"I have nothing to offer but blood, toil, tears and sweat", er, to quote a phrase from a somewhat better writer than me! I am still plodding, nay, slogging, my way through "The White King" by Ms. Leanda de Lisle which tells not so much the rise and fall of King Charles I of England, Scotland and Ireland but more like the rise and then the total smash-crash that destroyed him and almost the entire nation. Dammit, when we Brits produce a leader we have an innate knack of getting the wrong one. That is, perhaps, a little unfair on poor old Charlie because the problems he faced would have given Machiavelli a headache!
The 'three nations' set-up, of course, was inherently unstable but then when you add in an almost infinite variety of differing Christian sects, all of whom resolutely ignored any of that "love thy neighbour" stuff and instead much preferred all that "put them to the sword" stuff, then you can see that Charles had some considerable problems. So it was doubly unfortunate that he was not, by any means, the brightest of rulers. And it was trebly unfortunate, I suppose, that nor was he the most ruthless of rulers. I need to read some more history of this period to be sure but I sense that a recidivist head-chopper like Henry VIII would have done rather better!
Also, the further I hack my way with bloodied sword into Ms. de Lisle's book, the more my admiration mounts for Queen Henrietta Maria, the wife of doomed Charles.
She was not only exceedingly lovely but she was also unbelievably brave and determined. Alas and alack, she suffered one unrepairable defect- she was Catholic - and also French which didn't help! - and it is a sign of Charles' inherent dimness that he married a woman with those irreparable fault lines. Even so, in a veritable stew of shitty, stupid, untrustworthy, corrupt, fanatical men, she stands out as a woman of real character and considerable intelligence.
In the meantime, back in the three kingdoms the blood began to trickle, then to pour and then to gush into a torrent until, inevitably, Charles was dethroned and then beheaded! There is a tendency, and I share it, to blame religion, in particular Christianity, but the fact is, as always, it is the people who are to blame. Not just the common folk who, as ever, follow their instincts and the orders of their leaders, but also and mainly, it was those very leaders who in pursuit of personal gain and ambition drove the country to the edge of self-destruction.
I can only shake my head and mutter Othello's distraught line, "the pity of it, Iago! O Iago, the pity of it, Iago!"
"it was those very leaders who in pursuit of personal gain and ambition drove the country to the edge of self-destruction."
Yeah, shame they didn't have an external institution to keep "those leaders in pursuit of personal gain and ambition" in check in those days, eh?
SoD
Posted by: Loz | Thursday, 15 February 2018 at 18:37
Still think you would be better off reading C V Wedgwood! I think it's all too easy in a secular age to underestimate and not really understand the power of religion. People really believed that their immortal souls were at risk, so they were prepared to be burnt at the stake and all the rest.
Posted by: mike fowle | Thursday, 15 February 2018 at 19:11
https://20committee.com/2018/02/15/jeremy-corbyn-was-a-communist-spy/
Well David, we can't have you depressed now, can we?
Posted by: JK | Thursday, 15 February 2018 at 19:11
'SoD', and would that "external institution" you suggest might be the saving of us Brits be the same single external institution run by the likes of the undemocratic and unelected 'Junck the Drunk' and his ilk who are determined to form a single new nation, a single new currency, a single new legal system and a single new military/police apparat? You know, like the good ol' days: "Ein Volk, ein Reich, ein Führer", that sort of thing?
Well good luck with that! The only good thing from the 17th century was that after the mass blood-letting, which never reached the levels of the European 30 years war, England matured and so did its parliamentary democracy.
Posted by: David Duff | Thursday, 15 February 2018 at 22:27
Mike, you are entirely right, I do not 'understand' religion because I have never - ever! - believed in God. I don't deny the possibility of His existence and so I remain a 'fundamentalist agnostic'! However, I do understand all too well that there are many more people who will do the greatest evil and the greatest good in the name of religion.
Incidentally, at your urging I have conducted a search of my book shelves and came across a very old and tattered paperback edition of Wedgwood's "The King's War" which I may or may not have read yonks ago! However, even more shameful I came across a book of 'yuuuuuuuge' Trumpian dimensions by John Adamson called 'The Noble Revolution' which I must have bought a few years back when I was fitter because now, with my weedy arthritic arms, I hardly dare to attempt lifting it off the shelf. Obviously I must have been put off by its sheer size because I have never read it! It is one of those enormous volumes which can only be read at a desk. But alas, I have been so sickened by Ms. de Lisle's version of events that it may have to wait its turn. Incidentally, that is one of the great advantages of Kindle, you can read 'yuuuuuuuge' volumes with out effort!
Posted by: David Duff | Thursday, 15 February 2018 at 22:46
The Parliamentarians mistake was to give the God Given Charlie a second chance which led to thousands more being killed for this religious idiot.
However we have moved on and we have our real Queen Elizabeth 11 with her head on her shoulders.
Posted by: jimmy glesga | Friday, 16 February 2018 at 01:14
"The only good thing from the 17th century was that after the mass blood-letting, which never reached the levels of the European 30 years war, England matured and so did its parliamentary democracy."
