LETTER

Brexit there, here, everywhere

 

Brexit, yes, the people took back their country, but at what cost? The answer will make itself known over the next decade. But fear is no longer the dominant in the rhetoric. We saw it during the Scottish referendum; the British churning out more fear than reality. Apart from the use of the pound, the rest falls under international law and the British would have to negotiate with Scotland. But the British failed to make that known and Scottish politicians were not informed either, so a win for the British was assured.  

What worries me is not the breakup of the EU; it is the shortsightedness of the population and government officials. This is reminiscent of the 1930's when the British let the League of Nations implode because of its inaction. The United States left shortly thereafter. This laid the groundwork for a World War. True, a few years later the United Nations came into existence.  It has endured the same failures as its predecessor -- Ukraine and the European immigration issue.  

Both problems are now in the EU court and everything hinges on German officials, as they told the world that all refugees are welcome in Germany as long as they can find their way there.

 

Germany is not the first respondent country and spends nothing in regards to this function which has fallen on the countries that are the first respondents, mainly Italy.

The Balkans are a powder keg, European countries are returning to segregating themselves, leaving the smaller countries ripe for the taking by the Banks and Sovereign funds. And, to make matters worse, Donald Trump has a 50/50 chance of being elected President of the United States which would translate to military action in 2017-2018,  although where he'll hit first is still a question mark.  

Central Banks have already passed mechanisms for bail-ins that give the right to governments to seize your bank accounts and use your money as they see fit, leaving you with nothing to buy food, pay your bills, and no pension. Canada is one of these countries.

If the British can leave, so can Ireland, Scotland and Wales. Canada can leave the Commonwealth as well. If the idea behind Brexit is to save money and have more say on where the money goes, than Canada leaving the Commonwealth also has its benefits. Leaving NAFTA and the Council of the Americas do as well. I would love to see us leave the OECD, but that will never happen. But it also means that the fear-mongering used by the governing bodies does not carry the weight of its arguments.  

That also means that a province could leave. The usual arguments appear: currency, passports, pensions, police force, military, trade agreements, etc. All of which got negotiated. It’s not just a 'shut the door behind you when you leave' scenario. It takes years to negotiate. It’s still a two-way street. Cities can leave as well. It should be like a divorce, what one had prior to the marriage is kept and what was incurred during the marriage is split 50/50.

Given that Gatineau has not given us much more than schools and infrastructure, the surplus we had prior could pay for our portion of the debt. We'll take the taxes from some of the Plateau condos which are on Aylmer territory. Can't wait to hear the fear mongering about that one!     

Financial upheaval, immigration, war, fear. The British have told the world they are the only country which does not cede to these tactics. Who will be next?  Ask yourself, would you live in a country where these tactics are used to force you to stay in a state of servitude? Would you work for an employer who uses such tactics?   

Nicolas Mazet
Aylmer (Not Gatineau)