Alan Boone in his June 21 Bangor Daily News OpEd attempts to make a compelling case, as do many isolationist Brits, that the European Union is internationalism run amok. He rightfully admits that the initial thrust for the founding of a pan-European union was to prevent another World War I and World War II. He also begrudgingly admits that the EU has been successful in that regard but dismisses it as a “cure” that has overshot its goals. How so? Between 50 million and 80 million people died during World War II with about half that number in the European theater of conflict. Saving that many lives is more than an admirable goal worth achieving at any price.
I agree with Boone that the EU is bureaucratic, overbearing and, at times, irritatingly regulatory, a reflection, he says, of “socialism.” Well, if people would like to live on a continent that has been at peace for thee-quarters of a century, has free, unlimited educational opportunities for its citizens, free health care whose outcomes are every bit as good and sometimes better (see international infant mortality statistics) than ours, then maybe “socialism” isn’t such a bad word after all. The EU is, and will continue to be, not only a force for peace but also a force for prosperity.
Having taught in Poland for the last 12 years I can give a firsthand account of how the EU has helped the poorest of its members. When I first arrived in Poland, it was mired in a post-communist stupor, with a decaying infrastructure and a moribund economy. Today, because of huge EU loans, it is entering the 21st century, building new highways, rebuilding its aging transportation system and educating a young, vibrant populace that is free to move, learn and work throughout the EU.
While traveling across Europe, one is no longer stopped at border crossings and asked to produce a passport and identification documents by armed and uniformed guards at border crossings. One is no longer stressed by the need to acquire another currency or know another language. The euro is the common coin, and English is one of the most commonly spoken languages on the continent. These open borders and common currency and language are stimulating a commercial renaissance across the continent that will in time make the EU an economic powerhouse.
The vote by the United Kingdom to exit the EU will be seen in hindsight as a major mistake. It will not only isolate the island from its European neighbors but also damage its economic vitality. In large measure, the vote was pushback against a perceived lack of control by the British over their own borders. In fact, under EU law, the British have always had and still have control over their borders and immigration. Ultimately, the Brexit had nothing to do with immigration; it had everything to do with fear of change.
Change is here. It has always been and always will be here. We either adjust and benefit, or we perish. Much like in Europe, the United States also is changing from a white European-dominated society to one of multiracial ethnicity. Just as we will adapt to these sea changes and prosper from them, so will the EU. The EU will survive and will prove to be an economic and political success as it and the rest of the world continue to adapt to a rapidly changing social, political and economic reality.
Boone ends his OpEd with a tip of the hat to the British fighter pilots who successfully and bravely defeated swarms of German fighters during the early days of World War II. What he doesn’t mention is that the Royal Air Force Spitfire squadron with the most kills of enemy aircraft was flown by indomitable fliers from the Polish air force — now their former partners from the EU. Even then it was good to have close friends on the continent.
Robert J. Ristino of Swanville is a writer adapting to change in midcoast Maine.