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THE VIEW FROM HERE (2)

Americans from the pioneer stock of the West of that great country have a term for those they perceive

as blowhards and fainthearts:  "All hat and no cattle".

I was thinking about the mindsets that insist we must remain within the European Union - displaying

their preference for rule by a committee of various and varying political administrations that are able to

impose laws formed by EU Commissioners over the precious primacy of our own Parliament...itself

the greatest example of hard won democracy at work anywhere in the world.  I wonder why there is

this conflicted choice going the rounds, with the "Remainers" warning of hell and high water should

we leave and follow the example of our ancestors by re-engaging on our own terms with the world

at large?  The English/British may be all things to all peoples but one thing they are not - something

widely recognised and even (grudgingly) respected:  they are not known to avoid a fight for freedom.

Many of those hardy adventurous American pioneers with their UK origins knew something about that.

As I reflected upon that memorable little phrase "All hat and no cattle", I found myself updating

it for today's supporters of the safe way, the subjugated way, the servant's way:

"All whine and no spine".

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Comments

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M.C. Newberry

Tue 18th Jul 2017 14:57

Harry - thanks, as always, for your welcome comments.
I enjoy and respect them
At the outset - once the trading deceit was discarded,
I was of the view that Parliament - without a proper
mandate thereafter - was aiding and abetting the
surrender of its own primacy to the evolving political
edifice across the Channel, at best impotent and at the
worst unwilling when successive governments insisted
on signing up to treaties binding the UK ever closer to
the EU. This progress was the most reprehensible time
in recent UK political history as the electorate was
duped and drawn into the EU web by the process.
No wonder any talk of referendums was mocked and
rejected as contrary to the "primacy" of Parliament!
We need not spend too much time on the reasons when
the actions taking place saw the occupants surrender
their mandate to represent the people whilst keeping
from them the truth of what was being agreed and done - and what was being planned - in their name.
Now, much is made of the primacy of Parliament and you'll
forgive my asking where was it when it was needed and
the occupants were acting in a manner that Cromwell
himself would have rcognised when he addressed the
Parliamentarians' behaviour of his day and called upon them: For God's sake, GO!
As for the US aid in WW2 - essential indeed - but then
the reality was no doubt understood by the American
government: That with a powerful Nazi Germany on
one side and a resurgent Japan on the other...the
reality would be the likelihood of a devastating linked
attack on the US from west and east by those two countries at the height of their military powers IF the
UK and the Commonwealth were left to act alone,
with the real risk of surrender by the latter being the result.
Self-interest has always been at the forefront of US strategy but fortunately we have been able to achieve
advantages through our joint history when push comes
to shove. Long may it remain so.

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Harry O'Neill

Tue 18th Jul 2017 13:04

M.C.
(I`m in perpetual `catch up` mode at the moment.)

In the referendum Parliament surrendered it`s precious primacy to the vote of the people.

While the leavers were promising us that (none existent)
weekly three hundred and fifty pounds for the N.H.S. the Remainers were forecasting fearful uncertainty.

Fearful uncertainty is where we are now ...and -seemingly - will be for some time in the future.

When Chamberlain tried to appease the vastly superior might of Germany he was (despite the later `ashamed` criticism) right to do so. We only declared war when we had no other option. (and Hitler promptly confirmed the wisdom of Chamberlain by promptly whacking both the French and the British armies off the face of mainland Europe.)

Of course the American `Hats` - enormously aided by the might of their industrialised `cattle` - came over (after the Nazis joined Japan in declaring war against them) and rescued us.

British virtue during those difficult years was endurance -
not this swashbuckling stuff that the leavers are talking about.

The rest of Europe has well learned the lesson of what it was that was ailing them in those former years and are taking steps to mend themselves...I hope Britain stays with them.

(Is it just my imagination...or does the word Nationalism sound more belligerent than the word patriotism ?)

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M.C. Newberry

Mon 10th Jul 2017 16:40

The latest scare story (online 10.07.17) reports that Brexit
will increase the cost of a "full English" breakfast.
I kid you not!

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