The lead-up to the vote for or against the British Exit from the European Union, or Brexit vote, was one of dire predictions and prognostications of disaster, upheaval, and warnings that Britain would pay an awful, economic price for its audacity.
After the initial move in June, 2016, we saw a quick drop in the Markets, particularly in London. It was dramatic and loud, with the usual Leftist pundits screaming their Chicken Little heads off.
However, since then, now a month out from the exit, the NYSE has better than recovered it’s loses, and just this week, the London Exchange has recovered too.
In my opinion, this is a trend that will continue. Most private financial analysts and government officials are outside of the invisible hand that Adam Smith wrote about, and since neither can predict nor react as swiftly as free markets, they are both frequently wrong. Usually VERY wrong. I believe this may prove to be the case over time with the EU and Brexit. Here is why I think so.
The European Union (EU) is an unelected governing force that has begun to try its hand at central planning. All over the world we have seen how poorly this works (China, the Soviet Union, Cuba, Venezuela…to name a few), but for some reason politicians on our little rock cannot fathom the inability of bureaucrats and political animals to react in sync and in time with the whims of the market. This does not seem to keep them from trying. One had only to look at smuggled out pictures of the old Soviet Union’s shops to see how poorly central planning works.
Unfortunately, the people of Europe today are too comfortable with minor shortages and lack of choices, as they have lived under restrained Socialism for far longer than we in America have. And so far, here in the USA, we have not allowed the government to actually control the output of any goods, with the exception of energy (which they are currently screwing up in a grand style). So the economic stresses and disparities in Europe were not as readily apparent to voters there as it would be here in the America. However, Europeans are very proud of their various national heritages, and the EU has begun trying it’s hand at social engineering and attempting to blur borders and national identities. To Germans, the French, the British, and other proud nations, this is intolerable. Having their money renamed and controlled from outside was bad enough, but to have the EU political leaders declare them racists and bigots for not welcoming Muslim refugees (almost all adult males of military age, it should be noted), who have no intention of assimilating into the host culture, and seem to find it acceptable to rape and assault the citizens of the receiving nations, well, it has become too much to bear. There are numerous social uprisings in Europe, and one such was the legal and unexpected exit of Britain from the EU.
Now that Britain is free of economic restraint from the over-lords in Brussels, the market forces have freer play with the various facets of the economy. The American NYSE is more flexible, and has shown the price elasticity it is known for, and now the London Exchange is finding its way. This demonstration of economic Liberty may, just maybe, show the people of Germany, Italy, Greece (although they may be too far gone) that a free open, NATIONAL identity and economy will brings prosperity more than a centralized planned economy can. It might even usher in a freer people in Europe, who have the same freedoms we in America do. America is investing in Britain, and others may want to see some America support too.