Tuesday, December 27, 2005

Libs Unveil New Role Model: Basil Fawlty

The L3 have always had a problem with the Second World War. Even they can’t find a way to explain how Britain was on the wrong side in that one. Hence the obsession with Dresden and the like as they try to find evidence that even when Britain does the right thing, it does it the wrong way. Even they must have realised this is all kind of weak, hence their switch to Plan B: don’t mention the war. So now we’re going from Operation Overlord to Operation Overwrite.

Funnily enough, the Left won’t admit to wanting to tippex out WWII, no, they only want to provide context. They think the war was sort of important, but hardly a matter of life and death. Besides, it was all a long time ago – as opposed to slavery in the British Empire (outlawed 1833) which is the very definition of a hot issue.

Note too the shattering of unflattering caricatures about our educational establishment, as they grapple with the mystery of why people would rather study D-Day than German fiscal policy in the 1960s.

Still, personally I think this’ll be a scream on so many levels. Consider that any study of Germany post-war is, sooner or later, going to have to deal with the contrast between East and West. Here we have the perfect experiment: one people, two systems, yet radically different results. If nothing else, the L3 won’t be able to use their favourite excuse for the failings of Islam (“it was the culture what done it, guv”).

Of course, it’s not all good news. They also want to teach German history in “the context of other European states and moves towards greater European integration.” Bringen Sie der Sickenbag. I’m also prepared to bet that the story of the fall of the Berlin Wall will manage to exclude any reference to the one man who did most to make it happen. After all, they also aim to teach how ‘ideological differences supported different interpretations of events’. The wall fell 16 years ago - I think we’re ready to start drawing a few tentative conclusions about the relative merits of freedom versus tyranny.

Despite all this, I do think the L3 have a point about the concentration on the Second World War, just not the one they think they have. How come the war is presented as a bolt from the blue - after all, the name does kind of imply that it wasn’t a first offence ? What happened to that favorite Lefty cliche ‘root causes’ ? Ah well, that’s the thing, that’s why it’s worth studying history. To hear modern German leaders talk about the need for other nations to conform to their demands, advocate restrictions on freedom of speech or just plain eulogise about the glories of centralised power, is to be reminded of the very issues that have twice already plunged Europe into war.

Whatever superficial changes defeat in WWII brought about, Germany lacks either the instincts or the infrastructure of a real democracy. Compare and contrast the British and German newspapers, for example. That is the real reason to oppose the EU – not some crazed nostalgia for the Somme or some such, but because our system of government is simply better. Let the Germans continue to elect thugs if that’s what they want, but there is no reason at all why we should let them rule Britain.

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