The Reverse Revolutionary War

This summer my wife and I are enjoying watching Bill O’Reilly’s Legends and Lies: The Patriots, a television mini-series. The companion book by the same name is currently the number one best-selling non-fiction read in the United States.

The series unearths some of the unknown details on the American Revolutionary time period–the era that produced the most exceptional nation in history because its social and political ideas were based on God’s wisdom as found in the Bible.

As an American, I’ve always thought about the Revolutionary War from the standpoint of being a Yank. We won. The British lost.

But after the Brexit vote on June 23–with 52% of the United Kingdom voting to leave the European Union–at least for the moment, I’m changing sides. Hail the Tories!  They won (and we’re still losing).

Here are my thoughts on the Reverse Revolutionary War.

It was quite a global stunner on June 23, 2016 when the people of the United Kingdom shocked the pollsters and bureaucrats in Brussels and voted for the European Union’s second largest economy to exit the EU.

My response was emotionally similar to Michael Goodwin, a managing editor of the New York Post. He wrote, “As results poured in [from the vote] I caught myself humming a tune from Broadway’s ‘Hamilton’.”

“The song,” he says, “follows the decisive Battle of Yorktown in 1781, after which the Redcoats surrender and America is free. It’s called a drinking song, and there’s not much to it except these words, ‘The world turned upside down’.”

“It certainly has,” he continued, “The world is also coming full circle because now it’s the Brits who are free. It took them awhile, but they finally had their own Tea Party and their own Revolution.”

Amen.

I was so excited that I fired off an e-mail to a long time British friend whom I call the “old tulip” (in proper British pronunciation, that comes off as “old chulip.” He calls me affectionately the “old bean.”) Here’s our brief correspondence:

“Congrats old tulip on the Brexit vote!  I’m deeply proud of your country for standing up for freedom, independence and national sovereignty. You are setting a good example for other nations–including our own.”

“If I was you, I’d be proud to be a Brit today–and ask God to use it for His glory in the British future.”

Here’s his thoughtful response:

“Hi old bean, 

“God will use it for his glory I am sure in many ways. It may have taken this separation to waken minds in Europe to the undemocratic nature of much of the European project.”

“I personally find internationalism a difficult idol to combat. The globalised world has bought with it many benefits, but there is a hidden insidious side. This vote has definitely been a significant setback for that cause.”

“Democracy, at best, the best of a bad range of governance options, really only works well when it is close to the people. The structures of the EU have always been distant and unaccountable. For the many in Britain that was a big issue.”

“There will be some serious ramifications, which could well include another referendum on Scottish independence, but we will see. In a month or two we can pray that wiser voices will prevail, and that the changed emotions of the present will have settled down.”

“I found this article a helpful assessment of these hugely significant events.”

I think you would enjoy reading his recommended article from the BBC.

Why? Because a reverse Revolutionary War is taking place. This time the Brits are the ones voting and acting for liberty while America (Barack Obama encouraged the UK to remain in the European Union) and the powers that be in Europe are the Tories of old.

Here are some of my thoughts on the Brexit vote.

1.  We are witnessing a tear in the aura of secular-progressive ideology.

The Western World has moved in the past seventy years from a strong liberty/biblically-based worldview to one of secular tyranny. What the British revolted against in the Brexit vote was centralized bureaucrats in Brussels telling them what’s moral, what to regulate, how many refugees to take–and basically controlling their lives.  That same liberal fascism is currently in vogue in the United States via the Obama Administration.

The Brits said NO to unrestrained cultural diversity, job and wage losses, greater threats of terrorism, loss of sovereignty, and forced immigration.

2. An anti-establishment (against liberal fascism) movement is gaining steam in the West.

Former Speaker of the House Newt Gingich shares the story:

“The first harbinger of change this year was May 23, the day of the Austrian presidential elections.”

“In the first round, the two parties that had dominated Austria for the past half-century came in fourth and fifth. An independent came in third. The two formerly minor parties in the run-off were a hardline conservative anti-immigrant candidate and a green who favored more immigration. The entire national establishment mobilized to block the anti-immigrant candidate. He got 49.65 percent of the vote.”

“The second big signal of change was the Italian municipal elections. Out of disgust with widespread corruption, an Italian comedian named Beppe Grillo launched the Five Star Movement in 2009. In the 2013 elections, it came in second. This month, the Five Star Movement candidates won the mayor’s offices in both Turin and Rome.”

“Virginia Raggi, 37, became the first female mayor in Rome’s 2,800-year history. In the midst of a corruption scandal which forced the previous mayor to resign, Raggi got 67 percent of the vote against the Prime Minister’s party. In Turin, the results were similar and the reform movement won in 17 other cities.”

“Brexit, then, was at least the third big-change election in the West this year. The entire British establishment, the business leadership, President Obama and Hillary Clinton all came out for the Remain side. They lost 52-48 in a stunning upset which the polls did not predict. In England and Wales, the margins were much higher as people voted to make Britain independent again.”

“Fourth and finally, last Sunday was the little-noticed election of a new president in Iceland. The former president had resigned in a scandal caused by release of the Panama Papers. He had broken no laws but his previously secret investments were very unpopular. The winner of the presidential elections with 39 percent of the vote was Gudni Johannesson, a history teacher. Second, with 28 percent of the vote, was Halla Tomasdottir, a businesswoman. The leading professional politician, a former prime minister, got 13 percent.”

“These results from four different countries show a consistent momentum toward throwing out established politicians and rejecting the establishment.”

3.  Secular-based globalism is tyranny, not liberty.

My English friend’s comments are quite astute on this point. He understands that globalism is a quite mesmerizing phenomenon (an attractive idol) but it’s atheistic base produces tyrannical leaders and governments. He is quite right to believe that democracies need to be kept “close to the people.” I would add:  They must be based on God-given rights and responsibilities that emanate from self-government. Europe lost that foundation decades ago. The United States is now following suit.

Let’s be honest. Cultural diversity and tolerance as a formula for successful societies is a sham. It’s a feel-good smokescreen for atheism which hurts people.

Here’s a new banner to lift up: Western values are superior because biblical ideas produce the most liberty and prosperity. Secularism and Islam both impoverish and enslave.

4.  America should follow the British example, reject the secular establishment and seek moral, economic and military freedom. 

Donald Trump may not be the best messenger for the cause of liberty in America (Cruz, Rubio, and many others were better). But he has a partially right message that resonates with the Brexit vote. Hold your nose if you have to, but vote for Donald Trump.

Hillary Clinton is the secular-progressive establishment poster child. Plus corruption and lying.

5.  A One World Anti-God Government will come one day, but maybe not now.

We don’t know when the One World System will come. The Bible says it will happen one day. But we do know what freedom looks like–and we are to fight for biblical liberty in Christ in every generation along with the fulfilling of the Great Commission.

Brexit is a small step of renewal. Will it give birth to Italeave (Italy), Czech -out (Czech Republic), Finnish (Finland), Oustria (Austria) or Departugal (Portugal)?

I’m praying for a new American Revolution.

USAmen. 

In this century, as opposed to the 18th, let’s hope that we follow the Brits.