June 24, 2016

ENGLAND: Conservatives Cheer #BrexitVote's Blow Against Bureaucracy, But Liberals Fear Anarchy

The Washington Examiner
written by Pete Kasperowicz
Friday June 24, 2016

Washington, D.C., politicians had sharp disagreements Friday over what the British vote to leave the European Union really means, as conservatives called it a welcome shaking off of an international bureaucracy, while liberals denounced it as a step toward global anarchy.

Republicans were far more likely to defend the vote, and many cheered both the right of British citizens to hold the vote, as well as the result. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, went further by saying the vote should be seen as a "wake-up call" for "internationalist bureaucrats."

"The British people have indicated that they will no longer outsource their future to the EU, and prefer to chart their own path forward," Cruz said. "The United States can learn from the referendum and attend to the issues of security, immigration and economic autonomy that drove this historic vote."

Sen. Jeff Sessions, R-Ala., not only praised the vote, but said the U.S. should also get ready to eschew "global powers."

"Now it's our time," Sessions said. "Just as in the U.K., our November presidential election presents a stark contrast. The establishment forces, the global powers, are promoting their values and their interests."

Sessions is advising Donald Trump's campaign, and while Trump didn't cheer the result as much as Sessions, he and others were clearly comfortable with the idea of British citizens deciding their own fates.
Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Bob Corker, R-Tenn., also defended the vote, and offered assurances that the "special relationship" between the U.S. and U.K. will continue.

"A free people should choose their own way, and we respect the British decision to leave the European Union," he said. "That close partnership will endure, and we will continue to work together to strengthen a robust trade relationship and to address our common security interests."

Democrats, however, were more likely to see the vote as a global governance disaster that will undermine decades of integration in Europe.

Sen. Jack Reed, D-R.I., said the vote "engenders economic and geopolitical uncertainty that will play itself out in the months and years ahead."

Rep. Gerry Connolly, D-Va., cast the vote as a devastating turn of events that is already proving to be one that could destroy the U.K.'s market.
Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., who has yet to drop out of the Democratic presidential race, indicated he's worried it could lead to a deeper destabilization of Europe.

"What worries me very much is the breaking down of international cooperation," he said on MSNBC. "Europe in the 20th century, as we all know, the kind of blood that was shed there was unimaginable. You never want to see that again."

And Rep. Jim Himes, D-Conn., said the vote was the result of "xenophobia" that could spread throughout Europe.

"This is a very bad thing for the United Kingdom," he said. "This risks turning a major global power into a more provincial country that can't exercise its desperately needed leadership in Europe."

"This is where that xenophobic, angry, right-wing dark instinct takes you," he added.

Hillary Clinton had a relatively muted reaction that seemed designed to enhance U.S. voters' view of her as a presidential candidate. "This time of uncertainty only underscores the need for calm, steady, experienced leadership in the White House," she said.

And there were some who admitted they aren't quite sure what it all means.

"Where do you start?" Sen. Jeff Flake, R-Ariz., told the BBC. "Hell! I am worried. It's just an unknown."

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