The Brexit story told in 5 animals from the Chinese Zodiac

By George ILIEV
Brexit Metaphor No 108.

The Chinese zodiac has 12 animals and the EU flag has 12 stars. The similarities end here.

The stars cannot tell a good story because they are all the same. While the animals are very different.

Here is the story of Brexit in five animals, with a divination twist at the end:
2016, Year of the Monkey: Brexit started with the EU referendum - after a campaign marked by shenanigans.
2017, Year of the Rooster: Theresa May triggered Article 50 - a wake up call.
2018, Year of the Dog: The Withdrawal Agreement went to the dogs with the biggest defeat in Britain's modern political history.
2019, Year of the Pig: Starting from February 5, we will all be wallowing in mud for a year, as this will be the Year of the Earth Pig.
2020, Year of the Rat: Guess what happens then! 
(Hint: the Global Financial Crisis started in the Year of the Rat 12 years earlier.)

Alternatively, if Chinese mythology has got its number wrong, the Pig and the Rat may descend upon us all at once, as the Juglar Cycle of economic activity and investment is up to 11 years long, while the planet Jupiter (after which the Chinese Zodiac cycle was fashioned) completes its rotation in 11.85 years.

So in the Brexit context, the phrase"Keep your friends close and your enemies closer" might warrant paraphrasing to: 

"Keep your zoos closed and your animals away from the bulldozer."

Chinese Zodiac (Source: Wikipedia)

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Notes:
1. Timeline: This article is part of a series of original #BrexitMetaphors published daily. A total of 108 have been posted so far and another 53 Brexit Metaphors will be published every day until the planned Brexit date of March 29, 2019.
2. Disclosure: The author has a master's degree in European Integration. He also thinks he knows a bit about business, economics, entrepreneurship, China, history, geography, nature, science and Rubik Cubes.
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