Written by Sir John Redwood
The past is another country. We are linked to it by past members of our families, by the buildings and works of art they left us, and by the language, heritage, culture and institutions they helped fashion. We can enjoy the best of their inheritance, and change those parts of it we do not like or approve. The works and deeds of those who came before cannot be undone, just looked at in different ways. We have the precious gift of life, which means we can help shape the world around us, the world we will pass on to our children in due course. The dead can no longer change our world from the grave. Their believers and helpers who are alive can join our democratic process as we battle over their legacies.
I am glad I live in a country which usually respects the past whilst having sometimes passionate debates about it. I remember taking a Russian visitor around the Palace of Westminster shortly after the Berlin Wall was torn down. After I had described a few of the characters portrayed in pictures and statues he grasped a fundamental truth. He said how lucky I was to live in a country that could live at ease with its past. His country had been one where each successive tyrant who grabbed power rewrote the history as he wished and ordered the tearing down of pictures and statues of those who no longer pleased.
Each generation has difficult decisions to make about the built and artistic inheritance. I think it is right to conserve sufficient of the past so all interested can see examples of the buildings for themselves, and can find likenesses of the leading figures that helped shape the UK of their day, for better or worse. I have never thought I should with like minded people be able to win an election and then purge our cities and galleries of memorials to those we oppose. My disliking Marx cannot change the historic importance his thinking has enjoyed, nor wipe out the millions of deaths carried through in the USSR and elsewhere by following his ideology. I fought my battles against Marxist social and economic thinking with my pen as a young man. I never suggested defenestrating his statues.
In the UK we have proceeded by evolution rather than revolution most of the time. The English Church or house evolves, with extensions and new facilities added as the generations pass.So it should be with our approach to the built environment. There are times when adapting what we inherit makes sense. There are times when need and commercial logic points to replacement, building anew. Then should we record and photograph what is lost, so those interested will in future know how we changed the world.
Towns and cities with statues on public ground have democratic processes to decide whether to maintain or replace them. Where a City no longer wishes to remember in open space a former leader who gave money or ran parts of public and commercial life the statue could be moved to a private place that did wish to remember, or to a museum where it can form part of an historical display and account.
I share the hatred of many of slavery and enforced occupation of a country by a military power. I have always resented the way the Romans invaded our country, placed it under a brutal military control, and made a market in slaves to give the senior Romans a wonderful lifestyle. It has not made me want to remove all the Roman statues of the thinkers and leaders of the imperial and colonial government which enforced this system on us. I do not deny that alongside their belief in slavery and military rule they also produced some important academic work and technology. The Romans who delighted in the torture and cruel death of animals for sport were good at building large structures. We can debate what if anything they did for us without throwing their statues into the nearest river or sea.
Living in a democracy means respecting and being tolerant of other’s views. Today none of us are tolerant of slavery, but we can be tolerant of each other’s approach to history. The academics who are often most engaged against the statues of former donors today often depend on donations and fees from China. Are they sure their own deeds are as morally pure as they think those of the past should have been? How do they rate China for civil liberties, freedom of expression and of religion?
Congratulations to our editor for publishing this post. As it also landed in my email inbox I was able to forward it to my (Tory) MP. It does not go anywhere near far enough against the BLM but at least it is in the right direction. Presumably the HoC and the party in government still have some influence.
THE PEOPLE OF THE WHOLE WORLD must grow up, and be quick about it ! ….. It is possible to learn from history, so it is foolish to try to rewrite it, or to sweep it away. – It is also necessary to avoid living in the past ! – It is the way of mankind to do better, as individuals or as Nations, and the ‘Colour Question’ has no place in this twenty-first century. – All people must be able to enjoy their lives through their talents and education, and colour should never be a factor !
The USA has some soul searching to do. – They cannot have the disgusting occurrence of this black man’s death by their Police, whilst holding to any ownership of ‘In God We Trust’. – The two are incompatible with each other ! – So Americans, which is it to be ? – Here in Great Britain, as an old friend, we hope you will chose to correct, and to never revisit this evil. – Just read the opening of your Declaration of Independence !
