From Astrid Kisch.
IN response to Mr McCredie’s letters (JEP, 3 and 15 July), please would you permit me to explain in more detail?
The purpose of the European Community is to avoid border wars. Europe is tired of forever having to protect its land borders.
Poland, for example, at one time did not exist at all, having been swallowed up by Russia. Germany, at the centre with so many neighbours, was not only robbed of its colonies and land as well as being cut in half after the First World War, but lost even more land (about 50 per cent) after the Second World War, including its entire breadbasket.
Europe is tired of fighting and would prefer to live in a bureaucratic colossus in peace and harmony without borders. Anything is better than war, war, war.
Britain, on the other hand, is lucky to have a natural border (the sea). So is Ireland. Britain has not suffered any war in its own country since 1066, its armies having always fought on foreign soil, either conquering or defending its interests and helping its friends. So the Brits are not so scared of war.
Britain is now at a crossroads. During the years of empire-building and subsequent dismantling to give their colonies independence, retaining the Commonwealth link as a sort of unofficial communications corridor, experience with Europe has only been viewed in warfare. That is all the British people know. So the UK does not naturally belong in Europe – a United Europe.
So where does Britain choose to go? Does it want to be swallowed up into a totally bureaucratic European colossus or does it want to snuggle up to Uncle Sam as his poodle?
The present Middle East wars arise from the Bush/Blair relationship, and once again America does very nicely out of it, thank you. Britain gets nothing.
My husband and I tend to think that Britain should join neither a peaceful Europe, with which it has no affinity, nor a totally self-interested USA. It would do best to keep its independence and remain just a trading partner with countries of its choice.
However, the various British governments obviously do not think that Britain can survive alone and have chosen to side with Europe. They also seem unwilling to offer a referendum.
Question 1: If the British people definitely want to keep their independence, how do they achieve it, or are they already too deeply committed?
Question 2: Can Jersey survive economically, independent of the EU and the UK? We have to decide this before it is too late.
Villa Martinique,
Chemin du Moulin,
St Ouen.
