I had this discussion on Facebook, but I would like to ensure other people realise this important fact regarding Britain's position with respect to Europe.
If you look at a map of the world, you will notice Europe is a peninsular on the western edge of Asia.
Britain, on the other hand, is separated from this landmass by the Channel.
I hope that makes the situation, and the average English person's attitude, clear.
The channel is relatively small -small enough to swim across, if you're daft. And the chunnel provides a fast link between the two. Bankers even here in the western US try to tell us that our fates are inextricably linked with Greece's and all of Europe and that it is those opa-shouting yoghurt-eating what-do-you-mean-I-actually-have-to-work Greeks to blame for my house here not selling properly. I'm really not that dumb and I know it's because there are too many people out of work here, but the media tells us to blame that on the Opa-heads too.
ReplyDeleteI've never shared the view of Europe of most 'little Englanders', after all, we once owned France and various other bits of it! We even hang onto Gibralter despite the Spaniard's best efforts to frighten us off by blockades and posturing.
ReplyDeleteNo, Europe is the playground of the British. The venue for the 'Grand Tour' and a great place to be willfully misunderstood as we don't speak modern European Languages.
Off course, we did allow those Norman's to get a foothold after 1066, but we solved that. We interbred with them and made them 'Landed Gentry' those chinless, gormless wonders who fought heroically for us and built the empire.
Now, The British Empire........... Bring back Victorian Britain with all the pomp and circumstance, where first sons inherited, second sons went into the church or the Army and third sons went into the workhouse.
The Channel has been a useful barrier from those curious fellows across the water who use public urinals openly and eat lots of frogs. And, we can get across their for our duty free's knowing that we don't have to stay.