Washington (CNN) On Tuesday night, British Prime Minister Theresa May's plan to usher her country out of the European Union -- a move forced by the Brexit vote of 2016 -- was crushingly rejected in Parliament.

The decision left the British government in total chaos, with just 73 days to go before the country is supposed to leave the EU. Critiques -- of May, of the original Brexit vote, of Parliament -- were legion. Solutions were significantly more scarce.

Sound at all familiar?

Look. Comparisons between two countries' governments and relative political circumstances always have to be taken cum grano salis. It's overly facile to say that the failure of May's Brexit plan and the current US government shutdown are even close to the same thing. So, to be clear: I am not doing that.

But there is, without question, a similar seed in both these crises: The populace's desire for simple solutions to complex problems.

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