It's common knowledge among Southern Americans that the Civil War is still being fought -- it never dies as a subject of conversation -- and of course, a group of people still fights it routinely -- the Civil War re-enacters.
But in England, it's different. They are still fighting the second World War. Honestly, they go on and on about it in papers -- there are always new documentaries on TV. You'd think it was over just recently.
I heard something on the radio on the way to work about a battle, and the announcer was talking about it like it only happened the other day.
In one paper on Saturday, there is routinely a big story about some new aspect of a World War II battle.
Enough already! We've had plenty of wars since then. Can't we move on a little?
9 comments:
WE ARE SO HUNG UP ON IT AS IT SIGNIFIES THE END OF AN ERA WHEN WE WERE A GLOBAL POWER. WE COULDN'T HAVE HELD OUT IF HITLER HADN'T INVOLVE RUSSIA AND THE US. OUR LAST MOMENT OF GLORY. WE ARE STILL TRYING TO ADJUST TO BEING JUST ANOTHER SMALL EUROPEAN COUNTRY.
I beleive it shaped the psyche of modern Britain. Many people who still remember it are still alive today. Also, those of us who live in areas that were severely damaged during the war walk by daily reminders.
However, there are countries and cities that are even more influenced by WW2, Berlin, for example.
Last night on the One show there was a piece on a giant tea urn that was used to brew cups of tea for thousands of the bombed citizens of Coventry in World War Two.
Did you know that they never rebuilt the cathedral there so as to remember the destruction caused.
Also there was the recent story regarding one idiot, urine and a sex act at a cenotaph. Disgusting.
The WW2 stuff is part of us and i guess its still hanging around as rationing didnt actually finish until the mid 50's.
Actually, I'm glad to hear this. When I read about WWII in England, I'm awe-struck. Without England, Hitler would never have been defeated. Unlike France, England did not capitulate. The citizens of England suffered profoundly, and yet it was one of the very few countries to take in Jewish children from Nazi Germany (I have two friends who survived because of that). We learn from history; it guides us and tells us who we are. I wish we would talk more about it and less about, say, sports and entertainment.
Amen, Michigan Mom! I think it's always easier to "forget" the lessons of war when they are not fought on home soil.
I doubt that the North has a problem "forgetting" the War Between the States, because (except for Gettysburg) it was OUR Confederate nation that was destroyed and laid waste. That I know of, no Massachusetts nor Connecticut houses, full of snooty nose-in-the-air liberal theorists (many of whom owned a house servant or two, or were underpaying "free" Irish immigrants) were ransacked or burned down. So, yeah, we do remember that stuff down here.
As England, terrified and torn apart by the air raids, bombs, and rationing, would naturally not want to "forget."
I bet the citizens of Drogheda in Ireland still piss on the grave of Cromwell (well, in their hearts)---and that was 400 years ago!
I remember that I had a friend once whose family got into screaming raging fights, and afterwards the mother would say, "Now, we're going to just forget all that and be happy, okay?" Whooooo---nope, you don't "forget" horrible treatment, and if you do, you're either a genius at denial, or a fool!
I suppose WWII was a very big deal for many millions of people here and it was only 65 years ago. It's not surprising to me that Europeans want to mull it over reasonably frequently, you'd hope we wouldn't make the same mistakes again by doing so (although I'm not entirely convinced about that)
In contrast, look at Americans and the Vietnam war (or even their civil war), now those were just little skirmishes in comparison and look at the air-time they continue to consume, if ever there was a good case for "moving on" then I think there are more deserving candidates than the largest conflict in human history...
As for the UK being "Just another small European country" excuse my French, but what a load of relativist bollocks, the UK is still easily up in the top 10 economies in the world, hardly "small", unless acreage is the new measure of things?
Actually I think the UK is fifth - behind the US, China, Japan and Gernany.
Only small on the map.
THE POINT I WAS MAKING IN "THE SMALL EUROPEAN COUNTRY" COMMENT IS THAT WE ARE NO LONGER A GLOBAL POWER WITH A LARGE EMPIRE WHO CAN INFLUENCE WORLD POLICY. LIKE ALL LARGE EMPIRES WHICH FALL, ROME, THE GREEKS ETC IT WILL TAKE THREE OF FOUR GENERATIONS TO READJUST. WE SHOULD BE PROUD OF WHAT WE HAVE ACHIEVED BUT BE REALISTIC OF THE FUTURE.
On the other hand Anonymous, the Commonwealth as a whole has 52 votes in the UN to the United States' 1. So if Unopia is ever achieved Britain may at last be back on top.
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