[stones of the foreign policy of the fervent…]
Socialist Press1980 1980-03-26Read it in the scan (PDF), scan page 5 →
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stones of the foreign policy of the fervent "patriots' of Fleet Street.
The Daily Express was one of the leaders of Tory opposition to the EEC. This opposition was based on racial affinity with the white commonwealth; hostility to the foreigners' of Europe and a dinosaur-like belief in the 'greatness' of Britain.
The 'patriotism' of the British ruling class, which is portrayed in its least sophisticated form in the Daily Express has much in common with the Great Russian chauvinism of the Czar, the German nationalism of the Kaiser and the French nationalism of De Gaulle.
Deaths
It is the nationalism which sends millions of workers to their deaths when the capitalists fall out.
For seven years the Express has been largely silent question of the EEC.
• But as exports fall and the cost of EEC policy increases the rampant jingoism is once more turned on.
On Thursday March 20 the Express (in a front page opinion column headed Get Lost! The message for France) declared:
«The last time Britain went into Europe with any degree of success was on June 6, 1944."
«We are a tolerant and long suffering nation. Too tolerant. Too long suffering. Too inclined to believe that we are so weak we have to cough up hard cash to French parasites.
(The Express does not blame the EEC on a world conspiracy of Jews. but otherwise this opinion column could have been taken word for word from the pages of National Front News).
Gutter
French ministers expressed strong hostility to the Express editorial.
Next day the champions of British nationalism sank deeper into the gutter.
"Of course we do make allowances for the French. We know their attitude is born not of arrogance, but of an inferiority complex.
"We know they have never forgiven the British for liberating them in 1944. We know they have never forgotten that. in their darkest hour, Churchill offered them common citizenship with us...
"Well, the French had toughen up their over-sensitive and delicate natures because the British people are getting-angry -and we have only just begun"
Ruling class The "British people" is the British ruling class. Having duped workers into voting for EEC entry (against the advice of the Express), the capitalists and
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Racialism, nationalism, jingoism are the corner