I’d seen these words of Winston Churchill’s before, but came across them again today reading an article (25 August 2011, “The law is ‘avin a laugh – but the joke is on Britain”) in the Telegraph:
“We are with Europe but not of it; we are linked but not compromised. We are associated but not absorbed. If Britain must choose between Europe and the open sea, she must always choose the open sea.”
I wonder if enough of Britain will remember that before it truly is compromised and absorbed. On the former, many would say it is too late (I would be one of them). On the latter, perhaps it is a matter of degrees.
Thoughts En Route 
I hope and pray the British will wake up and recognize the dire straits in which they are now embroiled. This is also my earnest desire for Ireland. During the Second World War the then Taoiseach [ Prime Minister ] Eamon de Valera refused to allow the Irish Free State ( Ireland – now the Irish Republic ) enter the war citing our vunurability, that were were a tiny nation and we cherished our independence – not his exact words, but the spirit of them. Having won, wrested from the British a large degree of autonomy or forced the British to withdraw and tolerate self-government by the majority in 26 of the 32 counties de Valera and his Fianna Fail government were in no mood to publicly support the Allies – especially the British. However he agreed to covert assistance and whilst German airmen or spies found qithin the borders of the Irsh Free State were interned British and American airmen and personell were secretly taken to the border and allowed to slip away. Indeoendence was maintained – that is until we joined the EU and it now look like Ireland will be subservient to a German dominated European superstate – that is unless the Irish – the tribe of Dan – revolt and walk hand-in-hand with our one-time estranged brother – Joseph – and together leave the EU.
I agree… too late……
I don’t think Dan is going to do that. Nor have we ourselves in this modern age of the Church, not for decades from all the discussions of the following I’ve ever heard. But not all hope is lost for Dan..
(Genesis 49:16 RSV) Dan shall judge his people as one of the tribes of Israel.
(Genesis 49:17 RSV) Dan shall be a serpent in the way, a viper by the path, [not so much a wanderer, but one] that bites the horse’s heels so that his rider falls backward.
(Genesis 49:18 RSV) I [Dan, as if being quoted] wait for thy salvation, O LORD.
(Revelation 7:2 RSV) Then I saw another angel ascend from the rising of the sun, with the seal of the living God, and he called with a loud voice to the four angels who had been given power to harm earth and sea,
(Revelation 7:3 RSV) saying, “Do not harm the earth or the sea or the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God upon their foreheads.”
(Revelation 7:4 RSV) And I heard the number of the sealed, a hundred and forty-four thousand sealed, out of every tribe of the sons of Israel [but Dan is not then among them]…
(Ezekiel 48:1 RSV) “These are the names of the tribes [in restored, millennial Israel]: Beginning at the northern border, from the sea by way of Hethlon to the entrance of Hamath, as far as Hazar-enon (which is on the northern border of Damascus over against Hamath), and extending from the east side to the west, Dan, one portion.
(Ezekiel 48:2 RSV) Adjoining the territory of Dan, from the east side to the west, Asher, one portion. (…)
Church Hill seems to be coming up a lot lately. Different people I know are reading about him. I went to the library and borrowed a couple of books on his life.
On is a pictorial with explainations or descriptions. It is pretty interesting, he was an interesting man.
There will be a great many things the peoples of the world realize before too much longer. What is ahead will indeed rough on a great many. Thank God for the truth.
RAKKAV, I can’t dispute that you’ve outlined or your conclusion. Looking at the attitude
of the political leaders in the Irish Republic ir seems they want to continue ” supping with the devil “, the EU and future Beast Power/European superstate/restored-revived “Holy ” Roman Empire – not realizing that there isn’t a spoon long enough to do so. The term ” viper by the path ” pictures in my mind one lying in ambush which was a trademark of the various IRA’s in the so-called Irish War of Independence right up through the Provisional IRA and the current Continuity and Real IRA’s.
Hi Michael,
I think of that past too when I think of “a viper by the path”, etc. But I think it most likely that this pattern will re-emerge when push comes to shove. Nowhere did the Roman Catholic policy of adapting the local paganism to its own framework suceed more than it did in Ireland (so it has been opined, with good reason) and when forced to choose between standing with Great Britain and standing with Catholic Europe, I believe Ireland will stand with the latter – at least at first – and that will not be good for Britain.
Of course being half-Scottish, I hope my Celtic cousins will do better but I worry for the Irish and for all of us descended from both houses of Israel.
Greetings RAKKAV,
The probability is that the Irish Republic will stay close – or ” cosy up ” – to the big boys in the EU. I’ve thought of it in these terms for some time: The little boy in the schoolyard tags along with those who may appear to be smarter, bigger and have more power and too often ignore the less than worthy escapades and scrapes they get into. He feels a part of something bigger and imagines he has a certain degree of value to those to whom he looks up, but in reality he’s just one whonis tolerated because he’ll run errands. I may have a claim on a Scottish heritage too in that my mother’s maiden name was Gillespie. In Gaelic – or irish – and not Gallic – or Scots – the name is Mac Giolla Easpuic meaning ” son of the bishop’s servant “. It probably means the same in Gallic. And the original Scots went from the northern part of the island of Ireland to the North Western part of Scotland in ancient days.