A knowledge of history is important

11 July 2005


when you are writing a letter to the papers.

I’m referring to a letter I saw in the Sunday Times (I think) about London’s reaction to the bombings. I can’t find it online, so I’m forced to rely on my memory, but the gist of it was that this bombing will not work. That other countries have tried to take over England; The Romans, the Vikings, the French, the Germans and the Irish. Tried and failed.

Quite a statement don’t you think.

Especially when you consider that the Romans did conquer England. I’m not too familiar with the Viking impact on Britain, but has anyone ever heard of the Normans? 1066 and William the Conqueror? Yup, that was the Frenchie-Normans taking over England. And I don’t think that the Irish ever tried to take over England?

Obviously the sentiment was that ” we’ve been bombed before and we’ll get through it again” Fair enough. And it is a good attitude to have, just don’t pretend that England has always been apart from the rest of the world. England is not made up of one genetic race, standing against all would be invaders, it is a cultural identity that has been developed as different waves of migrating people have impacted and changed the “native” populations.

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6 Responses

  1. j_yates_uk says:

    Hi, I just wanted to say thanks for your recent comment on Ho-Ho Cognitive. I appreciate it more when i comes from a fellow Browncoat!

    In regards to your comments, England is very multi-cultural and should remain so. I've read a lot of blogs calling for us to close our borders. What a crock!
    We need to realise that seeing stuff happen on our T.Vs makes it more than a drama. The domestication of war means that people never realise it could happen here. It's always somewhere else.

  2. Fence says:

    Yup, browncoats rule :)

    As does multiculturalism. Shutting people out won't work, and just creates more tension.

  3. weenie says:

    Yeah, I can see what that letter was trying to say, ie bombing won't work but you're right in that historically, it's inaccurate. The Romans did conquer Britain, as did the Normans (French). The Vikings conquered most of Britain. The Germans and Irish never did though.
    Being British or if you break it down to English, Irish, Welsh or Scottish is cultural. Not everyone is "pure" this or "pure" that – in this day and age of travel, people no longer stay in the country they were born in and move around, hence the face of Britain has changed. What won't change is the fact that the British people will unite to show the terrorists that they will not win.

  4. sally says:

    Fence, resilency is a good trait to have during times like that but the lack of history there is kind of funny!

  5. Fence says:

    Weenie, I did get what the message was trying to say, just thought it funny how it got it totally wrong.

  6. Fence says:

    Don't you think they could've read over the letter before they sent it Sally? Just to double check :)

    I did like this letter "What the fuck do you think you're doing? in the London News Review