AIR            Pure politics (views of the author)                               June 2008

Like most other people I hold political views.  However, some of my views are not standard.  Below I blurt of what i think, and I would welcome any viewer's thoughts.  Don't be afraid to disagree with me, it's by argument that one eventually reaches a reasoned conclusion.

I listen to the news and read the papers and then form my opinions.  I am lucky enough to have travelled a bit and what I have found has affected the opinions I hold.

In Britain there is a strong view that we should get out of the EU.  I totally disagree, and hold the view that we should get closer.  In fact, I am a strong advocate of a United States of Europe along the lines of the United States of America.  And I will tell you why.  Up until 1939 (I remember it well as I am 82) Britain was the top dog with even the USA being semi-subservient to us.  But the stupidity of the early-1930s government let Germany build up its military.  We survived WWII with the help of the Commonwealth and the USA, but the war bankrupted us.  We are a bit better off now than we were in 1945, but we are still weak.

Now don't say, as one of my uncles always argued; that "the only good German is a dead one".  The German people put Hitler into power because (a) he was a wonderful orator, and (b) he promised, and delivered, an improved Germany.  But Hitler, like many politicians, became too big for his boots.  He wanted to dominate the world, and even for the mighty Germany, that was an aim too far.  It was probably Churchill learning a piece of intelligence that convinced Roosevelt that THE USA was going to be next when Germany had beaten us and taken over our military.  We had a close escape.

True, we are a powerful nation still, but we are punching above our weight.  And so is the USA to a lesser extent.  All empires, including the USA, rise and fall.

Now I'll tell you why we should press for the U.S.E. as soon as possible.  Firstly, they will curb our ridiculous idea that we can solve all the wrongs of the planet, and secondly we are under threat from radical Islam.  Of course, most Muslims are not a lot different to we Europeans, but they will naturally tend to side with their brethren.  Islam is probably no worse than Christianity was around 1600, but read a little history and you will learn of the enormity of the bigotry that existed around that time. Burning at the stake was common, just for disbelieving what the Pope preached.  And we now know of the absurdity of some of those Papal edicts.

But getting back to today, Christianity has now mellowed to a point when it can be allowed to preach its message and be ignored by the majority of the population.  Please don't misunderstand me, the Christian church does much good.  My first wife was a Catholic convert and believed to her end that something awaited her after she succumbed to a faulty heart valve.  The church was her prop.

But I want the U.S.E. to come into being because the world is a very uncertain place.  At the present, China is the 'Nigger in the Woodpile'.  She has military ambitions, and in about twenty years from now I feel that she may well become the new threat.  And, as I said above, we are a weak nation, whereas Europe then will probably be stronger than the USA is at present.

There's an awful lot of absurd windbagging about France.  They are sometimes called "Surrender Monkeys".  But the people who spout that rhetoric have never lived under German occupation.  The Vichy Regime surrendered to Germany to save their cities from the Luftwaffe.  The French are proud of Paris and just couldn't bear the thought of it being turned into a bombsite.

The French Maquis (pronounced Makki) were truly heroic souls who were shot out of hand if caught by the Germans.  And I don't subscribe to the argument that the German population were any worse than we were.  Most of them were loyal to their country, but they were very unlucky by putting the Nazis in power.  And the Nazis were evil, I agree.   But never forget that we too had a Nazi Party in 1938; remember Oswald Mosley?

I've only visited Germany by passing through en-route to the Tyrol on holiday, but I have had some dealings with the French.  I have worked in France in 1965 and holidayed there on several occasions.  They are a very civilised nation and good engineers.  On a lighter note, where but in France would you find wine served in a works canteen.  I worked on French-designed equipment when I was with Plessey Radar at Addlestone in Surrey.  It was clever and worked well. (More on that if you ask).

As I said above, call me with any comments on what I have said above.  CDCNottm@AOL.com