SCOTLAND AND SYKES
SCOTLAND:
I took the result hard. Very hard in fact. I wished the Scots all that I, as an Israeli, had. As a Nation and the pride of Nation Building. The fierce believe in my people, the Israelis that we only are responsible to and for ourselves. That our unity, history, values and heritage has earned a rightful place amongst the nations of this world.
I was embarrassed and bitter when a people, the Scots that I so admire belittled themselves.
A very wise friend, an eminent Scot explained it thus:
‘Scotland is (in my view) divided into the romantic, risk-taking Jacobites (Bonnie Prince Charlie & Culloden) and the dour Calvinists (John Knox & Private Frazer from Dad’s Army). The Jacobites dominated the referendum and lost the vote – ‘twas ever thus.’
I feel that the result is a cynical recourse to an unraveling SYKES PICOT. A century ago the Europeans drew very ostentatious selfish lines in the sand. Meaningless artificialities scratched on foreign soils. Yet today the lines are being degraded and obliterated. The entities they defined are devalued and empty of meaning. How strange is it that those who drew the meaningless geo-political constructs are undergoing a similar process. How poetic is the movement of young men back and fro then and now. The ghost’s of Allenby’s army are the ghouls of the IS fellow travellers flocking from Europe. But with one debilitating difference. On their return they will wreak havoc, mayhem and destruction.
‘Man tracht und Gott lacht. ‘
I took the result hard. Very hard in fact. I wished the Scots all that I, as an Israeli, had. As a Nation and the pride of Nation Building. The fierce believe in my people, the Israelis that we only are responsible to and for ourselves. That our unity, history, values and heritage has earned a rightful place amongst the nations of this world.
I was embarrassed and bitter when a people, the Scots that I so admire belittled themselves.
A very wise friend, an eminent Scot explained it thus:
‘Scotland is (in my view) divided into the romantic, risk-taking Jacobites (Bonnie Prince Charlie & Culloden) and the dour Calvinists (John Knox & Private Frazer from Dad’s Army). The Jacobites dominated the referendum and lost the vote – ‘twas ever thus.’
I feel that the result is a cynical recourse to an unraveling SYKES PICOT. A century ago the Europeans drew very ostentatious selfish lines in the sand. Meaningless artificialities scratched on foreign soils. Yet today the lines are being degraded and obliterated. The entities they defined are devalued and empty of meaning. How strange is it that those who drew the meaningless geo-political constructs are undergoing a similar process. How poetic is the movement of young men back and fro then and now. The ghost’s of Allenby’s army are the ghouls of the IS fellow travellers flocking from Europe. But with one debilitating difference. On their return they will wreak havoc, mayhem and destruction.
‘Man tracht und Gott lacht. ‘
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Dr Michael Benjamin 