"A nation is a political fiction imposed on a social and geographic reality almost always by force, for the benefit of a political minority." —Mario Vargas Llosa
Imagine there's no countries
It isn't hard to do
Nothing to kill or die for
And no religion too...
—John Lennon
Living as I do on a small island which has done more than its fair share of imposing on others, I do often wonder what it must be like to have not only a new set of rules to live by, but usually a new language, a new way of life. And for some places along borders, this has happened with monotonous regularity.
ReplyDeleteEvery time you say that I ask myself, "Sheila lives on a little island?" After a few seconds I realize you are referring to the whole of the "little" island of Great Britain!
DeleteYes, you should be ashamed. You should mind your own business like the U.S. does. Anyway, I think this Peruvian Nobel Prize- winner guy I quoted is trying to say ALL nations are fabrications and foists. (Can I say "foists"? Can that be a noun?)
Did you know they are fishing out a German WWII bomber from the Goodwin Sands? Disrupting the cricket? You might even be able to watch them. On a clear day. (A clear day is when you can see France.)
The Peruvian guy is right, even in our little island, ask the Scots. But it hasn't happened in my part of the island since William the Conqueror when we all had to learn French - though that WWII bomber was clearly trying to teach us German.
DeleteWow! For a minute I thought this was going to be an article that I wrote a week or so ago for our ANZAC Day...I titled it "You May Say I'm a Dreamer...I Hope I'm Not the Only One..."
ReplyDeleteI had a bit of a senior moment there for a while!! ;)
I am embarrassed I didn't see your post. I am remiss. I will go find it.
DeleteHowever, I DO know what ANZAC is. Adullamite makes sure we understand that WWI (only he calls it the "Greta Garbo War) wasn't won only by the Americans at the last minute (although it was) and that the ANZAC forces took fierce losses at Gallipoli. It stands for New Zealand forces, I think. And someone who came with them. Christ. Starts with an "A" obviously. Drawing a blank.
I know there is much more to ANZAC Day so I will go inform myself.
I really hope I am not thinking of Prozac.
DeleteI didn't post the article in my blog, RM...it was published in the local paper here where I live. I write a weekly article for the paper.
DeleteIs that one of those illegal Mexicans that keep the US farmers going perhaps?
ReplyDeleteJohn Lennon, "Imagine no possessions, it isn't hard to do" while sitting at a white Steinway piano, in a house that cost 1,5 million in 1970. Hmmmm