B-Day -14

Currently in the quantum universe of Brexit, there are three options:

  • Theresa May's Deal, in which she has gained legally binding promises from the EU that GB will not be trapped forever in the "Irish backstop" -- remember that is the point of contention where they are herding cats to decide how to allow Republic of Ireland goods to flow freely into the EU, while ensuring GB (Northern Ireland) goods are inspected and taxed, without a hard border check between the Irelands, which apparently has Sinn Fein [remember them?] Riverdancing with joy at the logical end as they see it of a reunified Ireland

  • No Deal - which was handily defeated by Parliament "in all circumstances" on March 13, and therefore I guess it's really no longer an option.... which is good because I have no clue how to explain it other than to say the divorce proceedings would favor the EU, and GB would end up sleeping on the sofa in his mother's basement and driving a Gremlin....

  • Requesting an Extension from the EU - which could last up to 2 (more!) years and is being described as a calamity by hardline Brexit MPs. BBC politcal analysts suggest an extension could open doors such as starting negotiations from scratch; a new Brexit referendum (during which they assume the educated urban population might actually show up to the polls); a vote of no-confidence to May, which at this point holds about as much threat as a slap with a wet noodle, and really, who knows if GB will even have access to noodles in April; and a total abandonment of Brexit without consultation of the people. The entire business of the PM and Parliament has been consumed by Brexit for 2 years already -- can the country afford another two years where all they do is debate this dream held by people who just want things to go back to the way they never really were?

I call it quantum, because it seems Parliament as a group has suspended all understanding of reality and believe answers to closed end questions can be simultaneously YES and NO, OPEN and CLOSED, 1 and 0, depending upon who you are giving the answer to. But as explained by EU President Tusk , if you buy a cake and eat it, it's no longer there on the plate. So someone needs to come to an understanding of reality in this universe, get off the pot, and make some decisions for the good of the country.

And so, where does this put me? Who knows.

Schools I've spoken with are watching the situation and are actively considering options to begin providing Visas to Americans / Canadians / Australians / etc. And if Parliament votes next week to accept May's deal, these Visa machinations may need to jump into motion quickly to provide teachers for next fall.

However, a request for extension (assuming the EU grants it) will probably have the effect of relaxing European tensions to the point of the status quo of the last 20 years, believing the specter of Brexit will just fade away and disappear if they ignore it.

Life in an ashram in India is starting to look like a viable option!