With the way our political discourse has declined post-9/11, I'm not surprised about Brexit. People in the West are more analytical and more hardened with the political discussions we do and don't have. Analytical as in data-driven, but also as in more calculating and selfish. We've had a post-World War II consensus - more pluralism, more multilateralism, more inclusion, more mobility - but that consensus has been fraying for years. We didn't really see that (or didn't care) until the Great Recession and Brexit was the unfortunate moment where the resentments and frustrations of the British public could be leveled against global institutions and norms that they're alienated from.
The idea (or hope) that we're all in this together has been undermined by knowledge of issues like the makeup of our armed forces during the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and how the burdens of that war have been more visceral for certain families and certain communities. The idea that there's always an opportunity to move up has been undermined by what Americans think of income inequality and the reality. When less than 70 people have as much wealth as over 3 billion people, what can empowerment or equality of opportunity even look like? And even if you didn't know that, you can feel that it's harder just to maintain your quality of life, let alone increase it. And no, hustling just a little more - resume edits, coffee chats, and mock interviews included - doesn’t lead to work that you like, work that you're good at, and work that pays well. How many people can claim all three? How many people even hope for all three anymore? With advice like this, not many.
