Editor's Comment - September 2009

September 15th 2009

The wars of the last century with their paraphernalia of klieg lights and barbed wire still cast long shadows over Europe. How appropriate that on the anniversary of the start of World War Two the future of the Crossrail project should be assured by funding from the European Investment Bank.

Boris Johnson, mayor of London and erstwhile Euro-sceptic, has pulled off a tremendous coup in gaining a one billion pound loan. Johnson recently wrote glowingly of the new sense of purpose and power in Brussels which he visited this summer.

Whatever its failings the singular achievement of the European Union is to render a major land war between France and Germany politically impossible. The serried ranks of thousands of war dead in cemeteries across Europe bear silent testament to this imperative.

The newsreel footage of German soldiers breaking up a Polish border crossing already seems to belong to another age. Twenty years ago the tearing down of the Berlin War asserted the triumph of the human spirit over repression and dictatorship.

However, the wars of the last century almost destroyed Europe, the crucible of civilisation, of art, music and literature. The complacency which gave way to repressive authoritarian regimes is far too recent to allow us any measure of comfort.

The horror of the Holocaust, the cold blooded attempt to exterminate the Jewish race, offers us an eternal reproach at the abnegation of political responsibility. Democracy is hard and is the responsibility of us all. It is not enough to react to sound bite politics or simply rehearse bar room prejudice.

We in Britain have become seemingly inured to poor leadership and irresponsible government. We should take heart at Crossrail and the fast developing plans for Britain’s railways. We should be encouraged by the prospect of a new and prosperous Europe in which our industry flourishes.

---

Subscribe or spread the word:

• More Andy Milne news articles