by Noel S. Williams
Some conservatives with an appreciation for the impact of England (let’s broaden it to GB) on Western Civilization fret about the motherland’s impending downfall. They are partially justified, but rumors about Great Britain’s demise may be exaggerated. At a minimum, while there are still true Brits, they’ll always be English.
For patriotic Americans enamored of our founding principles, it’s plausible to suggest that Brits essentially “invented” America, myths purveyed from poets and embellishing biographers notwithstanding. Indeed, the original Americans mostly considered themselves to be British, some spending as much time in London as Philadelphia. They appreciated their heritage even while despising the king and his tax collectors, whom they rudely tarred and feathered. They developed an Americanized version of English to communicate their New World circumstances, environments, and bewildering array of flora and fauna. As Sir Winston Churchill essentially said, “Britain and America are two nations divided by a common language.”
They’ll always be English.
The British have sown seeds far and wide, even helping develop modern Singapore. Nowadays, a British passport is one of the most cherished, as it carries many benefits. Times Square in N.Y. is considered to be the “crossroads of the world.” Maybe so, but some proffer that if the world were to have a capital, then there are few better choices than London, the capital of capitals. Putting xenophobia aside, it’s not outlandish to rank it as one of the best cities in the world; indeed, this official report ranks it top.
They’ll always be English.
Admittedly, the mother country is being suffocated by ungrateful foreigners with a chip on their shoulders. What ex-P.M. David Cameron referred to as muscular liberalism to rein in their multiculturalism has atrophied into floppy leftism. In this regard, the brilliant madam and others teeter upon reality: the very “precious stone set in the silver sea” may no longer be graced by the “happy breed of men.” Nevertheless, they’ll always be English.
From science to technology (including recent progress in A.I.), to the arts and sports (Britain formalized rules for the world’s most popular), Great Britain’s contributions to modern times may only be surpassed by the country it “invented.” After the U.S., the U.K. is the country with the most Nobel Prizes (some of them actually matter).
That’s impressive, but here’s their legacy that tops the lot — the English language. It beautifully assimilates varied lexicographical cultures; it has one of the largest vocabularies, and has more synonyms and exquisite expressions than any other. It is spoken (more or less) everywhere that it matters. From Chaucer to Shakespeare to … now, they’ll always be English.
The most gripping literature and hypnotic musical lyrics are conveyed by English. Honestly, in recent times, it’s hard to identify anyone having more creative juice than the Brits. For example, they may not have invented Rock ‘N’ Roll, but elevated it to the musical heavens. If music is the universal language, then English is the primary purveyor.
During their “darkest hour,” Dame Vera Lynn’s touching songs lifted the spirits of, and captured the resilience of, a nation that, for a time, stood alone. One of her mesmeric pieces is “They’ll always be an England.” With the degeneration of muscular liberalism, some legitimately doubt that, but this is less doubtful: They’ll always be English!