On June 23rd, 2016, British voters resoundingly rejected their participation in the European Union (EU) and smashed establishment politicians. This was despite months of threats and fear mongering from the establishment—Conservative and Labour alike—which claimed Brexit would trigger a global recession. This was despite President Barack Obama claiming that the United Kingdom (UK) would be booted to “back of the queue” for trade talks, while leaders of firms said the UK would no longer be a hub for investment. This was despite renowned pollsters showing that on the day of the vote, Remain would comfortably win. This was despite the liberal media labeling the Leave campaign as “racist, xenophobic, and anti-intellectual.”
In the face of all of these ominous warnings, the ordinary people voted to regain their parliamentary sovereignty and repudiate the detached elite in Brussels and Downing Street, and now, one can begin to evaluate the reality and inconsistencies with the liberal doomsday projections. First and foremost, World War III did not ensue, other than within the Labour Party as Jeremy Corbyn facing endless coups. Furthermore, the state of the economy in the UK and Europe has remained strong since the referendum. The number of people seeking unemployment benefits in the UK has decreased and data from stock markets suggest that after the value of the Sterling steadied, the FTSE 100 in London has gained upward momentum. Not only are European stocks firm, but the UK also continues to be an attractive investment for global businesses. Firms such as GlaxoSmithKline, a pharmaceutical firm that decided to invest £275m after the referendum, cite Britain’s competitive tax system, skilled workforce, and devalued currency for its continued investment. Britain, meanwhile, and in the face of attacks in France and Germany, demonstrated its desire to secure its borders and ensure that individuals who cross the channel do not represent a risk to the country.
The recent Trump tapes have led the campaign into a death spiral, and Trump trails Clinton in the newest NBC/WSJ poll by double digits. The poor poll numbers, however, by no means end the race. On the night before the British referendum, the Leave campaign substantially trailed in nearly every poll, and Nigel Farage was ready to concede. The next day, as a “silent majority” turned out, pollsters were left in disbelief. In today’s world where conservatism is misunderstood and deliberately mischaracterized, individuals are reluctant to express their true beliefs with interviewers, skewing the results of polls. Farage also notes on FOX Business that these polls may have been a “deliberate attempt to fiddle the figures” so people believed there was no purpose in going to the voting booth. While Trump supporters, never-Hillary activists, and conservatives may today be disheartened with the free fall of the Trump campaign according to the polls, it is important for everyone concerned with a Hillary Clinton presidency to still go out and vote, despite the mainstream media’s wisdom. With less than 30 days until the election, we must remind ourselves of Farage’s reflection on Brexit: that regardless of what the polls say, “anything is possible if enough decent people are willing to stand up against the establishment.” In the end, maybe—as they were with the British referendum—the leftists will be wrong about this one as well.
