Be careful what you wish for, you just might get it. Many of us have probably heard that old saw and wondered what it meant. After all, what could be wrong with having your wishes come true, right?
Let the old cowboy tell you, friends, getting what you wish for can have unforeseen, and sometimes unfortunate consequences if you haven’t thought it out carefully beforehand.
Take King Midas, for example. In Greek mythology, Midas was a greedy king who was obsessed with gold. So, he implored the gods to give him the power to turn whatever he touched into gold. Now, those old Greek gods were a devious lot, often putting mortals into situations that bedeviled the mortals and amused the gods.
Midas was no exception. He got his wish, all right. Everything he touched turned to gold; his food; even his daughter. The idiot almost starved to death. You get the point yet? Sometimes what you want isn’t exactly what you need.
It’s not that different in today’s world either. Brexit, the UK’s divorce from the European Union, is a prime example. British nationalists wished to pull the UK out of the EU because they didn’t like having to follow EU regulations. So, they conned the British voters into voting in favor of the British exit, thus Brexit, from the EU, which becomes effective at the end of December 2020. There’s a few hiccups, though, that the voters were blissfully (or ignorantly) unaware of when they cast their ballots.
Once the UK is no longer a part of the EU, British companies will be subject to EU tariffs and limitations that will cost them an arm, a leg, and a pocketbook. Oops, didn’t think of that, did they?
You see, if you’re no longer part of the union, you don’t have the free trade that comes with membership. British nationals will no longer have the right of free entry and travel throughout the EU, and because the EU is one of the United States’ largest trading partners, the UK will have to negotiate separate trade arrangements with the U.S.
Is it becoming clearer now? The Brits got what they wanted—or what the nationalists wanted and convinced a majority of the voters that it was what they wanted—but they’re not getting what they need. The UK economy was already in trouble before the COVID-19 pandemic, worsened during the pandemic, and come Jan. 1, 2021, if they haven’t worked out a trade deal with the EU, they will go into the loo big time.
You see, it works like this. When you wish for something, but don’t take into account the other things that might be affected, you could be wishing for something that will be more bane than boom. Kind of like wishing for all the candy you can eat without considering what it will do to your teeth or waistline, not to mention your blood sugar levels.
Every action causes a reaction. Things don’t exist in isolation. So, think about that the next time you find yourself wishing for something. If you’re unlucky, you just might get it. – NWI
