In every country, there are basic facts of life.
One of the main ones here in Ireland is that the Brits have no idea who we are.
That is even though we share an archipelago and we were Britain’s first colony.
It says something when it took a comedian from Dublin, Andrew Maxwell, in the Politics Live studio in Westminster in 2018 to school them about the “one-way valve”.
There are probably many reasons for this sorry state of affairs.
My own theory is that there is something akin to a collective unconscious amnesia because of the enormity of Britain’s crimes here.
Of course, among the most heinous was the genocidal behaviour of the British state which turned the potato blight into a Famine that killed a million here.
Yesterday the whole place here was excited about one of our own getting into the Oval Office again.
The Brits have the fantasy of “special relationship” the in their imperialist heads.
After the loss of empire and inexorable decline after WW2, they have sought to maintain global relevance by being a useful flunky in the American imperium.
The reality is that it was an established objective of US statecraft to divest the Brits on the empire at the earliest opportunity and make them, effectively, a client state.
Peter Hitchens explores this very well in his excellent revisionist work on WW2 “The Phoney Victory”.
For example, the destroyers-for-bases deal, signed in September 1940 was not the behaviour of a benevolent friend.
Rather, FDR knew he had Churchill over a barrel.
Of course, that hegemony was reinforced during the Suez Crisis of 1956.
When Joe Biden became President-Elect, last November Boris Johnson was delighted to get “the call”.
However, the man with Mayo roots reminded the British Prime Minister that a hard border on this island was a No Go Area.
After that, the Brits caved in on the Brexit negotiations.
The only fig leaf that Brussels allowed was that Boris could Trumpet a great deal on Christmas Eve.
However, the realities of Britain (not the UK) now being a third country are only starting to become apparent.
If you don’t believe me, then contact a Scottish fisherman.
In the Six Counties that part of Ulster remains, like the rest of the island, within the Single Market and the Customs Union.
Consequently, today Checkpoint Larney is a proper third country border with Britain.
For the avoidance of doubt, Finchley doesn’t have one of those dear reader.
We know that the Brits were going to renege on the Withdrawal Agreement (which included the Northern Ireland Protocol) because they had introduced the Internal Market Bill into the Commons.
At the dispatch box Six Counties Pro Consul Brandon Lewis admitted that the proposed legislation broke international law.
However, after Joe Biden spoke with Boris last November that was a non-starter.
Speak softly and carry a fekkin big hurley!
Now there is an Irishman back in the White House, and the Brits need to feel relevant.
Indeed, they grasp at any sliver of connection to scream “SPECIAL RELATIONSHIP!”
However, I didn’t expect this today.
At least half a dozen buddies had sent me this by Noon.
At first, I thought it was a clever parody.
Apparently not.
Consider this, that copy was filed to a sub-editor who then passed it as publishable.
Then it was probably signed off by a page editor.
That’s how newspapers usually work.
Moreover, it wasn’t written by some eager, but historically illiterate intern.
In fairness, he did try and walk back from it.
It would be a major error to see this and an individual lapse by Mr Hope.
Instead, it is another reminder of the cultural blindness in Britain when it comes to their first colony.
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Biden is an American Capitalist who will do what is right for America on that basis only.
He like those who went before (Ironic the one currently being chased out of the Whitehouse was a Maverick nut case ) is a puppet for his Party paymasters and will be doing their bidding as part of the agreement when he was selected to be the chosen one.
Anyone who thinks the relationship- a financial one at that- will change between the U.K. and the US will be over due to Biden having a long lost connection to Ireland is sadly deluded.
The U.K. needs to replace Trident soon and guess where the first port of call will be when the order book needs filling?
In case you hadn’t noticed the Worlds Economy has taken a rather solid hit since the Chinese cough started and this not too long after the previous crash in 2008.
America is not immune to these things and needs our trade as much as the UK needs theirs.
On a side note however the EU HAD to borrow €1trillion in June last year just to keep the Euro shitshow on the road.
Central Bank has given them a low rate of course but should this Pandemic continue further into this year then I suspect the EU will be back cap in hand to borrow more.
