OPINION:
Equal and Opposite Reaction
By Trevor K. McNeil
Together And Then We Are Not
We have all heard that absence makes the heart grow fonder. This may well be true in terms of human relationships, but the opposite seems to be the case in terms of international relations. The Republic of Ireland left the British Commonwealth at the first opportunity and hasn’t looked back. Boris Johnson will lead Britain out of the European Common Market sometime soon. There is a strong, and ever growing, Republican sentiment in Australia. Basically the Aussies want what America already has. A secular, constitutional republic with no ties to Britain. Can it be any wonder then, considering that over two centuries of separation between the two great nations, that certain differences should arise in the way British and Americans do things? Few places is this clearer than in the response to COVID-19. Particularly the issue as to whether their countries should reopen or not.
Can’t Be Bad As All That
Britons know how to handle a crisis. Which only stands to reason considering how many they have been through. Near constant invasions, only William the Conquerer really being successful, and more foreign wars than Jupiter has moons. Which goes a long way to explain why when London was being blown to bits by the Luftwaffe during WWII, the general response was to Keep Calm and Carry On.
