When I was a little younger, I studied the English crown's policies towards Ireland. The patronizing arrogance and 'holier than thou' attitudes lead to extreme measures, depriving Ireland of food, democracy, hope, or peace. Scottish settlers were moved into Ulster, with the explicit orders from England to kill or colonize the Irish. Over 1000 years of fighting, repression, deprivation and starvation later and the island still suffers from the not-so-happy British Invasion. In the 1850's, while Ireland swam in food, the English reaped their crops and let them eat the potatos rotting from disease and frost. Even after reports that the Irish were dying in the streets from hunger and a mass exodus of the island had begun, the English leadership concerned itself only with the most efficient means of harvesting Ireland.
The pathetic aspect of the Scottish settlers, those loyal to the King, was that English viewed those Scots as a disposable front line in the war against the Irish. The were viewed as expendable, but close enough to the English (and later sharing the new protestantism) that they could be depended on to take on the Irish...without risking any good Englishmen. I mean, who would waste and Englishman on the Irish?
It seems the attitudes haven't changed much at the top. Despite the revolutions across the world, despite the renunciation of imperialism, despite the social changes over the last 30 years, the English crown continues its long standing loathing and patronizing of their supposed inferiors:
Memo lays bare Prince Charles’ complaints
ASSOCIATED PRESS
LONDON, NOVEMBER 18: Prince Charles’ penchant for memo-writing caught up with him today, when his uncompromising opinion about the state of education in Britain found its way onto front pages.
‘‘What is wrong with everyone nowadays?’’ wrote the 56-year-old heir to the British throne to a member of his staff in March 2003, after a secretary asked about prospects for job promotion.
‘‘Why do they all seem to think they are qualified to do things far beyond their technical capabilities?’’ the Prince of Wales continued. ‘‘This is to do with the learning culture in schools, as a consequence of a child-centred system which admits no failure.’’
‘‘People think they can all be pop stars, High Court judges, brilliant TV personalities or infinitely more competent heads of state without ever putting in the necessary work or having natural ability. This is the result of social utopianism, which believes humanity can be genetically and socially engineered to contradict the lessons of history.’’ The memo concludes: ‘‘What on earth am I to tell Elaine? She is so PC (politically correct), it frightens me rigid.’’
Pardon us, sir. How could we possibly reach your inherited wealth, or great achievements (what they are eludes me)? Where did we get these ideas of social mobility or the idea that we could improve our station in life? Truly, from your perch you are all knowing and all seeing. A "Culture of Learning"? Preposterous! The problem is with everyone else, sir..Pardon their irreverance. Daring to Dream? Ridiculous! Let them eat Fish n' Chips, Sire!
And to think: these lowly paeans think they can do anything they want with their genetically inferior abilities! Find the King his point of reference! IE: The late 1800's views on Social Darwinism! Chop Chop!
How did the Irish ever become the most prosperous people in the EU? How did they rise above their station, sir? This is against the lessons of history which forecast another 1000 years of repression! Truly, an ahistorical aberration, Sire! Certainly, their rise has nothing to do with their freedom, their renounciation of the throne, or their political vitality!
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