Brexit doesn’t explain the UK’s sluggish performance. Being a large former empire may be the reason…

This article is also in English

Ní mhíníonn Breatimeacht fás marbhánta ghéilleagar na RA. Tá na seanimpireachtaí ag streachailt go cothrom.

Scríobh Obelisk píosa maith ar na mallaibh faoi Brexit and the illusion of control. Seo cúpla graf a léiríonn go bhfuil géilleagair na Ríochta Aontaithe ag dul ar gcúl i gcomparáid le tíortha bheaga thofa ón Aontas Eorpach (tíortha níos lú agus níos aclaí).

Obelisk wrote an interesting and thought-provoking piece recently about Brexit and the illusion of control. Here are a couple of graphs that show the UK’s economy falling behind selected EU countries, particularly the smaller, more nimble, economies.

Ag an am céanna, tá na seanimpireachtaí móra (UK, D, F, I) ag dul ar gcúl le chéile. B’fhéidir go bhfuil meon eisceachtúlachas nó coimpléisc uaisleachta (bhí impire againne … mar sin, níl gá ceacht a fhoghlaim as iar-cholúnaithe cosúil le Problacht na hEireann nó An Pholainn) ag díriú na tíortha seo dul le fána?

However, the big old empires (UK, Germany, France, Italy) are growing equally slowly. Perhaps their exceptionalist mentality or superiority complex (we had an empire … so we don’t need to learn from ex-colonies such as the Irish Republic or Poland) is driving these countries downwards?

Mar shampla, dá mbeadh PR-STV ag an RA agus An Fhrainc, bheadh an lár pholaitíocht go daingean agus ní bheadh Farage agus Le Pen chomh láidir. Bhí an ceart ag WB Yeats.

For example, if the UK and France had PR, the centre would hold and the mere anarchy of Farage and Le Pen would not be as strong. Yeats was right.

Is léir gur coincheap millteanach teibí idéalach é ‘Singapore-ar-Thames’, nach bhfuil ag tárlú.

Singapore-on-Thames remains a pipedream.

Philip McGuinness

Philip McGuinness taught at Dundalk Institute of Technology, plays mandolin with the Oriel Traditional Orchestra and loves to walk around and over the wee perfect hills of the Ring Of Gullion.