Dunno ’bout that Mike. That guy really was a nasty criminal and as someone on here said if he could say ‘I can’t breathe’ then he was breathing.
I doubt whether we know the full story of what happened in USA on that occasion. We do know that it has been used to incite LAWLESSNESS here and other countries.
George Loyd was a career criminal with a charge sheet as long as your arm, and growing by the minute.
He was a threat to other people, a drug addict, a nuisance to the police and the community and was currently, when apprehended, passing counterfeit money in a small business/shop where the owner, and probably his entire family, just wanted to get a living – probably working legitimately night and day.
His supporters and admirers – The mobsters, bully’s, private armies and terrorists – hiding under the name of Antifa, whilst themselves being Anarchists, are an evil Virus in society – paid up mercenaries destroying the lives and livelihoods of decent innocent people throughout the USA the U.K. And many other comparatively safe democracies.
The mindless trash who are joining their riots are just as bad if not worse – they just don’t realise how well off they are to live in comparative freedom – lucky dim bastards.
There is ONLY one answer. Invoke our Laws immediately. Round them up and stick them where they can abuse one another in some encampment suitable for rabid animals – for at least a year. Then let them BEG to be able to be back within our society where they can claim their multitude of benefits, which are supplied by WORKING PEOPLE nationwide.
If you live by the sword (as is the case incidentally with Islam) then you must be prepared to die by the sword.
THOSE ARE THE BARE FACTS – ——-F A C T S .
Hi Pauline and Misterpaul. – I have to tell you that I stand by my comments 100% ! ….. So this guy was a serial crook ! – Does that make the Police action OK ? – Does that make his death acceptable ? – If your answer is yes, then Laws are of no account ! ….. Crime should always be dealt with by Law, or we enter a state of the biggest gun wins, and I would want no part in that. – There is room for Law correction, both in the UK and USA, but that is as far as I would move in your direction. – Sentencing requires revision, for serial Law breaking !
Mike – some of my ‘stuff’ of course is ‘tongue in cheek’ but at times is worth considering.
The problem we have currently is – its fine for you to remind us of Law and Order, I support that of course and have done for all of my life – JUST SO LONG AS IT IS APPLIED TO EVERYONE..the Law HAS NOT been applied in the case of the evil mobs who are out to destroy our country, whichever stupid name they append to themselves – the police and ‘Law enforcement’ have RUN AWAY and as a consequence prompted the Law abiding citizens to ask……WHY? WHY? WHY?
So it seems, since we have been abandoned by the Police and many Parliamentarians, we are supposed to stand by, sit back and take their mindless vandalism without ANY response?
IS THAT THE LAW AND ORDER YOU ACCEPT.
One Law for ME, whichever simple Law I break, and another Law for THEM and they have virtually broken EVERY LAW IN THE BOOK. (Sorry for all the capitals!)
Ordinary people are watching and waiting for the’Law to be applied to these raving mobsters – and it simply is NOT being applied.
Is it cowardice on the part of that Dick, or are they ORDERS from ‘the top’ to UNLAWFULLY agree with the police that these rioters can break the Law wherever and whenever THEY choose? What sort of madness is this?
These mobsters rioters abusers and self-centred vile terrorists need a dose of their own medicine – WHO then is to apply the solution?
Not the police.
Not Parliament.
Not local Counciks.
NOBODY!
So…along comes a group of people, call them what you will, who want the SAME LAWS applied to them, and the SAME freedom to express THEIR views THEIR way …..QPQ…….and suddenly THEY are described as FAR RIGHT trouble makers who must be arrested.
What kind of justice is that? The justice of MOB RULE – that’s what it is.
Give these paid mercenaries, in the absence of police applying the law firmly, exactly what they are imposing on us………..THAT is equity to my mind, and watch how quickly these cowards disperse back to their rat-holes where they belong, once they meet powerful and legitimate resistance.