That will affect all of those who continue to tie their colours to that particular mast.
Thankfully that no longer concerns the U.K.
The same Joe who was 100% behind the Iraq war? But hey don’t let that get in the way of your cringeworthy obsession with your nationality. The other day you wrote some tripe about a picture of Neil Lennon being anti-Irish discrimination and without a hint of irony you use a demonic image of DD. If you were truly comfortable about your nationality you wouldn’t feel the need to bang on about it every 2 seconds.
Phil
i see the uvf and other scum drug dealing, prostituting’s gangs, who terrorise decent people in their own loyalist communities, want Joe Biden told about the island of Ireland
good luck with that lads
Biden has had self proclaimed cognitive issues since the 80s when he misremembered how many degrees he had, whether he was top or bottom half of his class and whether he got a full scholarshup.or not. He has also had issues remembering who he has been stealing his speeches from (including from Neil Kinnock). Either that or he is a complete liar who will say anything for his political benefit. Either way, don’t expect “Irishness” to be a factor in any political decision unless it is pushed by his donors.
Nice piece Phil, I also see Biden has removed some busts and paintings from the Oval office.
Hail Hail 🍀🍀🍀🍀
Today’s press release from the White House after Joe Biden’s first call to a European leader:
“President Joseph R. Biden spoke today with Prime Minister Boris Johnson of the United Kingdom.
The President conveyed his intention to strengthen the special relationship between our countries and revitalise transatlantic ties, underscoring the critical role of Nato to our collective defence and shared values.
President Biden also noted the importance of cooperation, including through multilateral organisations, on shared challenges such as combating climate change, containing Covid-19, and ensuring global health security.
He noted his readiness to work closely with Prime Minister Johnson as the United Kingdom hosts the G-7 and United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26) this year.
The leaders also discussed the need for coordination on shared foreign policy priorities, including China, Iran, and Russia.”
Y boss occasionally works closely with me. And while I can occasionally offer rational reasons as to why he might make a particular decision, it doesn’t mean for a second I have any agency to influence his decisions.
Have no mistake, the US now hols all the cards in any negotiations with the U.K. and Johnson’s u turn on the hard border in Ireland coming post election is no coincidence.
Whether that’s down to Biden’s Irish heritage Or the fact that the EU is a vastly bigger market for the US than a jingoistic little island who’s yoke the US freed themselves from centuries ago is irrelevant. The U.K. if it wishes to preserve the “special relationship” will have to do whatever the US tells them.
Jesus Christ…Christopher Hope…? OMG The ignorance is breath taking, Ghastly, sad stuff. Depressing to contemplate on how egocentric and parochial, but also on how common this point of view might hold in the UK. Historical analysis for the hard of thinking.
magnificent stuff phil
“One of our own being in the Oval Office again” “Now there is an Irishman back in The White House”, Good god, any tenuous link to Ireland and your all over it like a rash, the guy was born and bred in America, if as you suggest, he couldn’t become the President, you really couldn’t make this stuff up, wait a minute, you just have.
Scorne, but for us who are treated differently because of race/religion it’s good to hear. After all when you are looked down on all yer life just for having Irish parents not supporting Scotland the nasty looks etc. All the while even if you were a top class politician, your stopped fae getting the top job. yea yer having a laugh.
Phil for as long as you can keep at them.
Stay safe in Dún na nGall.
Hail Hail 🇮🇪
That’s it, keep up with the self flagellation, it’s always someone else’s fault, any excuse will do,be it, race, religion or sexual orientation, it’s always someone else’s fault, get a life, it’s in your hands.
So are we to shut up, keep quiet, just do as your told. I’m really proud of my heritage, and if I want i will gladly shout it from the roof tops. If you don’t agree that’s fair enough, you don’t have to read the blog. And yes it is in our hands to pass down that heritage to our young.
Keep strong
Keep safe 😷
Hail Hail 🍀🍀🍀🍀
You need to start paying attention. The man literally comes over to Ballina every other year. When he became the vice president his first stop was Ballina then Kerry. He then employed eigh people as white house staff.
