The extent to which British people are generally unaware of how the rest of us perceive their history is rather remarkable.
That is especially true if you are from one of the many nations that the Brits conquered and plundered during their age of imperial unipolarity.
In Blighty, they believe that they are the good guys of history.
Britain stopped the slave trade and won World War Two single-handedly.
As for the empire, although one or two iffy things might have happened, it was generally an act of overseas aid and development for mere natives.
These self-serving statements are historically illiterate and fall apart under the mildest scrutiny.
A deep-rooted culture of atrocity amnesia among the vast majority of Brits keeps this Pollyanna narrative alive.
It can produce a lack of self-awareness that is truly jaw-dropping.
Travelling to the Middle East dressed as a Crusader and thinking that your country is always on the right side of history really should get some kind of award.
Therefore it was refreshing to see Mr Graeme Souness at the Qatar World Cup referencing Britain’s dark past and making a point of including Ireland in that assessment, especially as Roy Keane stood beside him.
Well said, Mr Souness and “not been perfect in many different parts of the world” is certainly one way of putting it
We Irish know that only too well, Graeme.
Unsurprisingly, this inconvenient truth did not go down well among the People.
Of course, there is a Herrenvolk smugness about the historical superiority of the British among the Ibrox klanbase.
Indeed, it is a key part of that subculture’s worldview.
Consequently, Mr Souness has caused them some angst today by deploying something they utterly detest:
The truth.
Discover more from Phil Mac Giolla Bháin
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
As you would say yourself Phil, “Not been perfect” is doing a lot of heavy lifting there.
I remember going into a museum in India, the truth was in there, the invaders shown for the murderers they were.
I personally always got the feeling the Indian’s didn’t like us very much when we were there.
I couldn’t blame them after what I saw in that the museum.
The most honest thing Souness has ever said. Thankfully he didn’t have to list off Britain’s worst war crimes. That would’ve taken all day.
Interesting to see how the England team is highlighting the whole ‘One Love’ issue. Just wondered if others think it’s a cynical distraction from their own country’s terrible actions over a long period.
It was great to hear Souness admit and highlight this it needs to be said more. The historical narrative under which we British live is fundamentally flawed. The Empire was a total disgrace. This is usually countered by look we brought railways and culture and organisation. As Ghandi said “our problems are exactly that, Our problems, let us deal with them”. This whole history needs to be challenged and altered in our education and narrative as a grotesque period, including of course Ireland, India, much of Africa, Australia, Pakistan, North America and on and on. It’s shameful and the great untold story of the last 300 years.
Well played Souness.
Since being binned by Sky, Souness has been making ever more contentious comments.
Is he just publicity seeking?
How fortunate then, at the beginning of the tournament, Souness grabbed some headlines for his punditry comments.
He did state the truth, but for self-serving reasons, imo.
That was astonishingly self aware and honest from Souness. I really wouldn’t have expected it. I have many many many issues with Qatar 2022, such that I’m boycotting it even as a casual viewer. But dear me..a Crusader outfit in the middle east.
Martin: Just out of curiosity. Did you boycott watching any World Cups-after the Iraq War?
Since the invasion of Iraq in 2003, there have been World Cups in Germany, South Africa, Brazil and Russia. None of those countries invaded Iraq, to my knowledge?
You’ve completely missed the point. It’s in reference to footballing nations like England and USA. Where was the ‘moral outrage’ about their participation in major tournaments? We’re not only alluding to the Iraq war-but all the other disastrous conflicts they’ve initiated.
I think there’s a significant difference between a nation “taking part” in a world cup and a nation hosting one, having the timing completely changed to suit them, employing (oft unpaid) migrant workers to build their stadia with no safety equipment and imposing their very questionable forms of justice.
I would have no issue with Qatar playing at any world cup either. A football team is not a government. But this tournament absolutely IS embedded in the government of Qatar and the corruption involved in the award is itself reason to boycott, never mind the human rights concerns that are being tacitly condoned.
I’m deeply sceptical of any bursts of honesty from Souness. His bigoted rant at the Celtic fans after the death of the Queen showed his true colours.
Incidentally Martin, the timing of the tournament was not changed to suit Qatar, it was changed because of the climate.