Now that it's been a while has Brexit been all it was cracked up to be? Or more like Donald Trump and his MaGA "scam & grift" nonsense?
Not really. While Brexit was sold as a way for the UK to "take back control" of its laws, borders, and economy, the reality has been far more complicated and, in many ways, disappointing for its supporters.
Economic Impact
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The UK economy has grown more slowly than it would have if it had remained in the EU, according to multiple studies, including from the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR).
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Trade with the EU has become more difficult due to customs checks and bureaucracy, hurting businesses, especially small ones.
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Investment in the UK has lagged behind comparable economies.
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The pound has remained weaker compared to pre-Brexit levels, affecting inflation and living costs.
Political Impact
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Brexit has intensified divisions within the UK, particularly in Scotland and Northern Ireland, where support for independence/reunification has grown.
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The Northern Ireland Protocol caused political instability, and even after adjustments, trade between Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK remains a contentious issue.
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The UK is struggling to sign major trade deals that compensate for the loss of frictionless EU trade.
Social and Workforce Impact
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Worker shortages have hit sectors like agriculture, healthcare, and hospitality due to reduced EU migration.
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Travel between the UK and the EU has become more complicated, with visa requirements for longer stays and increased costs for businesses and travelers.
Was It Worth It?
Even many Brexit supporters now acknowledge that it hasn't delivered the economic or political boost they hoped for. Some say it was mismanaged, while others argue the fundamental premise was flawed. Polling consistently shows that more Britons now view Brexit as a mistake than a success.
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A comparison of Brexit and the "Make america Great Again" (MaGA) movement as potentially unfulfilled promises driven by political opportunism is insightful. Both initiatives have had complex outcomes that deviate from their original aspirations.
Brexit:
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Economic Consequences: The UK's Office for Budget Responsibility forecasts that both exports and imports will be approximately 15% lower in the long term compared to a scenario where the UK had remained in the EU. Additionally, economic productivity is expected to be 4% less than it otherwise would have been. AP News+1U.S. News+1
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Public Sentiment: As of January 2025, 55% of people in Great Britain believe that leaving the EU was the wrong decision, while 30% still support it. Statista
MaGA Political Trump-Grift Movement:
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Political Shifts: A recent poll indicates that, for the first time, a majority (52%) of Republicans identify more with the MaGA movement than with the traditional GOP. Vanderbilt University
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Economic Repercussions: Investments associated with Trump, such as stocks of Trump’s Media & Technology Group and certain cryptocurrencies, have experienced significant declines. Tesla's stock, influenced by CEO Elon Musk's association with Trump, has also nearly halved, resulting in substantial financial losses. MarketWatch
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Authoritarian Concerns: The current administration faces accusations of undermining democratic institutions, including the justice system and free speech, raising alarms about a shift toward authoritarianism. The Guardian
In summary, both Brexit and the MaGA movement have led to outcomes that diverge from their original promises, with significant economic and political implications. While some supporters remain steadfast, growing public dissatisfaction and unforeseen consequences suggest that these initiatives have not fully delivered on their ambitious goals.
Bottom line? UK or America? Do your research and do not follow those trying to scam the public with political grifts in being utterly uncaring as long as it benefits them.
What about foreign intervention behind the scenes? It's been known Putin and Russia were involved in "throwing the occassional spanner in the works", or "muddying the waters", for both countries on these issues.
Commonly referred to as foreign interference or foreign influence operations, when a foreign actor like Putin engages in these tactics, it can be labeled under several related terms:
Vladimir Putin's involvement in both Brexit and Donald Trump's political ascent has been a subject of extensive analysis and debate. While definitive evidence of direct orchestration is lacking, multiple indicators suggest that Russia sought to influence these political events to align with its strategic interests.
