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To BE, or not to BE, that is the Brexit Question
by John Brian Shannon | September 7, 2016
To Be, or not to Be (from Hamlet 3:1)
by William Shakespeare
To be, or not to be: that is the question. Whether ’tis nobler in the mind to suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune, or to take arms against a sea of troubles, and by opposing end them?
To die: to sleep no more, and by sleep we say end the heartache and the thousand natural shocks that flesh is heir to, ’tis a consummation devoutly to be wish’d.
To die, to sleep. To sleep. Perchance to dream. Ay, there’s the rub; For in that sleep of death what dreams may come when we have shuffled off this mortal coil must give us pause. There’s the respect that makes calamity of so long life.
For who would bear the whips and scorns of time, the oppressor’s wrong, the proud man’s contumely, the pangs of despised love, the law’s delay, the insolence of office and the spurns that patient merit of the unworthy takes, when he himself might his quietus make with bare bodkin?
Who would fardels bear to grunt and sweat under a weary life; But that the dread of something after death, the undiscover’d country from whose bourn no traveller returns, puzzles the will and makes us rather bear those ills we have, than fly to others that we know not?
Thus conscience does make cowards of us all; and thus the native hue of resolution is sicklied o’er with the pale cast of thought, and enterprises of great pith and moment with this regard, their currents turn awry and lose the name of action.
Soft you now the fair Ophelia! Nymph, in thy orisons, be all my sins remember’d.
Courtesy of Art of Europe
And so it is with regards to Brexit.
It would be so much easier to not Brexit and to continue along in a substandard life rather than strive to become more — the so much more that Britain is capable of should she decide to shrug-off her complacency and (declining) comforts.
What is a calling more than a science, a search more than a destination, a way of life more than a set of rules issued by others in foreign countries? It’s name? Democracy.
And that’s what the Brexiters are looking for, whether stated or unstated, whether fully reasoned in advance or not.
The same sort of people who threw off the blanket in the time of King George III in search of a more democratic government (“No taxation without representation!”) are the same sort of people who don’t want Brussels to dictate the price of bread or the ingredients in their butter. Let’s be honest, the EU has rules on everything from how many fish in a can of kippers to the price of petrol, and everything in between.
Many of these rules are good and fair rules to be sure. However, they are rules made in Brussels for the benefit of EU corporations and the EU’s 504 million citizens — and Britain’s input is minimal with only 64 million people. To put it succinctly, only the utterly naive Britons think EU membership revolves around them and that the EU was created for Britain’s benefit.
Each year, billions more pounds sterling leave Britain than the country receives in return. The early American settlers railed against “No taxation without representation!” — yet this situation is worse because there is some amount of representation, but it is representation in a foreign capital, by foreigners, and with the demands of 440 million other EU citizens taking priority over British citizens. It is a carefully crafted schadenfreude and almost every EU nation is on the receiving end of it — including Britain and Germany.
Not only that, but those billions of pounds could be better-spent by a British government that dedicates itself to the people of Britain.
The way forward for the well-being of Britain’s people is not by handing billions of pounds sterling and complete authority over their lives to eurocrats in Brussels — the way forward is by increasing trade links with all Anglosphere nations and by forging evermore bilateral trade links around the world with non-Anglo nations.
True Democracy doesn’t require the handing-over of all the money and all of the rights in exchange for whatever allowance Brussels deems to send in return.
That’s not Democracy, that’s Prostitution.
London Usurps Berlin As Startup Capital Of Europe
“Berlin has long been jewel in the crown of Europe’s startup scene. Startup investment has flowed into the German capital for years but according to research from Ernst & Young, other European cities are providing it with stiff competition.
Berlin saw a huge year on year decrease in startup investment volume from H1 2015 to H1 2016 to see its crown slip as startup capital of Europe.
In its place is now London, with 1,320 million euros of investment in the latest half year – an increase of 289 million over the same period in 2015.” — Niall McCarthy (Statista)
You will find more statistics at Statista
Related Article:
Building a Better Britain with Higher Education
by John Brian Shannon | September 1, 2016
Q: What is the Thousand Ton Elephant in the Room?
A: All countries with tuition-free university have ultra-low crime statistics
How many PhD’s have a criminal record? None. You simply won’t have the opportunity to earn a PhD if you have a criminal record. You will hear the words, ‘Sorry old boy, you just don’t make the cut’ and your university application gets tossed in the bin. So much for that plan.
However, it’s within the realm of possibility that if you searched the globe high and low, you might find a handful of PhD’s who’ve been convicted of criminal offenses after having obtained their credentials; But on the main, those with ultra-high levels of education are famous for avoiding criminal activity.
This is interesting because it applies not only to those with a Doctorate degree, but similarly to those with a Masters degree. In fact, anyone with even a minor college degree is likely to have less involvement with criminal activity than the general non-degree, non-MBA, and non-PhD population.
These people have a real life, a real opportunity to get ahead the moment they finish their university education, and they tend to have stronger family ties. They simply have far too much to lose by throwing it away engaging in any sort of criminal or unethical behavior.
Q: What percentage of Americans have a PhD?
A: According to U.S. Census 2013 data, 1.68 percent of Americans over the age of 25 have a PhD. This equates to approximately 2.5 million people. People with professional degrees such as MD or DDS make up 1.48 percent of the U.S. population, making the total percentage of Americans referred to as ‘Doctors’ equal to 3.16 percent. — Reference.com
Their cohort contributes much to the success of the country and is responsible for the fewest crimes on a per capita basis (especially violent crimes) which is important in a country with 16,121 homicides in 2015 and a homicide rate of 5.1 per 100,000 people.
