I`m English. I know in England, I have English heroes and every once in a piece I go to the cause of encouraging the English football team.
Billy Bragg is English too. I`ve just recently finished reading his excellent book The Progressive Patriot. In its delightfully rambling travel through history, music and Billy`s life, it shows exactly why he feels there is nothing wrong with the identity he has adopted.
A progressive patriot call-to-arms might be lost amidst what amounts to a beautiful discourse on things the author is concerned in, but by no way is that a true failing of the book. Its content is light enough anyway, it`s only a pity it seems not to have been taken up by many.
The degree is that the left (and anti-fascists) have failed by letting the argument over identity be dominated by the right. As committed internationalists, we own somehow got it into our heads that we can`t talk about loving our country.
The primary cause for this likely stems from our Marxist (or perhaps anarchist) influences, where it is deemed an unneeded distraction from the `actual` job of union the world proletariat. But in the material world, national identity is something that matters to a great many people, and which ultimately does far more dear than harm. There`s nothing wrong with feeling a sense of community with the remainder of the mass in the country, and historically it has a full show of binding us together in multiplication of severe distress such as the Second World War.
The moment cause is that nationalism is derided as irrational by those who place far too large an accent on cold hard reason. It just doesn`t run as an argument, because there are obvious evolutionary reasons for the phenomenon- and likewise because we don`t fundamentally need a complete explanation for all of our emotions. I don`t truly understand any class of passion in a scientific manner, but that isn`t going to catch me adoring my girlfriend!
Third, left wingers complain of the so-called "patriots" that defy any affront to the country, such as those seen in America in blind defence of George W Bush. But these people aren`t true patriots, because loving your country isn`t about never criticising it. Love such as this is unconditional, but it is not uncritical. Parents know their children no matter what, but they aren`t afraid to clean them up and set them when they have an error- to do otherwise would be to pay them a poor upbringing.
Fourthly and finally, left wingers (having missed the nationalist territory) fear discussing what could sometimes be branded a "racist" topic- discussions of the nation`s character are these days the kingdom of Nick Griffin and the Daily Mail.
For all these reasons, but particularly the last, the right-wing has stolen our national icon and is monopolising any word of our identity. When we shout anti-fascist slogans at the English Defence League, we are responded to with the poke of "I`m English `til I die". When we recommend our administration to adopt tolerant and inclusive policies, we are criticised in the Daily Mail as PC-gawn-mad and "un-British".
Thing is, we`re English too. And in a strange sorta way I think I could call myself British, though I`m not such a fan of the identity.
So we should be capable to react to the EDL with our own red crosses on white flags, this time coupled with tolerant messages. We should be capable to reply to Richard Littlejohn and Peter Hitchens by demonstrating that multiculturalism goes right to the effect of what it way to be British, and that our story is cluttered with examples of the beneficial role immigration has played.
I`m glad that England was willing to give its shores to the Huguenots, the Sea Beggars, Karl Marx, the Jews, and the groups seeking refuge in new times. Hasn`t this kind of thing had an unfathomable impact on our culture? I truly don`t see how it`s potential to be racist and therefore presumably reject the medicine of Dizzee Rascal, The Specials and Bob Marley- and even if those are not to your taste, can you honestly say the material you mind to doesn`t contain elements influenced by people with dark-coloured skin?
Billy Bragg raises the wonderful suggestion that UAF (and groups like them) should wave St George`s Cross back at their fascist opponents. He points out that it`d force the racists to resort to more primitive symbols- perhaps a swastika, or a nice raised flat hand.
We want a dog and candid discussion, and we lefties mustn`t shy away from it. The SNP and Plaid Cymru have had tremendous success, and Ireland`s national identity is traditionally tied up with the left wing cause. A long time ago England`s was too, but William Blake would be ashamed to see the BNP and Tories dominating. Englishness is more than just cricket, and it`s certainly not about the color of your skin- let`s show that we love England, but also know the immense amount of different cultures that have contributed to its corporate identity.
Anyway, I trust this has maybe interested you, and set you thinking. You can`t defend the fascists by refusing to know the dish in this common and pleasant land.
Solidarity,
Dan x
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