reminiscent of things happening in Germany in the early 1930's.”
There are 3 and half million EU citizens living in Britain. There are at least 1 and half million British people living in the EU 27 states, all of them face an uncertain future. Will some of them be rejected for immigration and be sent packing. That is a virtual guarantee. In fact it has already started to happen. While it does America sits silent, says and does nothing. The EU is so concerned about that Guy Verhofstadt said this may prevent the EU from approving the Brexit withdrawal bill. What has to happen for America to speak out, to step up and be counted to let the world know we care.
You have to remember in Britain if the ruling party has a big majority, there is no Congress to hold them in check and balance. In such a case a Prime Minister with a big majority has many of the powers normally associated with the historical ruling monarch. Shouldn't we view that with some fear and trepidation, concern and dread. Oh yes he is a lovable rogue that Boris Johnson with his messed up hairdo, big bold and brash, where everything he says and goes must be overlooked because after all he is such a jolly fellow. As if he stepped right out of one of the novels of Charles Dickens himself with a brash smile and thunderous voice, and a sense of humor to stifle the tulips. Of course such a person couldn't be Satan's spawn!
He couldn't put the wood to the poor and destitute and the huddled masses who have already been beaten senseless with 9 years of austerity. That is not possible. It is also not possible that they could be scapegoating foreigners referred to as EU migrants by wanting to put up a Brexit wall of their own. Everyone is against Trump's wall but what about being against the Brexit wall. They can't point the finger of blame on what the banksters did to the British people, to the Scottish people, the Welsh people, the Irish people in 2008. They couldn't possibly do that, when it is far far easier to go back to the time honored tradition of racism and xenophobia and all of the other isms that have worked for conservative governments since time and immemorial. Time tested back to the Stone Age and beyond, because playing to the main base instincts of demagogues works well and it has never stopped working and neither must we stop working.
We can't just speak out against tyranny in America and then ignore it when it happens abroad. We can't do that because if we do we stop being Americans and this place, our home stops being America. We have to speak out today, tomorrow and everyday, because that is who we are, and that is who the world needs us to be, and that means when one of America's biggest, longest allies steps in a pile of dung we have to notice that they are committing human rights abuses. We have to notice they are oppressing the Scottish and Northern Irish people. Then there is all this nonsense that this is who they voted for the Tories, the British conservatives.
Well no they didn't they only got 43% of the vote. So the majority of people didn't want this. They didn't want their lives destroyed through Brexit. How do we feel about this? Or have we forgotten how to feel anything at all. Do we just go through life numb when we pass homeless people on the street with callous indifference.
The British Empire for all of its faults and it has had many faults, did give birth to this nation. Without them there would be no us, and we are here on this planet all of us together. Shouldn't we help? Of course we should. Of course we will. That is what we do. Now let's do it!