Boris Gets BREXIT - Trump Gets Impeachment (#307)

In the United Kingdom, Boris Johnson played a high stakes political game and won big. In the United States, the Democrats will get what they worked long and hard for, a crime inclined Donald Trump impeached; but most likely not removed.

Hampered with a minority government and consistent parliamentary opposition to getting multiple versions of Brexit done, which deeply divided Britain, Boris called a snap election with the hope that the fever pitch frustration of the British people, with the years of stalemate on the efforts of dealing with Brexit, would rally him enough support to win a majority government with his simple focused message - ‘Get Brexit Done’!

It worked, and he sailed into post-election power with an overwhelming majority of 365 seats to 285, and in doing so, he decimated the main opposition party, Labour, and its leader Jeremy Corbyn. It was a big gamble and it paid-off big!

On a somewhat parallel course, the American people are similarly frustrated with the divisive politics of Trump. Ever since his inauguration, there has been a steady stream of revelations of improper, and in some instances illegal behaviour that Trump seems to be incapable of resisting, regardless of their potential political and legal consequences.

As this objectionable behaviour continued and triggered one investigation after another, to the point that there are so many now, ongoing, that it’s difficult to keep track of them all, the opposition party, the Democrats, have been working to bring Trump to account, and so far have failed, deepening the divide in America between the Trump supporters and the opposers, and driving the public to fever pitch of frustration, on both sides of the divide.

The issues that both opposing sides are concerned about in the UK and the US are surprisingly similar, mainly resurgent nationalism and the wish to go it alone, trade on a bilateral rather than multilateral basis, tightly closed borders, and a highly selective immigration policy that will protect the traditional ‘White Christian’ makeup of the two nations.

Boris Johnson’s Conservatives want a stand-alone Britain, apart from the inclusion in the European Union (EU), and one that charts its own course in most issues, in general from trade, to immigration, cross border travel, finance and regulations.

Now with an effective majority in parliament, it is expected that Boris Johnson will complete the so-far extremely, frustratingly elusive Brexit, and in doing so will steer Britain onto a nationalistic path of greater isolation in its decision making.

Obviously there are some appealing aspects to such political and regulatory independence, but there are also some significant risks attached, primarily the loss of free access to one of the greatest trade markets in the World, the EU, the ability of British people to travel and live freely in most of the European countries, and the uncertainty of the impact of breaking away, on its economy and its financial sector, over the long term.

Additionally, post Brexit, one of the greatest threats is the possibility of Scotland breaking away, as this election also strengthened the Scottish break-away party, the Scottish National Party - with its leader Nicola Sturgeon making another Scottish Independence Referendum a real possibility.

With an effective majority Boris Johnson can get Brexit done, but with it comes uncertainty and some serious risks, and the possible diminution of the once Great Britain - as it might fracture further not only socially, but also in its political unity.

In the US, the Democrats will most likely impeach Trump. They have the majority in Congress, and they have credible evidence of his having committed ‘high crimes and misdemeanors’ while in Office.

Ignominiously and deservedly, Trump will become the third American President in history to be impeached (Nixon resigned before he could get impeached).

But, the Democrats will not be able to remove him from Office.

The Senate where his impeachment trial is to take place, after the Democrats vote to impeach him, is controlled by the Republicans, who not only have the controlling votes, but are fanatically committed to keeping Trump in Office by whatever means necessary (mostly nefarious), regardless of his ‘crimes and misdemeanors’ and the overwhelming evidence that has been presented.

The Senate Majority Leader, Mitch McConnell, has already made it abundantly clear, that regardless of all the justifications, and the evidence the Democrats bring forward in the Articles of Impeachment, there is just no chance that Trump will be removed from Office by the Senate Republicans.

This predetermination of the verdict, before the trial, brings up an interesting question – is this really a trial (even though a sitting Supreme Court Judge, Chief Justice John Roberts, will be presiding over the proceedings) - or is it in reality just a partisan affair, a Trump reality show, with the majority ruling their way regardless of witnesses and the totality of evidence presented.

In the UK, the people that gave Boris Johnson his majority to ‘Get Brexit Done’ may not like the Great Britain they get after Brexit, leading to lingering long-term recriminations and frustrations among a divided society. And in the US, the majority of the American public that want Trump impeached (approximately 53%) will get their wish, as most likely Trump will be impeached. But it is highly unlikely that they will get what they really want, his removal from Office as US President, and that is bound to increase the frustrations and the divide amongst the American public, as neither side gets what they really want.