shuggy's blog
But being a victim is so comforting - it absolves you of any responsibility for the situation you find yourself in.
I can clearly remember my history teacher at school asking his class "who invented the concentration camp?" to get the enthusiastic answer "the bastard English, sir". Alright, I'm not quoting verbatim but the canard that it was the unique and perfidious genius of the British to invent the concentration camp has been bandied about for as long as I can remember. While it's certainly true the term "concentration camp" was first coined by the British newspapers to describe the displaced persons internment camps of the Boer War, the concept of a high density, makeshift prison encampment has been around for longer than that. Perhaps the best candidate for the first such camp was the Union POW camp in Belle Isle, Virginia during the American Civil War. But depending on how broadly you care to define the notion are the (Spanish) ships of the middle passage or the black hole of Calcutta also concentration camps?
I have heard that, "we ourselves were a victim of colonialism" line supplemented by, "well, we weren't entirely blameless, we made a few ships" as the sum total of Scotland's contribution to Empire. Last time was a couple of years ago from a young Scottish lecturer.
I used to be naive. Coming to England as a refugee at eight I quickly understood that there were three countries on the island, which was easy as the map had three different colours and the countries played each other at football and rugby. I lived in England so I wanted England to win, but when Scotland were playing someone else I wanted Scotland to win. And so, amazingly enough, did everyone else I knew in England. I assumed that that was because the three countries were neighbours and shared a single block of land surrounded by sea.
Ignorance of course. No history, son. I soon discovered that the best day for most Scots was if England lost. To anyone at all. It was almost better than Scotland winning. Schadenfreude to the skirl of bagpipes.
I kept up a quiet cheering for Scotland for a while then went into reverse. I tried cheering every time Scotland lost but that became rather too easy - it happened too often for a start. But of course I couldn't. I actually like almost all the Scots I have met.
I just find that wanking, self-pitying, growling, vainglorious and maudlin mode of resentment utterly nauseous.
Sod history. If I kept a historical grudge tally for every tragedy suffered by Hungarians I could cheerily blub myself into drunken oblivion while feeling supremely self-righteous. There is something infinitely twattish about the thought, as there is about nationalism.
Twattish, pissed and dangerous.
It was almost better than Scotland winning.
Heh heh - it's not that George, just that England losing happens so much more often than Scotland winning anything. Actually, I don't buy the argument that says wanting England to lose is 'anti-English racism'. I'm a unionist and most of my living relatives are English - but I still quite enjoy the odd England defeat at football. Nothing to so with schadenfreude - it's just that when they do win something, they bang on about it for an insanely long period of time. It's one of the main reasons the Germans don't like us. 
Oh darn. You were supposed to be nasty and snarly then!
And actually no, not racism. I didn't think it was that. I thought it was an excuse to get adrenalinned, tanked up and maudlin all at the same time.
I thought it was an excuse to get adrenalinned, tanked up and maudlin all at the same time.
Most social occassions here are - it's the basis of our culture...
Can we all agree to put this "concentration camp" canard to rest? The word had its meaning changed when Hitler adopted it, but even allowing for that the British were not the first. The Spanish used them in Cuba, the Americans in the Philipines. The "gassing" in Iraq used tear gas, not lethal gas. Christ, in an Empire as vast and long-lived as the British, there must be numerous legit causes of complaint, so why do these people keep recycling tosh? Ignorance, laziness, dishonesty...?
The clearances, like the Glencoe Massacre, had precious little to do with "The English" - that is to reduce Scottish History to the sort of anti-English pathetic whining that constitutes most Irish "history", where "the Irish" are never responsible for anything: they are solely victims. Bollocks: my Scottish ancestors were perfectly capable of their own mistakes, blunders, atrocities and whatnot.
so why do these people keep recycling tosh?
Heh - you know the answer to that one.
One last item from me on this topic. Five years ago I was spending some months in Dublin and was talking to the British Council rep about nationalities, tribalism, loyalties, the Tebbitt Test and such things, as one does in Ireland, and he reminisced about a rugby international at Landsdowne Road at which a group of men in turbans held up a banner saying SIKHS FOR SCOTLAND.
I liked that. I rather hoped they'd cheer on India at cricket too. What's one affection more or less, after all?
But the story is nice and alliterates too. Is it too good to be true? Does it ring any bells with you?
First time I've come across the blog. Well said!
Is it too good to be true? Does it ring any bells with you?
Yes it does, and no it isn't. As well as my general impression, there does seem to be some evidence that while ethnic minorities in England seem to be more likely to identify themselves as British, rather than English. But in Scotland, the notion of 'Scottishness' seems to win over from Britishness.
Should have said "opinion poll evidence". John Curtice of Strathlyde uni and Bill Miller of Glasgow have presented similar findings independently of each other.
"Civilian massacres in India"
I presume you're talking Amritsar here. A distressing occurrence, but somewhat insignificant in the light of, say, Partition 28 years later when between 400,000 and a million died. And when it came to civilian massacres, the natives could hold their own. Cawnpore ?
The Empire had an adaptable military ethic, suiting the campaign to the foe. In a 'western' war between uniformed armies, or even in African wars, civilians would be untouched.
But after the Afghan disaster of 1842, where 16,000 people, mostly camp followers, were massacred on he road to Jalalabad, they argued that as every Afghan male became a warrior at puberty, the 'Army of Retribution' should slaughter all males over 14 found in the region where the massacre took place.
You can imagine what Robert Fisk would have made of it.
You can imagine what Robert Fisk would have made of it.
Ha ha - you don't wonder at all; you know perfectly well...
I've just seen a report on STV that Sandra White is distancing herself from a press release "issued by her office in her name" which inspired your post!
'in an Empire as vast and long-lived as the British, there must be numerous legit causes of complaint, so why do these people keep recycling tosh?'
Jesus, what do you want the ungrateful colonials to do? Pretend the 'numerous legit causes of complaint' didn't happen? Or that they had nothing to do with British government policy towards particular races or creeds? What do you think the Irish Famine was? An eating disorder?
By the way, we've been too busy in Ireland recently facing up to various homegrown child abuse and political corruption scandals to have time for 'anti-English pathetic whining'. Tell me, what can you face up to?
Aren't you missing dearime's point, Shallow? The distinction was between EITHER legit (which is legit) OR tosh (not legit).
By all means say more about the Irish Famine. I am sure hardly any one has heard of it and it can keep people happily fuming for ever, It only happened some 160 years ago, after all.
It's legit though.
George, point taken but it seems to me that dearieme is suggesting that most Irish readings of Irish history are sentimental 'tosh'. I suppose this means we'll have to be instructed in which ones can be considered 'legit' and which ones are 'tosh', what with not being able to take responsibility and all.
I think you may misunderstand my point about painful flashpoints in history. I think the reason they still feel a bit raw is because we (in Ireland anyway) are only recently moving beyond the trap of victimhood. What kept us there was a lingering sense of powerlessness and inferiority. That is changing and hopefully, some day, the Famine etc. really will be the past.
Blogs like this which do try to stay sensible about these things, do help. But snide comments don't.
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