Now there's the rub.
That's a totally wrong conclusion from the facts.
Only total destruction, perhaps even repeated, cures the hoi-poloi and pols of any nation of tyranny, nationalism, and militarism.
The Euros are light years ahead of Blighty in that regard. 21 miles of salty water, an empire that was easy to get while the Euros were busy fighting each other to learn the lesson, has flattered to deceive the Brit hoi-poloi and pols. Brits don't recognise the tyranny in their own culture and system, their own nationalism and militarism (however inadequate).
The total destruction lesson is coming though.
SoD
Posted by: Loz | Friday, 16 February 2018 at 14:40
Duffers, if it weren't for the generous supply of book vouchers and IT support, I'd cut the bugger off if I were you. OTOH you can always leave him your overdraft!
Posted by: Timbo | Friday, 16 February 2018 at 15:51
Don't worry, Timbo, he's not a bad lad but it's just unfortunate that he resides on Planet Zog, far from reality.
Posted by: David Duff | Friday, 16 February 2018 at 16:49
David, seems SoD does not want British parliamentary democracy. Wonder what he really wants!
Posted by: jimmy glesga | Friday, 16 February 2018 at 23:17
Good question, Jimmy.
If we are to Brexit, then I want a federation in Britain and a constitution based on Liberty.
That was, is, and always will be, beyond the cultural predilections and mental capacities of Blighty's hoi-poloi and pols.
Hence why I'll be a Remoaner until I die. The EU filled in the blanks and blocked out the down right ugly in Blighty's political, economic, and social tapestry, granting an unprecedented freedom and prosperity to the third estate i.e me for 45 years.
If Blighty ever manages to make the transition to federation and Liberty enshrined in constitution I'll be more than happy to admit I was wrong and buy you as many pints of Heavy as you can quoff in an evening!
SoD
Posted by: Loz | Saturday, 17 February 2018 at 11:03
SoD, read and inwardly digest:
www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2018/02/17/rabid-vindictive-rage-remainers-now-borders-pathological/
Posted by: David Duff | Saturday, 17 February 2018 at 15:36
Did the earth move in Zummerzet then?
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2018/02/17/largest-earthquake-decade-hits-wales-west-england/
It's your divine punishment just beginning for Brexit.
SoD
Posted by: Loz | Saturday, 17 February 2018 at 16:29
Never felt a thing!
Posted by: David Duff | Saturday, 17 February 2018 at 16:45
SoD, I have been on lager for decades although I do have the occasional heavy. I am not a fan of multitudes of politicians who are not required and this being the EU Parliament. In the old days we had Westminster and local government and this functioned. The Lords needs to be cut to around half the amount of MP'S and should be elected.
The Scottish Parliament is not required and the Scottish MP'S in Westminster could do our business in a one day sitting in Westminster. NI and Wales likewise. NI has been plodding along without an Assembly for over a year.
To sum up we and all countries in the World can do free fair trade without a bunch of leeches setting up political bodies and ripping of the taxpayer to enhance their lifestyles.
Posted by: jimmy glesga | Saturday, 17 February 2018 at 21:35
Jimmy,
We agree the outcome, but not the means.
It's the bully(s) in the playground scenario again. We don't want to bullied, right, but how? ...
You think one bully when spoken to firmly and given his orders properly will do the job. When you regain consciousness tits up on the school yard deck you'll be reminded if a bully responds to firmly being spoken to and taking orders he isn't a bully.
I think two bullies will fight each other before they bully you or I. Hence federation's efficacy in neutralizing the bully(s).
An unchallenged centralized Blighty, without sub-states or an EU to call it out, would be, quite literally, hell on earth. And that's where we're heading.
So let's raise a toast to the roast!
On the subject, have you tried any of the Czech lagers? Scrum-diddly-umptious.
SoD
Posted by: Loz | Sunday, 18 February 2018 at 09:33
Here's another example of what being locked-in to one bully means ...
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-coventry-warwickshire-43101716
That little boy can score some weed to make his life worth living because we have freedom of movement.
Remember Ashya? ...
https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/2859927/ashya-king-cancer-free-and-back-at-school-after-proton-beam-therapy-brain-tumour-treatment-row-with-nhs/
He's well and back at school because he escaped Blighty's state agents hunting him down to "take back control" and give him a long and tortuous death.
That's what acquiescing to "one bully in the playground" means.
Those two boys would both be dead after short and tortured lives in your Brexit world.
There's my answer to your "read and inwardly digest" accusation of my insanity.
Now I invite you, Gaffer, to "read and inwardly digest" those two little boys' experiences and ask whether "taking back control" is really worth it? 10% off GDP isn't the only price you pay for "taking back control". And 1400 little girls used as masturbation toys by Asian gangs. And a person a day starved and dehydrated to death.
Pathological, am I?
SoD
Posted by: Loz | Sunday, 18 February 2018 at 10:25