Hostes Humani Generis Brittanicique
Today, I awoke in a cozy room in Pasadena, CA for the first time and went to check the Web. Consequently, I'm listening to Virgin Radio, which has become a fine radio news channel interrupted by some inspiring light rock music.
This attack was strategically idiotic. The will of the British people like the will of our own people can be exhausted by the deaths of our soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan. Their will can be exhausted by the futility of operations on land against a wily enemy at a safe distance. The morale of Britain during the Boer War or the Crimean War was challenged. As much as Orwell and others have found an authentic cultural jingoism in the late 19th century, politics often told a different story. The Empire was built in easy ways, because the stability of a government in Parliament could not depend on a pro-Imperial coalition.
But in the First World War, anti-German sentiment was strong enough to change the name of the British ruling house. Napoleon is still despised. You don't threaten their island. As much as I doubt the utility of the Iraq war in fighting terror, Al-Qaeda et al. have made Iraq part of the war to the harm of the Iraqi people. With the will of Great Britain bolstered as it was today, everyone will lose. The vengeful spirit of another great nation has been roused.
ESA(20050707.1)
Today, I awoke in a cozy room in Pasadena, CA for the first time and went to check the Web. Consequently, I'm listening to Virgin Radio, which has become a fine radio news channel interrupted by some inspiring light rock music.
This attack was strategically idiotic. The will of the British people like the will of our own people can be exhausted by the deaths of our soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan. Their will can be exhausted by the futility of operations on land against a wily enemy at a safe distance. The morale of Britain during the Boer War or the Crimean War was challenged. As much as Orwell and others have found an authentic cultural jingoism in the late 19th century, politics often told a different story. The Empire was built in easy ways, because the stability of a government in Parliament could not depend on a pro-Imperial coalition.
But in the First World War, anti-German sentiment was strong enough to change the name of the British ruling house. Napoleon is still despised. You don't threaten their island. As much as I doubt the utility of the Iraq war in fighting terror, Al-Qaeda et al. have made Iraq part of the war to the harm of the Iraqi people. With the will of Great Britain bolstered as it was today, everyone will lose. The vengeful spirit of another great nation has been roused.
ESA(20050707.1)
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]
<< Home