Rule Britannia!
Because tomorrow, we celebrate our independence from Great Britain and severing our relationship as one of her colonies, I thought today would be appropriate to thank the United Kingdom for what she has given us and the world.
Oh. This is likely to be my most Politically Incorrect post ever. Just so you know.
I’ve been having a fascinating, extended conversation with a post-doc fellow from one of the countries that make up what used to be known as French West Africa. The conversation began with Mugabe, and spread outward, encompassing a broad variety of related topics.
One of those topics was imperialism — more specifically, contrastive imperialism, where we spoke extensively about the marked differences between the British Empire and other European empires.
The British took with them their institutions, their rule of law, their traditions, their parliamentary democracy, and their liberal (in the classic sense) ideals. Unlike the French or Belgians, who did little more than prop up one tribe against another in their colonies, the British extended Britain across the globe. For that, we — meaning all of Britain’s ex-colonies — owe the British Empire gratitude.
Contrast India with Pakistan or Bangladesh. India kept those British ideals and institutions. When, shortly after India declared independence, the state of Pakistan (later to split) was formed, they rejected everything British, and reverted to tribalism. Hence today, while India certainly has problems, it stands in stark contrast to its backward, barbaric neighbors to the north. Malaysia, like Britain, kept the civilized government and institutions from the British, but is sliding back into tribalism (it’s not yet obvious what will happen there).
Maggie Gallagher has an anticipatory column on Real Clear Politics: Three Great American Ideas. I encourage everyone to read it, but at least for today, keep this thought in mind: Had we been a French or Spanish colony, the United States would not exist, nor would the ideas upon which our nation is founded, for those were distinctly British in origin.
So for today, I say Rule Britannia! and offer a few specific things for which we owe our nation’s birth and existence.
- Magna Carta
- Glorious Revolution
- Whig Party
- Edmund Burke
I’m sure I could come up with many more, but I’m pretty engrossed by this history of the US I’m reading.
Patrick Joubert Conlon:
Exactly. Happy Independence Day.
July 4, 2008, 8:49 amweaver:
hear! hear!
July 4, 2008, 9:23 am