Positive Patriotism

In 2004 I spent some time in Kenya, with the Kenyan partner of a British friend, and her family.  I realised recently that what I observed there had some important lessons for us here in Britain today, particularly around the conflict between tribalism and patriotism.  If you think that tribalism doesn’t affect us in Britain, or that tribalism and patriotism are similar ideas, then please read on. For 24 years, until 2002, Kenya was led by President Arap Moi, who was originally elected, but became more like a dictator.  There was a free election to replace him and I arrived at a time of democratic renewal.  I remember TV coverage of a constitutional convention and new measures to tackle corruption.  Although Kenya was plagued by poverty and corruption, there was a feeling of optimism, that things were going to improve.  There was a threat lurking in the background, however.  I was just a passing visitor, but I soon picked up the underlying tensions bet...

Expressions like “terrorist” and “traitor” are freely bandied around, by politicians, governments and, unfortunately, by many ordinary people on social media.  This is another symptom of the deepening divisions in our country, and the culture of confrontation online which feeds them.  So it is worth asking: who are the real terrorists and traitors, and who are the people misusing those terms to vilify their opponents? Terrorism – Real and Imagined For most people, in everyday English, terrorism involves violence against people, not damage to property (unless that physically threatens people), not accidental injury but a deliberate intention to kill or maim, for ideological reasons.   The two main groups who are doing that in Britain today are Islamist extremists and the far-right.   Up until now, the security forces seem to have had more success in infiltrating the far-right groups , but you might have noticed that an undercover agent code-named ‘Farouk’ helped G...