I make NO apologies for again saying –
IF YOU LIVE BY THE SWORD, BE PREPARED TO DIE BY THE SWORD.
I HAVE NO INTENTION OF BEING DICTATED TO OR RULED BY ANY BLACK, WHITE, YELLOW OR MULTI-COLOURED MOB – nor bend MY knee TO ANYONE.
Mike – incidentally, you asked the question, “Does that make the Police action OK?”
Well, to answer your question YES!
The Police action WAS OK.
He was carrying out a criminal act – resisting arrest – in his usual, typically and habitually criminal way – the Police were CARRYING OUT THEIR DUTY – not like our knee-bending cowards (some of them!) He,instead of crying ‘Fair cop’ as you and I may do – and probably HAVE done – resisted arrest. Are you suggesting that the Police simply allow him to continue the felony, walk away freely, read an Enid Bolton to him and send him on his way to pass more counterfeit money? He was arrested. HE resisted – HE was the Captain of HIS fate………..the Policeman on his part wrongly applied excessive force – and the rest is history.
So. The Police WERE doing their job and the criminal unfortunately died whilst resisting arrest.
Next?
Hello Again Mike!
I love your idealism – totally unachievable of course! You’re a sort of Don Quixote – dreaming the impossible dream.
Such an aspiration, for the People of The World ‘to grow up’.
Some chance!
“If you can talk with crowds, and keep your virtue;
Or walk with Kings, nor lose the common touch;
If neither foe nor loving friend can hurt you;
If ALL men count with you – but none too much”
IF ONLY our Parliamentarians could observe these simple principles…………….if only!
Just for one fleeting moment in time……….
Some chance!
Sir John usually writes from the right and Right place but his party has been one of the two who have irrevocably filled this country with people from cultures whose values are not our values and where violence is the method of getting what you want not democracy and negotiation.
Iconoclasm is common too with them of course.
Black lives didn’t matter to blacks in Rwanda in 1994 or Chicago the other day or most cities every day. We banned slavery in our country in 1807; Mauritania didn’t till 1981 and it wasn’t criminalized there till 2007. The modern slavery act is regularly used against Nigerians and the like living in London.
The far left are using the blacks as useful idiots but there are plenty of other useful idiots out there celebrating the life of a career criminal in another country.
Something in what you say MWT about Tories as well as Labour, (and Lib Dems) all allowing/favoring immigration. But surely what has really brought the matter to a head is the policies of the EU. Empires usually reach a point where they have to expand I believe. Perhaps that also caused the EU to welcome immigration. Because of our superior health, welfare and housing policies we became the dumping ground for these immigrants.
At least that is the impression I have received over the years.
John Redwood has been Eurosceptic for many years. You call that being right as well as Right. I fail to see why wanting out of the EU is labeled right wing.
B.J. is also rather a different sort of Tory to previous incumbents.
The present Government ARE doing their best to get a real BREXIT and surely it is too soon to criticise this administration for their proposed Immigration policy.
On the other hand they certainly SHOULD clamp down on the illegals being assisted across the Channel.
AND of course use maximum force against the BLM.
Sir John Redwood like others on the centre right of the Party keep saying all the right things to keep traditional Tory supporters and members onside in order to gain power. But once the Party gains power they slip off towards furthering a liberal agenda rather than conservatism.
Always liked Sir John’s outlook but I am afraid he is just another career politician and as we have seen with the Brexit debacle the Party is rotten to core.
You’ve stolen word for word my intended comment.
My thoughts exactly.
Mine too. In fact is the whole party system rotten? Have we got the time to turn it round before it is too late?
Mary – we need a form of Proportional Representation at least. But a total complacency has settled over the system and those either currently in power, or those who aspire to it, mostly from the Legal (Totally bent!) Profession – are quite happy to play the system, ‘in-out shake it all about’ ad infininitum.
Who can blame them – they are totall interchangeable anyway.
