The looming Brexit catastrophe

Worldly

Zack, Jenn, and Alex discuss the state of Brexit: The United Kingdom’s ongoing negotiation over the terms of its departure from the European Union. The process has involved months of turmoil between UK Prime Minister Theresa May and hardline members of her party, and the UK and EU are still far apart — and if there’s no resolution, things could get bad for the UK pretty soon. On Elsewhere, they discuss an ironic situation in China: The ruling Communist Party has cracked down on a Marxist student group at the country’s most prestigious university. Zack geeks out on political science research, Jenn discusses high school lock-ins, and Alex throws a water bottle across the room. References: If you want to know the intricacies of the Chequers plan, Jenn recommends this BBC article. Listen to former Brexit Secretary David Davis say that the Chequers plan “is almost worse than being in” the EU here. Alex wrote about Boris Johnson quitting as the UK’s foreign secretary over the Chequers plan. Zack said the best political science shows that people in the UK voted for Brexit mainly because of issues with immigration. Here’s one example of that political science. Migration is good for the UK’s economy, as CNN reports. The Guardian has a few projections of what would happen if there’s no deal on Brexit between the UK and EU. In the worst-case scenario, the Royal Air Force may have to fly food and medicine around the country, aircraft made with UK parts might be grounded, and more. There’s a chance the UK will hold a second referendum on Brexit, as Zack mentioned. Here’s Peking University’s English-language website, where you can check out its School of Marxism. Chinese President Xi Jinping lauded the school for its work on Marxist thought.

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