Thursday 4 November 2010

The Great Escape

A classic film. And as we approach Christmas it will more than likely be on tv again this year. It's a fantastic celebration of the British spirit, British ingenuity and plus it has a cracking theme tune (we'll overlook the fact that it's too long, historically inaccurate in places and was made by Americans).

However what stands out for me about this film is hope. Hope that the ending will be somehow different to when I last saw it. Logically this is nonsense. But the hope is still there. Everytime I watch it I want to shout; oh for God's sake don't say 'thank you' in English when wished good luck by the Gestapo, don't shoot Blythe and don't 'stretch your legs'.

This hope is epitomised by the scenes featuring Steve McQueen on the motorbike. My head shouts of course he doesn't succeed as he races around the German countryside - but my heart says maybe he might this time. He's only feet away from freedom when captured - so agonisingly close - oh why oh why isn't it different this time?

And it's this deluded hope that summarises the position of Tory eurosceptics. History teaches us that a Tory government always integrates us further and that any talk to the contrary is a lie. It doesn't matter often you say it, the pattern is always the same. Tories talk tough on Europe, galvanise their supporters then capitulate when in power.

Despite this evidence staring them straight in the face, on they go, Tory voters, still supporting them, forever doomed by disappointment. They lick their wounds when the Tory leadership betrays them again but continue to vote Tory in the hope that next time it will be different.

It isn't, and Steve McQueen didn't escape.




hattip for the video: EUreferendum

1 comment:

  1. Actually you picked a bad example. I have voted UKIP at least once in the past in General Elections. I am glad that Gordon Brown is gone, and I stated clearly in my advisories to vote Conservative that Cameron might have to be removed subsequently. The proof of the pudding will be if Cameron can or cannot be removed by the mainstream of the Conservative Party which is about as eurosceptic as UKIP. 85% want powers repatriated. 49% want out of the EU.

    You are misrepresenting me as did EU Referendum, which doesn't make for good persuasion. If I think UKIP deserve a vote in a general election I would say so, and I have done in the past, as I say.

    What strategy does UKIP offer currently other than more Labour governments which currently are no better than the Conservatives as regards the EU, and probably far worse as regards bankrupting us and putting us into the hands of international bankers who support the EU.

    I'm all for a bit of politics but misrepresenting my views is not very clever. And your strategy sucks.

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