As SOME of us realised, what seems like a lifetime ago, was that we needed thenlkkes of Farage, Batten and many other good men and women to begin to change the system……….Well of course it didn’t happen and we are again destined to ‘wallow in the shallows’ ’til the Revolution – Peaceful, of course!
Not sure about PR, it might have unintended consequences. I think the only way to avoid the present mess would have been for voters at least a decade ago to first try destroying the mainstream parties by simply not voting for them (I don’t mean not bothering to vote, which is assenting to whoever gets elected; but “none of these” is OK). Otherwise they’re actually assenting to another 5 years tyranny and a whole package of stuff they don’t want. The only alternative would have been independents or very possibly non mainstream parties? (undecided on this). but these could only really have succeeded once the field was clear. I fear though we may have passed the stage where this can be resolved through the ballot box?
Spot on imho. The entire LaConLib establishment has brought us to this point. And still no Party, established or pretender, exposes or explains Common Purpose.
Nailed it jake. Redwood is doing fine piling up the pension contributions and holding a safe seat. Does he say the same thing in the tea rooms with his fake mates in the party? My own MP does the same thing. A Eurosceptic shouting what gets him elected whilst quietly signing up to globalist finance and mass immigration. Rotten to the core.
On his Diary, his details (on the right) used to include a link to Rothschild Bank but I see this has now been removed. Of any significance? I don’t know.
Our history is important; often it shows us the negatives that we should not repeat. The BLM movement shows many characteristics that are negative; if it advances some of its ideals much more it might justifiably be classed as a terrorist organisation. Sadly the lockdown has given many the opportunity to riot without the normal consequences. The person responsible for the act triggering such demonstration is being dealt with by due process of the Law and that process should be allowed to proceed in the normal manner.
Where were these people when hundreds of kids were being abused by Asian immigrants? Do they realise that they are being used by those intent on imposing their will on the world?
Strikes me Jak Thomas BLM ARE already a terrorist organisation. Any more of it and it should be treated as such.
That Karl Marx statue looks a bit heavy, it would need a JCB, but simple graffiti has been used on it in the past. The Parliament Square statue of Nelson Mandela is probably mob vulnerable. I’d not advocate any attacks on either, but there will be those who will.
JF
“Living in a democracy means respecting and being tolerant of other’s views”. Respect and be tolerant of Marxism, or other totalitarian belief systems? Not on your nelly ! Eat or be eaten !
Mary. I suppose we should be proud of NOT BANNING Marxist or other Communist Parties.
I find it a bit difficult considering how we have treated Political Parties and people who are supposedly extreme Right Wing. Respect and be tolerant does sound a bit lefty political correct doesn’t it. We have drifted that way for too long.
Hopefully we are not quite at the point of getting Totalitarianism of any sort.
I understand what you say although we have been far too tolerant. The best way to beat them would have been to start unravelling the damage they’ve done over the past 50 years, piece by piece, starting with say educational establishments; although we would first have needed to clear out the swamp in Westminster and get people in Parliament who do what WE want. But have we time?
Mary – Well said…. succinct, to the point -and to my mind, this applies also to the hateful mobs of Islamists who are in the same league, who employ the same terrorist tactics and are equally if not more vile as these Antifa Mercenariies and their Private Paid Armies.
More Lefty, PC madness here!
“Government Should ‘Immediately’ Defund Police, Says British Sociologist”
https://www.breitbart.com/europe/2020/06/10/government-should-immediately-defund-police-says-british-sociologist/
Sociology is not so much a soft science. It’s more a soft-headed science.
JF
Hardly Scientific at all really. After one year of it I decided it was circular reasoning. You assume a certain proposition, drag in a few more propositions then declare the first proposition proved!
Besides I thought Science was empirical. Something about testing a hypothesis against results.
That Professor is definitely round the bend.
“sociology professor” says it all; completely divorced from reality. Does he really think that criminals and rapists of all shades will suddenly reform? Clearly he needs to be sacked before he infects any more of his students.