Testing the Theory

 My friend Claus who is German and has lived in the UK for years told me to open my eyes and notice how ubiquitous stories about WWII are (sometime WWI) in the British media.  He is used to this as a German living in the UK.  I took up his challenge.

So let's see.  I read the Independent and I have Saturday 18th July's paper here in front of me.  This is not a particularly nationalistic paper.   It's not jingoistic. But let's test the theory.

On page 8 there is an article on the knighting of Captain Tom Moore.  This article does not mention the war at all, so it doesn't count.

Page 19 there is an article on a new headstone for the dambusters dog. There it is.  The second world war started 100 years ago (minus 19 years.) It is still omnipresent in the British psychic.

It is interesting also that this article refers to the removal of a racial slur from a gravestone.  Today I watched a short film presented by Obioma Ugoala (RSC and Hollywood actor).  In it he highlights the fact that British History has a dark side that we (the British) understandably shy away from.  During the Second World War it can be argued that the Nazi's had a strange respect for the British because one of the Nazi objectives was to emulate Britain. Germany wanted an Empire, and a 'world presence'.  One of the conditions presented to the UK by USA when it entered the war was that the UK was to relinquish it's empire.  The history of European empires put Nazi war crimes into the shade.  

Part of the British narrative of WWII is that plucky Britain stood up to heartless fascism and won.  There can only be good vibes emanating from these WWII stories, reminiscence and commemorations.  But perhaps it also acts as a shield from the darker stories of British history that, as Ugoala highlights, are largely to do with greed and prosperity.  The challenge for all declining empires is to not experience the injustices inflected on others being returned in vengeance upon themselves.