Russian Influence in Brexit:
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Social Media Manipulation: Russian-affiliated accounts were identified as disseminating pro-Leave content during the Brexit referendum. Studies estimate that automated accounts may have contributed approximately 1.76 percentage points to the Leave vote. Wikipedia
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State Media Coverage: Russian state media outlets, notably RT, provided extensive coverage of the referendum, often presenting biased perspectives favoring Brexit. This coverage's estimated value ranged between £1.4 and £4.14 million. Wikipedia
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Parliamentary Findings: A UK parliamentary report highlighted concerns over Russia's potential attempts to influence the Brexit vote. It noted the government's insufficient response to protect the referendum's integrity and called for a comprehensive investigation akin to the U.S. Mueller inquiry. CSIS
Russian Influence in Trump's Political Rise:
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Public Admiration: Throughout the 2016 presidential campaign, Trump frequently praised Putin, referring to him as "highly respected." He notably remarked that the U.S. had its own share of "killers," equating American actions with those of Russia. Representative Swalwell
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Kremlin's Narrative Control: Analysts observed that during the 2018 Helsinki summit, Putin adeptly shaped the narrative, with Trump appearing accommodating to Russian interests. This dynamic was viewed as a strategic victory for the Kremlin. Brookings
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Strategic Engagements: Putin has been perceived as leveraging Trump's desires for swift and decisive actions, offering opportunities that align with Russian interests. For instance, facilitating the release of American citizens detained in Russia served to bolster Trump's image. Carnegie Endowment
In summary, while direct evidence of Putin orchestrating Brexit and Trump's political emergence is not definitive, there is substantial evidence of Russian efforts to sway these events in favor of Kremlin interests. These actions align with Russia's broader strategy of exerting influence over Western political processes
In the end, it will take years, if not decades, to untangle the aftermath of of these foolish Brexit and Trump fiascos.
I know a little something that so many do not appreciate about Donald, but that those of us who worked with him in the financial services game have known for many decades—LONG before he ever made a run at politics.
His stated motives rarely reveal his true agenda. His showmanship and charisma bedazzles the uninformed, which is exactly how he likes it.
He never signed a contract or met an agreement he wouldn’t violate or wriggle out of if it suited his hidden agenda. He never met an investor whose purse he didn’t consider his own in some strategic way. And he never met a human being he wouldn’t screw in order to advance or satisfy himself.
If you want to understand his beef with Panama, don’t look at the canal to which he now points. Look at Trump enterprises and their fraught financial and criminal relationship with Panama, and look to the Russian oligarchs who bought condos in his Panama Tower.
If you want to understand his fixation with Gaza, don’t look at the Palestinian or Israeli people; look at the real estate value he now perceives that Gaza holds, and he’d like to unlock.
If you want to understand his insane, obsessive beef with energy renewable windmills, don’t look at the wind energy aspect; look at his beef with Scotland over his golf course and the nearby windmills that damaged his idea of its aesthetics.
If you want to understand his irrational hatred of Obama, don’t look at the policies of the Obama administration; look to the annual press corp dinner where Obama poked fun at him and bruised his ego. If you want to understand his demonization of Democrats, look not to Democratic social policy, but to the fact they didn’t want him to run under color of their party.
If you want to understand his hatred of “immigrants” don’t look to the actual contributions and challenges related to immigration, but to his own germophobia and personal disgust for all things “dirty and brown.”
What he does SO masterfully, as many sociopaths do, is figure out how to align, however temporarily, his own personal agenda with the drives of those he can then USE to help him execute it. And the GOP fell right in line with that abusive strategy.
The GOP now looks much like a battered wife who would LOVE to quit Trump, but who also knows their financial security, personal comfort, and social status would collapse if they ran away. And they fear they won’t get much sympathy or support from the people who tried to warn them not to marry the dude—a serial, liar, cheater, thief, sadist, and a generally Bad Person.
Many of the GOP politicians today are busily masking their own abuse from the general public; at some point, however, as they watch their power continue to erode, their reputations get smashed, and themselves get blamed for the extensive abuse they now suffer, something’s gonna give.
I don’t know what it is, but every bone in my body FEELS an energetic convergence heading toward a massive, MASSIVE explosion—coming soon.
Compiled with aid of ChatGPT
