THE NEW YORK TIMES: My grandparents, who fled Nazi Germany for Britain, would be heartbroken to see the country today.
At long last, it happened.
Shortly before midnight on Thursday, Britain completed its exit from the European Union, replacing a close 47-year long relationship with the continent with something far more distant. Now it will have to live through difficult years of separation that will sap its political vibrancy and diminish its role on the world stage. Though a trade deal was belatedly agreed, the economic fallout may be dire, too.
Yet for many, it’s also a deeply personal moment. My grandparents, who escaped Nazi Germany on the eve of World War II, found a home in Britain — to them, it was a beacon of light and hope. But they would be heartbroken to see it today. Inward, polarized and absurdly self-aggrandizing, Britain has lost itself. In sorrow, I mourn the passing of the country that was my family’s salvation. » | Peter Gumbel* | Friday, January 1, 2021
* Mr. Gumbel is the author of “Citizens of Everywhere.”
