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Otto English

Aug 4, 2019 • 5 tweets • 1 min read

Today is of course the 105th anniversary of the start of World War One. My aunt was born that day and as my grandfather emerged into the streets he discovered that war had broken out...

He went on to fight in that war, got blown up and buried alive at the Somme as an officer in the RA... recovered and went back again. Never got over the trauma of it. Would wake up screaming for the rest of his life. Reenlisted in WW2 - a war in which my father also fought...

I'm sitting here in my garden with my 14 year old son and all of that is history now. I've not had to fight in a war and I hope he won't either. All of this peace and security came at a massive price in life and suffering and years of negotiations to ensure it didn't happen again

And that's why I fucking hate Brexit.

None of the above is unique. My father weren't special individuals. Those wars obliged generations across Europe to be offered up like sacrificial lambs.

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More from @Otto_English

Otto English

@Otto_English

Jan 31

@krishgm

Confronted by @krishgm over Boris Johnson using a conspiracy theory about Keir Starmer in the House of Commons today, Nadine Dorries says:

"The Prime Minister tells the truth."

Hard to decide what Johnson's biggest error was today. Spreading fake news about Jimmy Saville or sending Nadine Dorries in to defend him.

The noise near the end is my son banging a pasta bowl and not the rattling of Badines brain

Read 4 tweets

Otto English

@Otto_English

Jan 12

"Is the Prime Minister so contemptuous of the British public that he thinks he can just ride this out?"

Starmer has Johnson on the ropes. #PMQs

Starmer goes on to say that the British public think Johnson is "lying through his teeth" causing outrage on Tory benches. They know it's true but you're not allowed to call liars "liars" in our arcane parliament.

Boris Johnson looking utterly ridiculous.

Read 4 tweets

Otto English

@Otto_English

Jan 5

The whole argument about having to leave statues up so we can appreciate our history is neatly dismantled by the Colston saga. The opposite was after all the case. Most people hadn't heard of him until his statue was tossed in the harbour. That moment started the conversation.

I was only aware of who he was - albeit dimly - because I'd visited a friend in Bristol in 2019 and he'd told me about it.

The affair shows the lessons that can be learned from questioning what's about us. And chiefly - why should an effigy to a ghastly person become immutable simply because some bunch of merchants decided to put it up 100 years ago?

Read 6 tweets

Otto English

@Otto_English

Jan 4

So much to enjoy here. If you click on the Boris Johnson Shakespeare book it:

A: Tells you it's now coming out in 2050

and

B: Tells you it's written by "Anonymous"

waterstones.com/book/shakespea…

Only discovered this weekend that Enoch Powell was a fully paid up member of the "Shakespeare didn't write the plays" club and that his biographer Simon Heffer believes the same
telegraph.co.uk/culture/116857…

Enoch Powell also believed Christ was stoned to death not crucified
upi.com/Archives/1994/…

Read 4 tweets

Otto English

@Otto_English

Jan 4

Do not understand why history becomes an optional in year 10. Such a fundamental subject. Lies at the heart of so much of our lives and politics but kids can basically opt out.... meanwhile they are obliged to learn all manner of mathematics and science that most will never use

And that's not a dig at science or maths - but where is the logic in children learning algebra (for example) while basically giving up on a subject that lies at the very core of who we are.

I was I confess absolutely useless at science and this might be bias on my part. Science is absolutely fundamental too. But I don't think kids should be dropping history that early.

Read 5 tweets