It should be noted that the employment rate for those with Doctorate degrees in the United States is a lowish 76%. Those unemployed Professors may either be retired, happily travelling the globe on sabbatical, or unemployed. But in America, it has been acknowledged universities there produce more Profs than the U.S. requires in any given year, therefore, unemployment can be a concern for American PhD’s.
In the United Kingdom, via the innovative NewRoutePhD initiative, the focus is on obtaining employment for students once they obtain their credentials.
Also in the UK, there is heavy emphasis on the disciplines of Politics and International Relations, Psychology, and Chemistry which are highly valued by companies and universities in the United Kingdom and throughout Europe. PhD students in the UK know they won’t be unemployed once their education is completed.
Also in high demand in the UK are so-called Research Degrees which can range in quality from a simple degree, to an MBA degree, or even a PhD level degree where world class research is being conducted every day within the university by students in engineering and the social sciences.
Q: What is the New Route PhD?
A: The New Route PhD is a national initiative to equip PhD students with the skills they need to pursue successful careers as leaders in universities, companies, government or the public services.
It provides doctoral students with the highest quality of taught materials and practical experience alongside advanced research. This integrated approach offers students a learning environment in which to broaden and deepen subject knowledge and professional skills while providing the opportunity for interdisciplinary study to extend their expertise in new directions.
This innovative and seamless scheme has the full support of the UK government, the Higher Education Funding Council of England (HEFCE) and the British Council. It meets UK doctoral standards and the principles laid down by the Quality Assurance Agency of the UK, including normal quality assurance mechanisms such as assessment hurdles and the provision of external examiners.
In terms of the research student experience as well as the standing and value of the awards for which New Route PhD™ students study, this programme is a landmark in the provision of education excellence.
The New Route PhD™ is an exciting alternative to — not a replacement for — a traditional PhD. Successful New Route PhD™ graduates will have obtained professional and transferable skills that form a major part of the programme. For those pursuing university teaching careers, the Certificate in Learning and Teaching, which is an optional part of the programme, is an invaluable qualification in its own right. — Global Vision
Many countries have looked at the benefits of providing tuition-free university education for citizens and non-citizen residents and have found the so-called side benefits to be (arguably) an even greater benefit than having a highly educated workforce.
Countries like Norway, Sweden, Finland, Denmark, Germany, France, and recently Chile, have noticed that since they began offering tuition-free university education, their crime statistics have dropped remarkably.
Other countries charge a very nominal fee that allows students to study and obtain a useful degree at very reasonable cost in Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Greece, Italy, and Spain. While other countries such as Argentina, India, and Taiwan offer some novel solutions for obtaining a university degree at a very low cost. Taipei, Taiwan was voted the most affordable city for university students in 2015. — Where Can You Study Abroad for Free?
In Norway, any citizen or non-citizen resident can obtain a free university education by simply applying to any public university. Many people in the country have at least one degree, while others have several.
Maybe that’s one reason why Norway is awash in success!
(Excerpted from The Secret of Norway’s Success)
- Norway has the highest accumulated revenue surplus in the world, worth $1.3 Trillion+ (held in the world’s largest sovereign fund)
- Strong and steady GDP growth that beats any stock exchange growth in any year
- Exceptionally low Debt-to-GDP
- A very high ranking on the UN Happiness Index
- A very high ranking on the Social Progress Index
- Typically a #1 or #2 ranking on the highest per capita income in the world
- In the Top 5 worker productivity rankings in Europe (and by extension, the world)
- One of the lowest crime rates in the world
- One of the ‘least corrupt’ nations. Ranked #5 on the Corruption Perception Index
- An average 2.5% unemployment rate (except during the global financial crisis where it shot up to 5.5%) Not to worry, it’s already fallen to 3.0%
- Free university tuition for all citizens and residents
- Free universal healthcare ranked 7th in the world (It would rank higher, but maintaining full-service Hospitals in remote regions with tiny populations is uneconomical)
- Virtually 100% of the country is powered by renewable energy except for some remote settlements where a microgrid (natural gas power) is the only choice
- Unparalleled diplomatic credentials. Everyone knows Norwegians are among the best ‘honest brokers’ in the diplomatic world making Norway the ‘go-to’ arbitrators for nations in crisis
- A favorite country of the Olympics committee having hosted successful games twice in recent years
Also notable about the Norwegian example is that the homicide rate is practically non-existent — as there is typically less than one murder per year in the entire country.
With the influx of refugees in recent years, pickpocketing and burglary and other theft have increased, but the Oslo Police have since ramped-up their response with the result that such crimes are now decreasing. — United States Department of State, Bureau of Diplomatic Security (OSAC)
Following the Norwegian example of higher learning, resulting in a more vibrant and educated society and concomitantly a lower crime society, is the way To Build a Better Britain.
Spend More on Education / Less on Prisons
If Prime Minister Theresa May really wants to build a better Britain, the best way to accomplish it is to provide tuition-free university education for UK citizens at public universities, and in so doing, dramatically improve the lives of British citizens and their employers while growing demand all over the globe for the valuable and world class knowledge of Britons.
Related Article:
- The Best Universities in the UK (Times Higher Education World University Rankings)
- 10 distinctive features of the Japanese education system that made this nation the envy of the world (Brightside media) See a short video here
Letter to Britain 