The vote by Britain to exit the European Union (EU) is revolutionary but not unprecedented. Greenland joined in 1973, had a referendum in 1982, left in 1985, end of story. Brexit means power returns to locally elected leaders in Britain. This is massive!

The UK — a prosperous, global power for centuries — may have problems? You think? They reinvent themselves and many are upset, but this is courageous. A new prime minister will soon begin the exit process and Mervyn King, ex BOE governor, opines that to go equals to stay long term.

The loss of ten trillion via stocks, currency is hard, but freedom has a price. This too will pass. The British follow their path. They ruled a swathe of the world, birthed nations, and did submit, but if you “diss” anyone too often, they walk. We are wrong to speak of the British as if they don’t know what they do and we know better. Have we walked in their shoes? What if Brussels had listened? The contempt of mandarins who value the EU above the people in it hurts. Why not consult members on migrants to be sent to their communities? If Caricom sent economic migrants or refugees to Prickly Pole without a prior conversation, there would be blood.

Brexit is not an event but a process and it’s early days. There is chatter, but nothing will change next month or next year. Our politicians, writers, academics are in a tizzy, “The sky is falling, the sky is falling!” The sky is safe and we should use this time well. The EU marriage is not working, so Brits invoke the prenup; that’s what Article 50 is for — blood! Turmoil confirms the UK is a force and is happy outside the EU — why deny them? Maybe top 10 and free is better to them than top five and under manners?

The European project is old hat — Romans, Normans, Napoleon, Hitler, all tried. The English are island people, Protestant, salt water for blood, testy; this is not their first referendum, but this shatters the dream of a uniform EU. Britain leaves a body more in love with self than members’ welfare, but it is still part of Europe. We are dismayed as disruptive development is not in our psyche; we like same old. We are not risk takers, and though in a like situation with Caricom/Caribbean Single Market and Economy — silence of the lambs! We have no truck with men who pursue dated anti-imperialist dreams, but time is not our friend.

Our enemy is inertia, our friend change, and we will not chase shibboleths as proxy for our ancestors. Let those who wish do, but don’t waste our assets and not in our name. Every generation lives in its time; now is mine. We like self-rule, our language, our culture, but do not seem to wish the same for the British. We abridge their freedom so tourism, aid, remittances, and trade. Slavery taught us nothing.

The British want to control their lives — rules for fishing, waste disposal, and decide which migrants they accept. Is this too much to ask? Their economy is resilient, strong reserves, high employment, low inflation. They need no sympathy, but man-to-man is unjust. They were EU fringe — not in the Euro or Schenzen visas, yet pay full fare. They resisted Romans, frustrated Normans; held Napoleon’s troops and the Third Reich; split the atom; invented the Internet. Now they are free we can be their new BFF, and Andrew must ask them to join us in a single economy as we need their 70-million market.

A new prime minister will arrive on September 2 to invoke Article 50; a civil service unit is up and running; the exit process is two years but plan on four. They continue to pay billions per month to the EU, sit in their parliament, etc. Now some three million clicktivists in an online petition seek to overturn Brexit. Where were they these two years? The results of referenda are not law, so watch parliament. Some think the British are upsetters, short-sighted, want control, xenophobic, etc, and maybe so. But what if they just want freedom?

A new world order is underway. Big blocs should respect individual nations and Michael would love this mélange — big is not better; union does not solve all problems, as there are strong nations as Vietnam, Cuba, Singapore, New Zealand out there; values and ideas are powerful, and money is not everything.

Must we all be the USA — a used car lot, a Kentucky, Walmart, Burger King, Walgreens, diner, a pawn shop? We want escargot in France; American hamburger, sangria and paella in Spain, Jamaica jerk, a pint in a British pub, and a salt fish smorgasbord in Portugal — Vive la différence! The British want no directives from Brussels; even the Feds back off so states do their thing, eg Colorado with cannabis.

Brexit is a lesson to politicians who ignore citizens and effect economic and political union by stealth. What should Jamaica do? Our response to Brexit is shameful, crude self-interest; politicians, academics, businessmen panic and ignore the pain of Britons, yet we may benefit as the UK and the EU have lots to sort out. We have two to four years to strategise, mobilise and act. We need a public/private (Grace, Sandals, Musson, JP, NCB) Brexit Intelligence Unit to track issues, prepare strategy, build bridges in the new UK Brexit office and the EU.

We are small and can prosper on the margins with people, tropical products and services. Our exporters must be astute, nimble and have capacity. After hiccups, expect a strong EU and a strong UK in need of products and services from us and the Commonwealth. Brexit upsets old plans, so let’s make new ones. We are poor so crisis is our opportunity. We are small, instability is not our enemy; we need niches to mine, as we can’t satisfy a USA or EU in any product or service. With our brio we seize the time, produce and prevail. We have little to lose. Tourism, aid, etc are fine, but we can provide skilled workers, analysts, technicians, teachers, engineers, merchant mariners, nurses, scientists to meet UK manpower deficit consequent on loss of access to eastern Europe’s cheap labour. English is our edge. Last year UK Prime Minister Cameron offered a prison and £300-million plus. PM Andrew must renegotiate; we can use these to train, meet UK manpower needs, and will accept free movement in their 70-million market. As a bonus, we may replace seasonal Spanish, Romany fruit and vegetable pickers, and take back druggies, rapists, murderers who slipped through. This is a one-time offer to the new British PM, no referendum!

Brexit will hurt the West Indies (Anglophone nations) directly, but not Caribbean nations — French, Spanish or Dutch. Jamaica pays the price for not embracing our close neighbours, as their big markets could be our cushion. Oh, what fools we mortals be! Stay conscious!

Franklin Johnston, D Phil (Oxon), is a strategist and project manager. Send comments to the Observer or franklinjohnstontoo@gmail.com.