The ideas expressed in this column do not necessarily represent those of The New Courier.

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Theresa May’s Brexit Problems

By Dennis Austin

March 25, 2019

For anyone who has been intensely following the Brexit drama in the United Kingdom, there is a sense of dread. In nine days, the United Kingdom was set to begin its formal withdrawal from the European Union, but those plans have been delayed. Earlier this week, House Speaker John Bercow declared that Prime Minister Theresa May’s EU “Divorce Bill” would not be given a third vote, after being rejected twice in the House of Commons, and stated that the Prime Minister’s Brexit proposal must be “fundamentally different”, moving forward. As someone who watches British soap dramas, this ongoing saga rivals the fictional world of Hollyoaks at the moment (Yes, I watch Hollyoaks. And Emmerdale). Theresa May’s inability to properly satisfy a large portion of Tory MPs and European bureaucrats has left the country in a standstill. Let’s begin with what I believe to be one of the biggest voting mistakes in 2016 (aside from Trump).

In June 2016, British voters essentially decided to place their country in an economic and social freefall when they voted to leave the European Union. Following that shock decision, former-Premier David Cameron resigned, handing over the keys to then-Home-Secretary Theresa May. Given that it’s been nearly three years since Mrs. May has been in charge, let’s take a brief look at two thorny sides of this never-ending drama. One massive error that Theresa May made was believing she could get hardline Brexiters in lockstep with her plan to remain in the European Customs via the Irish Border Backstop. As it stands, the backstop would allow the United Kingdom to remain in the EU customs union much to the dismay of hardline Brexiters, who believe remaining in the customs union would not allow the U.K. to have full control over trade matters. Jacob Rees-Mogg, a hardline Brexiter, stated last week that “the problem with the deal was that it didn’t deliver on the commitment to leave the EU cleanly and that the backstop would have kept us in the customs union and de facto in the single market.”

Another problem that finds itself at the doorstep of Ten Downing Street is the various inconsistencies from Theresa May’s negotiation team with no clear position on where the U.K. stands on leaving the E.U. With European leaders now at the boiling point of contention, this has stirred debate in Brussels as to how they should proceed with Brexit. As of this writing, European Council Donald Tusk announced in statement that the E.U. will only grant a temporary extension of Article 50, if the House of Commons passes a revised Brexit deal. Legislators in Germany have expressed skepticism of an extension, with rumors that France may block any attempt to extend Article 50. Theresa May’s Brexit deal has been rejected twice in the House of Commons, and if nothing moves in the coming weeks, there is a possibility the U.K. may leave the E.U. without a deal, placing the country’s social and economic standing in jeopardy. This places further pressure on a weary May Government, eager to see a contentious period in British history arrive at a conclusion.

In a recent speech, Prime Minister May lambasted British lawmakers for rejecting her Brexit proposals and even tried to play the good guy by saying she was on the side of the British public, who finds itself tired and weary of this political drama. This a massive twist of irony and comedy. Is the Prime Minister unaware that these recent course of events eventually boils down to her inability to properly lead the country through a transformational period? For nearly three years, Theresa May and her Government have made a number of bad political moves which further exaggerated existing issues between Britain and the European Union and with members of her own party. It’s a cheap act to appear as the sacrificial and selfless leader and does nothing but give off an appearance of being completely out of touch with public sentiment on who is truly responsible for this mess. It’s quite laughable. Perhaps she is trying her best to spin the narrative given that she is likely realizing her Premiership may not survive this crisis and is doing her best to prevent further damage to her political legacy.

But here’s the thing: damage will be done and it won’t just be Theresa May’s political career that suffers the consequences.

Of course people will ask the obvious questions. Will there be a new Brexit deal? Will the House of Commons finally approve of it? Will an election be called? Will Theresa May survive? Will we leave with no deal? Leaving the European Union with or without a deal will undoubtedly pose serious risk to the social and economic infrastructure of the U.K. and for future generations to come. We need to start asking another question. How will Britain survive Brexit? I hope we find an answer soon.

From Homeschool to College

By Joshua Robinson

March 25, 2019

In college, you have a diversity of people from all different backgrounds. There are traditional students, transfer students, high school students taking college courses for college credit, among other groups. One of the most often teased, and actually the newest group of people these days, are the homeschooled kids that come into college. Whether it’s right after they finished high school requirements or while they are in the high school program, previously homeschooled students enrolled at GCC face new obstacles despite their drive for success and overall IQ often being raved about.

Adjusting from homeschooling to college differs from person to person. However, one trait kids with homeschooling backgrounds have is the drive for success. They have self-motivation, which is key in college, when no one else is telling you to get something done. It’s “If you don’t finish this by this time, you get a 0 on this assignment.” The homeschoolers usually don’t have trouble with this, seeing that they had to manage this from the beginning. At home, you have a deadline, and you are taught to get that assignment done at that time.

Another advantage that homeschool students have is that they are disciplined. This goes along with what is mentioned above: they know how to get stuff done. They know how to study. Most people that come from high school or come from the work force don’t have the right idea about studying. That is usually not the case with the homeschoolers, and you usually see good grades from them as a result.