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There is an old saying that ‘sticks and stones will break my bones but names will never hurt me’. It’s something we often say to children to teach them about the rigors of life and how people can be mean to them even though they may not have been due this unfortunate abuse.
Abuse can be a loaded word. We have to be careful about how we use it. Accusing anyone of abuse is morally wrong if they have not been a perpetrator but avoiding telling others of abuse when a person has been genuinely abused is also unjustified.
Now that we are bang smack in the middle of the 2019 Rugby World Cup, the world is noticing how the game has grown and the many tackles are as physically assertive as any other sport on earth.
It’s not the only thing that is as asserting its power at present over in the world cup in Japan. In the coming days, the worst cyclone in the past 60 years is to hit the tournament. Typhoon Hagibis roar is to be so potentially threatening and causing a stir of anxiety that for the first time in the world cup`s history it has already cancelled one of the most powerful games of the tournament between France and England.
The cyclone`s strength is still not the biggest international anxiety as the impending Brexit situation looms larger than ever before. People in Ireland, Northern Ireland, Scotland, Wales, and even England are fretting over its economic impact. Yet, all countries, especially those that are poorer need to take heed of its progression.
In places like India where strong trade ties with Britain exist there will be a potential dip of the economy in the first few years. There are many Indian companies in the UK and this is bound to have a ripple effect on those Indians that are under the UK`s tax system. However, in the longer term the close historical connection and trade ties could aid India`s economic fortunes.
For Africans, there may be export opportunities resulting from Brexit. If the Brits fracture their relationship with Europe in the way that it now seems they are doing, they will have no choice but to outsource many of their manufacturing and unskilled labour to further-flung areas. If things do not prosper for the British economy further African Continental Free Trade Areas may be deepened or re-jigged in the future. Although this may mean opportunities for Africa, it may also be a time of upheaval and uncertainty too.
Going away from Europe may result in Brittan seeking the help of Latin America. In many ways, lots of economic commentators feel that this is the tidy fit for their foreign trade in the shorter and longer-term.
So, the reality is Brexit will cause a murmur to all major international areas.
Whether the outcome of Brexit is good or bad in the long term is not known, until it unravels in the years to come. We do not know if Britain is abusing its leading power right now, as their economic results will analyse their decision to opt out of the EU and these won`t be known for some time to come. In the short term though, countries closely aligned to the existing trade system ought to mentally become more resilient like the poorer countries such as aforementioned India, the continent of Africa and South America have had to be for a years gone by.
As just like the impending typhoon Hagibis on the brutal of the Rugby World Cup, sticks and stones break your bones, but toughen up, as Brexit will never hurt you.