Trumpery has officially taken hold of Britain with its 'Brexit' vote

Opinion: Trumpery has officially taken hold of Britain with its ‘Brexit’ vote

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Britain’s Prime Minister David Cameron speaks outside 10 Downing Street as his wife Samantha looks on Friday.

(Lauren Hurley / Associated Press)

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Former London Mayor Boris Johnson leaves his home in London a day after Britain’s vote to leave the EU.

(Andy Rain / EPA)

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Italian Premier Matteo Renzi reacts at a news conference in Rome after Britain’s vote to leave the European Union.

(Angelo Carconi / EPA)

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Stock exchange boards in Madrid show a sharp drop Friday after Britain’s vote to leave the European Union. (Curto de la Torre / AFP/Getty Images)

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Leader of the UK Independence Party, Nigel Farage, emerges from a “Leave EU Referendum Party” in London.

(Hannah McKay / EPA)

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Supporters of Britain leaving the European Union celebrate at a London gathering as they watch results come in from around the country.

(Stefan Rousseau / Associated Press)

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A sign outside a house in Hangleton near Brighton in southern England asks the question that faced British voters in Thursday’s EU referendum. (Glyn Kirk / AFP / Getty Images)

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Supporters of the “Stronger In” campaign react after hearing results in the EU referendum at London’s Royal Festival Hall.

(Rob Stothard / Associated Press)

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Supporters of keeping Britain in the EU react after hearing referendum results at London’s Royal Festival Hall.

(Rob Stothard / Associated Press)

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Bundles of ballots at a counting center in Manchester.

(Danny Lawson / EPA)

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Ballots are tallied in Belfast, Northern Ireland.

(Paul Faith / AFP / Getty Images)

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Ballots are delivered for tabulating at a counting center in Glasgow, Scotland.

(Robert Perry / AFP/Getty Images)

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Ballots are sorted at Lindley Hall in London.

(Anthony Devlin / Associated Press)

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“Stronger In” campaign supporters view referendum results at Royal Festival Hall in London.

(Rob Stothard / AFP / Getty Images)

June 24, 2016 2:40 PM PT

To the editor: The British referendum vote to leave the European Union is a victory for the worst of England, inward-looking, narrow-minded, fearful, and mean. (Re “British prime minister says he will step down after historic vote,” June 24)

It’s Trumpery UK, with catastrophic consequences: borders, exit from European decision-making, retreat from the vision of connected and peaceable peoples, and encouragement to xenophobia across the continent. It is not independence but isolation, a bad day for the world.

David Cressy, Claremont

To the editor: First it was Donald Trump as the Republican Presidential candidate. Now it’s Brexit.

Democracy may be the best form of government, but it does have its risks.

Bill Weber, La Canada

To the editor: The history of the European Union goes back to the decade after the end of WWII, when European integration was seen as the cure to the extreme nationalism that had nearly destroyed the continent.

Perhaps such a coalition of countries was needed at that time. Perhaps its original usefulness no longer exists. Coalitions such as the EU (and the former Soviet Union) are tenuous at best and are challenging to maintain.

I see the EU eventually disintegrating back to its former self of individual countries.

I see that as the more natural state for Europe, going back to who and what they really are -- individuals. And individuals can still work cooperatively without actually being a coalition.

I wouldn’t worry about this. I wouldn’t even be concerned. It’s not the end of the world. It’s just the end of that world.

Arthur G. Saginian, Santa Clarita

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