Brexit Metaphor No 30
The grass is always greener on the other side. The ocean is bluer. The sun is yellower. And the other side of the moon is even moonier.
Applying this train of thought (or rather thoughtlessness) to the world of trade, Theresa May now wants Britain to join the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) after Brexit. The Pacific is obviously "more Pacific" on the other side, or so they must be thinking in Westminster. Never mind that after Trump pulled the USA out of the TPP, it is considered a defunct project, at least for the time being.
Cooperation with several big economies on the Pacific Ocean is not a bad idea in its own right. The only problem is that this is being sold as a substitute to the EU, rather than as an addition. The benefits from partnering with a loose grouping of faraway countries are nowhere near comparable with the benefits of membership of the much more deeply integrated EU Single Market and Customs Union next door.
Believing that green-land is greener is a cognitive fallacy. Yet, chasing the wild goose or believing that pigs may fly has always been a human proclivity. Alas, politicians are human; and the populist ones are even "human-er". [sic]
 |
| The grass is always greener (Source: Wikipedia) |
Notes:
1. Timeline: This article is part of a daily #BrexitMetaphors series, with 131 more Brexit Metaphors to follow until Brexit day, March 29, 2019.
2. Disclosure: The author has a master's degree in European Integration.
3. Invitation: If you'd like to contribute to the debate, you are welcome to leave a comment below.
Greenland on the Pacific. Yay!
ReplyDelete