A sad day alive with possibility - Britain triggers EU divorce

THIS is a significant day for Europe but it is a day of seismic significance for Britain and those who live in Britain’s orbit. 

Alliances that benefitted millions of people economically, secured unprecedented peace and social progress will shrink when UK Prime Minister, Theresa May, triggers Article 50 to begin Britain’s withdrawal from the European Union.

It is a terribly sad day for those who, despite many deepening problems, believe the European project is an ideal worth reforming so it might be made more relevant. Obviously, that sadness will not be shared by those who campaigned, by fair means or foul, for Brexit. Both camps, however, must view Brexit negotiations with apprehension. They are a step into the unknown. No one can predict how our world might change. That positions have hardened since the June 2016 vote adds to that apprehension. The anger of those who feel that the margin of the “Leave” vote — 52% against 48% — is insufficient to justify what they see as a coup by emotional, empire-nostalgic, right-wing Tories has deepened. The triumphalism of the “Leave” camp has been goading rather than conciliatory. Neither attitude augurs well.