Brentrance and Blue Monday

As we approach the one-year anniversary of the Inauguration of Dunces, the case has never been stronger for retrocession. I am not talking about the actual retrocession in 1846 involving the return of the land to the Commonwealth of Virginia that was part of the original District of Columbia; nor the proposed retrocession of D.C. (as it exists now) to Maryland.  I mean approaching Her Majesty the Queen, acknowledging that our attempt at self-governance has taken a horrid turn, and re-joining the United Kingdom. 

Granted, we would have to deal with Theresa May for at least a while…but she (unlike the current American Chief Executive) can pass the oddly formidable sanity challenge.  Better yet, with Labour gaining electoral strength, the odds are better than 50/50 that we will have Prime Minister Jeremy Corbyn as our Head of Government soon enough.  Frankly, this is a good deal at thrice the price…which I suppose would be in pounds sterling.

In other news, we are approaching “Blue Monday” which some claim to be the most depressing day of the year.  There is a simple yet scientifically unsound mathematical formula that allegedly “validates” this hypothesis; it involves (among other variables) the weather, debt levels, and the end of the Holiday season.  Let’s be reductive, yet no less accurate, and just call it the third Monday in January.

While the present author appreciates the whimsy inherent in attempting to identify and quantify the nadir of our national mood, as someone who has written about mental health, I would like to remind you, dear reader, that this can be a tough time of year for those who contend with issues such as depression.  So, be kind. And if you are personally dealing with such matters, please reach out to someone – a friend, a family member, a loved one, a medical professional, a crisis hotline, anyone…in this era, there is someone out there who is accessible to you and who will listen.        

In solidarity.

On Brexit and Melancholy

“Please give me a second grace
Please give me a second face
I've fallen far down
The first time around
Now I just sit on the ground in your way”

-       Nick Drake, “Fly”

There is no doubt, in our newly post-Brexit World, that many “Leave” voters are re-assessing the wisdom of their vote.  Based on interviews obtained with that slice of the electorate, a buyer’s remorse has settled in amongst those who either did not really wish for a “Leave” win…and/or those who did not fully appreciate the consequences of what promises to be a protracted and painful separation.

The regional results show solid “Remain” victories in Scotland, London, and Northern Ireland, all 55%+. “Leave” pulled out majorities in every other area, with the West Midlands (59.3%) and the East Midlands (58.8%) leading the way.

It is unknown, at this writing, what this outcome means…if anything… for ostensibly “populist” sovereignty movements in other Western democracies.   Donald Trump’s brand of nativism struck a chord with some American voters, but the force of his personality muddies the issue.  Is nationalism rampant again or are we foundering about in our quest for security and identity in a post 9/11 world?  Is simplistic triumphalism our yana of the moment…a raft that millions of Americans are grasping out of some deep fear about who we are and where we are headed? 

There was , of course, a generational split with the E.U. referendum, with older voters more likely to cast their ballots in favor of “Leave.”  Given GOP antipathy toward deeply-embedded initiatives such as Social Security and Medicare, it is unlikely that the Republicans can cobble together a sizable enough percentage of 65+ voters to offset their likely defeat amongst the Millennial and Generation X cohorts.  But it is early and we don’t yet know the strength of the Clinton General Election campaign…nor the ability of Trump to connect with an unnerved electorate.

Who knows?  Perhaps there will be another referendum in the months ahead asking U.K. voters if they should rejoin the E.U.   But in America, we don’t have snap elections.  We have to live with our election outcomes for certain fixed time intervals, and that is a sobering thought indeed.   
       

“Now if it’s time for recompense for what’s done
Come, come sit down on the fence in the sun
And the clouds will roll by
And we’ll never deny
It’s really too hard
For to fly” – Nick Drake, “Fly”

Stay tuned, as more will follow.