If there is one thing that has been winding me up in recent weeks (apart from work and the usual stuff!) it's how easily people are seduced by the notion of patriotism.
There can be no doubting that there are issues within Europe, just as there are in every form of government around the world, but are these problems really worth isolating ourselves? If we are to listen to the ramblings of fascist heart throb of the elderly Robert Kilroy-Silk then shutting ourselves off from those evil foreigners in Europe is the smartest thing to do.
Unfortunately, as Labour prepare for the inevitable drubbing in the European elections and the Tories fight amongst themselves about how best to distance themselves from the BNP, it would appear that the disenfranchised electorate have turned to Kilroys UKIP to cast the sympathy vote.
Have the events of our history taught us nothing? Today is a poignant reminder of how far we've come in such a short space of time. 60 years since D-Day and western Europe is almost unrecognisable as the same place that saw so much horror. For the first time since the Romans ruled Europe 1500 years ago there is unity. Even in Eastern Europe the signs are now there that they too can be welcomed in from the cold.
It's not a utopia. It never will be. But surely working closer with Europe and indeed the rest of the World brings us closer to peace. Brings us closer to understanding the many cultural differences that led to war in the past.
60 years since the beginning of the end for the Third Reich and I can think of no more fitting tribute to those lost than to say in one loud voice that we all want to be a part of Europe. We all want to be a part of this world.
Isolation breeds hate. The UKIP are not the answer.
2 comments:
Indeed, it's a worrying turn of events.
The real losers here seem to be the Lib Dems. How frustrating must it be to find yourselves in a situation where the public have finally grown to be fed up of both Labour and the Conservatives - something they've probably been waiting for for ages - only to find that another party has turned up and stolen all those suddenly floating votes?
You almost have to admire the way that the UKIP has positioned themselves perfectly though. People are fed up of Labour, the Conservatives and Europe, they are looking for somewhere else to turn, but the BNP isn't considered to be an acceptable choice by many due to their blatant racist views (and thank goodness that this is not considered acceptable - for the moment, anyway) and the UKIP cunningly position themselves into the open gap.
That said, while I admire their election strategy that's all I admire about the UKIP. I do strongly believe that if we take the first steps of a shift towards the UKIP then the spectre of the BNP is the logical second or third step and I dearly hope that we never take those first steps.
Forgot to add my name to that last comment. (Doh!)
- GC -
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