You Brits really don’t keep up with anything just happily stupid in the knowledge that Britain is a force in the world when reality (the rest of the world) see them as UL’s (Useful idiots) the one and only thing Britain has to offer the world Is the pound sterling. A false economy that world markets pretend to follow when in reality they know that Britain is as Phil says a third country.
Britain likes to tell the world they won the war when in reality it was America. Britain was sunk after only two years after that they depended on America to supply then with Food Ammunition, steel, oil, boats planes subs, They were paying their war debt back to America as recently as the mid 90s if I remember correctly.
Of course it’s not your fault that you are happily stupid, from a young age you were told about the Rangers. You were then guided to believe that English people are better than Scottish, you were told that Scottish people were too stupid to run their own country and you needed to be ruled by England. You will happily sit back and watch England suck every resource from Scotland while telling Scottish people it’s the best thing for them. Even the Poll Tax that was handed down on the Scottish people by the English couldn’t change your minds. You just love being ruled by the neighbours, following a German woman you call your Queen. Its in your blood to be in the dirt believing an Englishmen in London loves you. You even sing the songs follow follow. But never lead
I hope your not referring to me in what is quite literally a racist post but if you are that’s ok, I don’t get offended by people who don’t know any better, let me tell you this though, you don’t know me, you know nothing about me, because I have an opinion that differs from yours you verbally attack me, you don’t know me but I know you, it’s coming in loud and clear.
It’s interesting the way the label “Irish American” has been co-opted to mean Catholic Irish American.
The fact is that the earliest and much more numerous Irish Americans originated from Ulster, and they were protestants.
About 23 US presidents had Irish forebears, only Biden and JFK (nominally) were from a catholic background.
Not too many photos of Ronald Reagan in Irish households, but then his family became protestants.
Celtic can still win it if they sack Lennon and Duffy immediately and his coaches and put a competent coach in there. It’s still possible.
Lennon lost the dressing room in June. Why can’t the board see it?
Don’t sack Lennon has been the TRFC cry for months.
Biden is not an Irishman due to an Irish relative from 170yrs ago. He’s an American, first, foremost and always.
UK-USA relations will not be affected in the slightest by anything you might wish were true. Trade, military, international affairs, banking, economies, politics, crime, terrorism, nato, UN,….your head’s in Atlantic mist sunshine.
More importantly, a 133 yr old club is running a long second to a 9 yr old club, and you’re more interested in providing squirrels to defend Lennon rather than tearing him a new one. The Irish old bhoys act doing in Celtic yet again.
Have no doubt Joe Biden has already put the brits firmly in there place regarding what they will do on his command on the island of Ireland.
No idea what Neil Lennon, an excellent servant to celtic has to with this subject.
Biden has already stated he’s Irish, keep up to date please
favourite song “take me home to mayo” im sure you have sang it on way to celtic games like myself
Help me Phil. Who are the British? Or who today uses this word unambiguously and clearly and in what cause? I am a Scot from the south-west. My ancestors were harried, hung and shot as they either stood or ran from government dragoons. 1688. I knew by the age of ten the difference between the terms British and Scottish. After eight years working in the south of England and listening to the constant confusion and ambiguous verbal slide between the term English and British, I was given to understand that by laying claim to being Scottish was somehow, ‘not quite the thing’.
My association in the 60s and early 70s with the Civil Rights movement certainly introduced me to the term, ‘Brits’. Very specific usage there. Lately, constitutional experts and political observers have pointed out a new and growing usage of the term British by, amongst others, Prime Minister Johnston and Jacob Rees-Mog. The usage would appear to promote the idea of the British as one indivisible nation.
I hope that you do not take it amiss if I sometimes feel that – particularly when you touch on your own sense of patriotism and animosity towards the former empire, you tend to over-extend the use of the word British.
You do know that they were harried because they were Protestant non conformists? You sure you are on the right site?
Graham. ‘Course I know why my family were harried. Am I on the right site? How non conformist Protestant can you get than BEING on this site? D’ye think my proddy pal, Wolfe Tone would have liked what Phil writes or do you have to be a Kafflik to get it?
Hail Hail. Lewis