Kameel Majdali's Road Ahead

Britain: Get Brexit Done In June 2016, the British electorate voted to leave the European Union (EU) in what became known as ‘Brexit,’ meaning ‘British exit’ from the EU. Yet, after 3 years, the UK still had not left and at times Brexit was even in doubt. Then came Boris Johnson, replacing Theresa May as Prime Minister in July 2019. Having only a majority of one, Johnson faced guerrilla warfare in the Parliament over Brexit. Not only were the opposition parties ‘Brexit-blocking’ Remainers, but even some members of his own Conservative party undermined him, too. This includes the former Speaker of the House, who is meant to be impartial. Some ‘Remainers’ were clambering for a second referendum, since they were unhappy with the results of the first one in 2016. The stalemate came to breaking point. Painted in a corner, the only way out for Mr. Johnson was a national poll, which was held on December 12, 2019. He even had to wrestle with Remainers to get that. The British pu...

Nations, like individuals, face challenges in life. Yet, it is no exaggeration to say that the United Kingdom is facing its biggest crises since the end of the Second World War. Yes, more than 30 years of trouble in Northern Ireland, or the 1990s scandals that rocked the Royal Family and saw the divorce of Diana and Charles, who is the heir to the throne. As we learned in the last article, challenges include persistent calls for a ‘second referendum’ on Scottish independence. The shifting of the leftists and progressives from the Left to the ‘far Left,’ while some on the right are drifting leftward as well, embracing policies that would have been unthinkable a few years before. The UK election of 2019 offers a solid glimpse into the shifting political sands. Most importantly immediate issue is the Brexit deadlock. Three and a half years after a referendum confirmed that the majority of UK voters wanted to leave the European Union - a ‘divorce’ to a 46 year old union - ...

Anyone who knows British history has heard of the ‘Battle for Britain,’ a military engagement with Nazi Germany during the Second World War. At the time of this writing, there is also a major conflict raging and this one is internal: the ‘Battle for Brexit.’ ‘Brexit’ means ‘British Exit’ from membership in the European Union (EU), of which they have been a member since 1973. The decision to leave the Union was decided by a public referendum in June 2016. Three years later, Britain has still not left. Attempts by the government of former British Prime Minister Theresa May to pass an EU-brokered withdrawal agreement failed three times to pass in the British Parliament. This led to Mrs. May’s resignation and replacement by Boris Johnson in July 2019. Mr. Johnson has promised to keep the extended, EU-approved, withdrawal date of 31 October 2019, whether there is a deal or not. There have been high-stakes wrangling, with Parliament voting to delay Brexit and block a ‘no dea...

The issue is becoming all too familiar - and tiresome, too. Yet, we can’t afford to retreat into some safe space. Brexit is big time stuff and being informed and understanding the times can bring us halfway towards a solution. In June 2016, the British electorate voted 52% to 48% to leave the European Union, a regional bloc they had been a part of since 1973. This is no small move and can be rightly seen as the biggest issue facing the United Kingdom since the end of the second world war. In many ways, it is like a grand geo-political divorce. Brexit became part of British law. Article 50 of the EU was invoked by the UK in March 2017, basically serving notice that it intended to leave the Union in 2 years time. The referendum resulted in the resignation of then Tory Prime Minister David Cameron and the rise of Theresa May as his successor. Like a dutiful minister, Mrs. May has worked hard to implement the will of the people, so it seems. Yet, there have been challenges...

ELECTIONS APLENTY 2019 is the year for elections. Even the 2020 US Presidential election has become. What lies ahead? 2020 US Presidential Campaign: Other countries continue to stand aghast at how lengthy, and expensive US presidential campaigns are. The upcoming election will be in far way November 2020, and already the gun has sounded and the runners have taken off. If the Democrats can’t remove Trump from office via impeachment, they are hoping to do so at the ballot box. The field of declared contenders for the Democratic Party nomination is already crowded and more and more are ‘mulling over’ a run for the White House. Chances are, the number of Democrats running for President in 2020 will exceed the 17 Republicans who campaigned for their party’s nomination in 2016. Already, more women are declared candidates than ever before. How will President Trump fare? His approval rating at the moment is 44% versus 57% negative. Ronald Reagan was 33% approval rating at ...

The 29th of March, 2019, is soon approaching. It is the date the United Kingdom is scheduled to formally ‘exit’ the European Union (EU), after 46 years of membership. The EU will be reduced from 28 to 27 member nations. This ‘exit’ is popularly known as ‘Brexit,’ a contraction of ‘British exit.’ Make no mistake about it: Brexit is the single-most important event in the United Kingdom since the end of the Second World War. And it promises to affect the nation, continent, and the world. Before we focus on the present, let’s take a quick look at the past. The European continent was wracked with unimaginable horror - twice in one century. These horrors were two world wars, both of which were fought on European soil. Millions were killed and injured and the continent was laid waste. With the vision to avoid future European wars and enter into a period of permanent peace and prosperity, the European Union was born. Less well known, though no secret either, is that the founders...

‘Brexit,’ ‘National Elections,’ ‘Syrian withdrawal,’ ‘Trump & the Democrats,’ by all accounts, 2019 promises to be an eventful year. Respected conservative Los Angeles radio personality Dennis Prager wrote an insightful article entitled ‘The Left Will Make 2019 a Dark Year.’ We will refer to his article later (and the URL is included), however, we can view 2019 from the prism of 3 cities and the world: London, Jerusalem, and Washington DC . Here’s what to watch for: LONDON: As stated in our separate article, Brexit is the single-most important event in modern British history since the end of the Second World War. It ramifications affect not only the United Kingdom, but also Europe and the world. For all practical purposes, ‘Brexit’ or ‘British - exit’ from the European Union (EU) is a divorce. Even under the most amicable conditions, divorces are almost never pain-free. Since the June 2016 EU ‘Brexit’ referendum, the British people have more or less accepted that thei...

Great Britain’s Contribution to Civilisation When think of the words ‘Britain,’ ‘Great Britain,’ ‘England,’ and/or ‘United Kingdom,’ what comes to mind? Red double-decker buses? The Queen waving from the balcony of Buckingham Palace? Fish and chips, wrapped in newspaper and season with salt and vinegar? Furry-hat Beefeaters? Rugby and cricket? In the gallery of today’s nation-states, Britain, along with a handful of others, clearly stands in a category called ‘unique.’ Great Britain is a leader among nations and this article will show, in part, its oversized contribution to civilisation. It has had 1,000 years to develop some of the finest traditions, institutions and inventions in history. Before, if not during, the 2016 Brexit-remain referendum on Britain’s EU membership, a constant refrain came out of Europe. Perhaps not worded so starkly, it essentially said that Britain was no better than any other of the 28 members states in the EU. Instead of complaining abou...