England Rules

I found myself in the absurd position on Wednesday(9/11/02) of getting involved in a bar argument with a fellow Irish-American where I was arguing in favor of England. His position was essentially "screw the English" until they get out of Northern Ireland. My argument was that since 9/11/01, England has been America's staunch ally and best friend - who can forget the Queen ordering the playing of the Star Spangle Banner at the changing of the guards on 9/12. As proof-text, read this Samizdata post and look at the impromptu posters in which the "real England" shares America's remembrance of 9/11.

As Jonah Goldberg observed America means we are not slaves to history

Jonah Goldberg's Goldberg File on National Review Online But, despite the best efforts of our public schools, Americans actually understand their history. We just don't wallow in it. Because one of the great things about America is that it was designed to be a life raft to escape the sinking ship of history. If Arabs and their American apologists want to bitch and moan about the crusades, if they can't get over the fact that a few hundred years ago their societies imploded like a bad soufflé in a clay oven, that's their problem. We're not mad at the Japanese for bombing Pearl Harbor anymore, but we're supposed to keep apologizing for a defensive war launched by popes nearly a millennium before the Boston Tea Party? Get over yourselves, you're not that important.

Compared to America, why should I care about Irish history? I am an American. England has supported America. England rules.