The Sun Rises on Brexit

English: 25px| European Union as a single entity (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

They used to say that the sun never set on the British Empire, given its worldwide network of colonies and territories that existed before World War II.  Now, in the wake of British voters pulling the plug on their membership in the house of cards known as the European Union, there is just as much sunlight as an Alaskan winter.

Great Britain has been in the Union since the 1970s, meaning its borders and trade agreements have allowed Europeans to cross without much in the way of red tape.  But the British were never really comfortable with it, especially these days with economic slowdowns and fears of terrorism coming from immigrants.

There's been extensive fallout thus far from the Brexit vote:  Worldwide economic markets are down sharply.  British prime minister David Cameron says he is stepping down after new elections are held.  Separation proceedings are being negotiated, though the true breakup won't take place for years.  And already people in Britain are having second thoughts, especially the younger voters who chose to stay in the union, believing the older ones who voted to leave are screwing them over on their future.

In the United States, Brexit is having an effect on the presidential race, if not the economy.  Republican nominee-to-be Donald Trump benefits from this because (A) Brexit fits in with his views on economic policy and immigration, and (B) he can make new deals with the British whether he's President or not.  This presumably includes items other than hotels and golf courses.

Trump trails Democratic nominee-in-waiting Hillary Clinton in the latest polls, though it must be said that they were taken before the Brexit vote.  The result seems to make Clinton and the Democrats seem out of step with those who think this country is being sold out from under them, though the U.S. is a lot more diverse than either Britain or Trump's supporters.  How Clinton and the Democrats respond to this latest challenge will say a lot about what happens in the campaign.

As the sun rises on a new era in a not-so-Great Britain, there's one more thing to add insult to injury.  Britain's national soccer team was defeated by Iceland at the European Championships in France by a 2-1 score.  It seems the sun is setting on that empire, too.