This past December I wrote about the direction of the nation and how it could become an issue in our elections.   I predicted that a lack of jobs caused by past trade agreements had so badly damaged our middle class and economy that someone could take this up as an issue and ride it to victory. This article updates those thoughts.

Our nation was founded as a decentralized Republic with a focus on national sovereignty and power vested in the states and the people. Recently however, Globalization, Post-Industrialism, and New World Order ideas have eroded our sovereignty, our middle class and our economy. Republican leadership has backed every administration since 1988 on the idea that we should embrace globalization, give up our sovereignty and subjugate our people to world governing bodies.

Britain was founded on similar principles and this past Thursday stood up to the tyranny of the EU when their people sent the message that enough is enough. They want their nation back from the entangling relationship with Brussels. Restoring their sovereignty with this vote is a resounding “NO” to further centralization.

Centralized authority (Globalism) suffered a huge setback with the BREXIT vote and was on full display in this year’s primary elections with Trump and Sanders laying out the issue. The direction of America was and remains the central issue guiding voters this year. We sent a similar strong message to the Washington establishment in the primaries that we also want leaders who will stop ceding our sovereignty to international organizations out of reach of the voters.   This is what created the Trump and Sanders phenomenon in the primaries and if Trump can get back on message it will dominate the general election, too.

When I was young, Russia and China were governed by central planners and stood in stark contrast to empowered Americans. Our economy thrived and the economies of those centralized/planned governments stagnated. Today Russia has freed up their economy somewhat and China, while still a centrally planned nation, has adopted some of America’s economic ideas, to the betterment of the citizens of both nations.

At the same time, America and Europe moved in the opposite direction of more centralized power and planning. This resulted in steady economic decline, a huge debt problem, unemployment and increased poverty. Given this evidence, we should do what Britain just did: return some of the centralized authority back to the states and the people as our Founding Fathers intended.

You will hear a lot of reasons why the BREXIT vote came about, but the main reason is the Brits were against giving up more sovereignty to Brussels. To me it is another indication that the stronger European nations are tired of carrying the weaker, less motivated nations of the EU. This vote in Britain spells the eventual death knell for the EU and is the beginning of the end of Globalization. The recent migration problems besetting Europe may have been the “straw” that broke the EU’s back. The Brits are saying they want their nation back, they resent the central planning by Brussels and they don’t believe it is necessary to act as a block to have a thriving trading regimen.

Great concern came to the fore when refugees from the Middle East flooded into Europe. People feel that they have lost control of their borders. Switzerland and others are considering restoring their national currencies.   France and the Netherlands want a referendum to leave the EU. These are setbacks to laissez faire trade and globalization, which many disgruntled voters around the world are already cool on.

Globalization has failed not only in Europe and America but everywhere. Most national economies are in disarray and only kept afloat by increasing debt and money printing by central banks. U.S. debt stands at around 100% of GDP. China’s debt is between 200-300% and Japan’s debt is approaching 400%. While this has produced temporary and artificial relief from the 2008 crisis, the economic situation is now spiraling out of control. We can expect further deterioration before November, which will add to the current pressure from the populace and the increasing bewilderment of the elites.

The U.S. is at a tipping point as American voters ask themselves if they want more local control in how we run our schools, health care and state/local economies. Or, do we want more “one size fits all” solutions coming out of Washington, the IMF, WTO and United Nations? Washington sold out to the centralized globalization/loss of sovereignty crowd during the Obama administration. They are now afraid of Trump and the revolution he leads as he represents the silent majority and threatens the power they are loathe to relinquish.

Globalization moves power away from the people and goes against human nature. People naturally prefer local control rather than centralized powers. Changing the direction of the nation towards local control and nationalism is being viciously resisted by Obama and Republican leaders in Congress. House Speaker Ryan and Senate Leader McConnell have said they are eager to restore regular order in Congress and manage from the bottom up putting the people back in charge. However, they have also been leading advocates for globalization and flawed trade deals. So far, they have been tone deaf to the message sent to both parties during the primary campaigns.

History suggests that local control produces prosperity, while centralized control empowers the elites and creates poverty for everyone else while destroying the middle class. Venezuela is a most recent example. The general election campaign will provide some clarity on whether or not Ryan and McConnell are serious about listening to their constituents.

Frank Shannon served in the U.S. Army, was an engineering/operations manager for AT&T for 27 years, was the owner of a small manufacturing business for 23 years, served as Colorado Chair of the Coalition for a Prosperous America and moved to Mesquite in 2013.