INQUISITR.COM / News & Politics

What Is Brexit? What Does Brexit Mean For Americans?

By Amy Feinstein
Published on: 09:29 PST, Jun 22, 2016

Voters are going to decide Thursday in a historical referendum whether the U.K. will leave the European Union, and this exit from the EU is being called a “Brexit.” Even for Brits, the topic seems confusing regarding what it means for the long haul, and so for Americans and Europeans, it’s even more so. So what does a Brexit entail?

Does this mean that the Brits will just be back to being, well, British, and not so much European? According to the Inquisitr, the Brits are interested in perhaps cleaning up their royal mess, which is less political and more pomp and circumstance, at least from an American point of view. The younger royals, including Prince William and Princess Kate, have been labeled as lazy, as their appearances and visits, also known as royal work, have been minimal.

But CNN has broken down the issue of Brexit for everyone, and the chance that Brits will go to the polls and vote in favor of a Brexit. From a travel perspective, right now, Brits are checked at airports along with those of EU member nations, even though the UK is not part of Europe’s borderless Schengen zone.

The most likely scenario for British travelers, if Brexit occurs, would be that they would be treated like other countries with close ties, but they would need their passports stamped, and they would be in the non-EU line at the airport. Those who want to remain in the EU say that travel prices within Europe would remain less expensive. Budget carrier easyJet says that the “open skies” policy would allow the industry to stay competitive, according to easyJet rep Carolyn McCall.

“It enabled airlines like easyJet to offer passengers lower fares to more destinations. All airlines were forced to respond to this new competitive environment and all passengers have benefited. People can live, work, study and travel across Europe in a way previous generations could not have imagined.”

CNN believes that the United States doesn’t have a lot to lose either way, but why rock the boat? CNN’s opinion is that change like this only creates more volatility, and with the U.K. being the seventh biggest trading partner, change in this situation is not a good thing.

The Washington Post is going through what could happen if Brexit occurs, and Britain separates from the European Union. It is said that if the U.K. decides to leave the EU, it will be because they want life “without Eastern Europeans” and liberty from “Brussels bureaucrats” in search of a British-type of happiness. Is even bringing Brexit up for a vote an attempt to just make a statement?

The Washington Post says that there is no compelling economic reason to Brexit, and even the most compelling reasons would make them no better off tomorrow, while it could make them seriously worse off today, because the pro-Brexit people’s plan to replace being part of the EU is reportedly not a good fit.

The pro-Brexit people want a more limited relationship with the rest of Europe, much like what Norway has right now. The Norway version would offer the Brexit people preferential access for Great Britain to Europe’s single market. That would mean continuing to pay into the union’s budget, albeit not as much; continuing to follow its rules, albeit not as many; and continuing to allow the free movement of people within the EU. But the Brexit people, more than anything, want to take back more control of their own borders, so the last part of the Norway-type agreement would not work for the Brexit crowd. The insinuation is that if this was going on in the United States right now, Donald Trump would be pro-Brexit.

Do you think there will be a Brexit tomorrow?

[Photo by Paul Gilham/Getty Images]

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