1. If only my country men and women knew how horrific the consequences are for the want of a nail! Oh, that we fully understood what is at stake; for the want of humility we may lose a country, all because of Brexit. I have often heard it said that you can scarcely hear the great clock at St. Paul’s Cathedral strike in the middle of the day; for the cacophony of daily traffic, that is, cars, buses, delivery vans, scooters, pedestrians and foreign tourists is such that many a person have lived near and have not known when it was 12 o’clock at mid-day; I do not wonder at it. But you can hear the striking of the bell in the dead of night; far away sounds the note that marks the hour, because then the traffic is hushed. Oh, if only a silence were to fall upon their noisy Brexit debates, perhaps they would regain the country’s collective composure.
2. Alas, as I observe the unfolding arguments from afar, all I see is that many on the British Isles are busy working themselves into a collective frenzy; for since the Brexit referendum of 2016, life has been one of constant noise, clamour, trafficking of this political idea or that; it has, apparently, dulled their ears, so much so that even though God Almighty were to speak today, and I wish he would for all our sakes, but chances are that none would hear his voice. The situation is desperate, very desperate and a great deal is at stake; for what is at stake is British democracy, parliamentary sovereignty, the rule of law, the British sense of fair play, and the very traditions which are the envy of the world.
3. This possible loss is not just a one way street, however; for if Britain as the United Kingdom were to miscarry, and God forbid that she should, the whole continent of Europe will suffer also. It is worth noting that Europe has her own peculiar challenges as well: Lest we should forget, the idea that some very clever people can build a Tower of Babel on an uneven foundation of ancient tribes, speaking in different voices and diverse cultures was always going to be fraught with difficulties – most probably – a dangerous one. We have been here before, the just concluded commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the end of the First Great War should be a warning to us all; namely, that those who do not make it their business to study their history, are condemned to repeat it. Indeed, it is for precisely this reason that I would appeal to those very clever people in Europe to tread softly in the management of the Brexit negotiations; humiliating Britain will only serve to aggravate the wound of burning injustices now existing in Britain and diminish Europe at the same time, the cost to all of us will be incalculable. Britain is in extreme distress at the moment; she must therefore be given grains of allowance, and a favourable construction must be put upon what her divided leaders say, because making the worst of every word we do not as we would be done by.
4. As for any cool heads left on the British Isles, here are words of encouragement: A good cause, and one which is designed to be victorious, may for a season, be involved in major embarrassment and distress; therefore, do not lose heart, but press on. Now is the time for humility and common sense in particular. And speaking of common sense: It is said that common sense is worth all the other senses put together; and I think if our leaders could but use the said common sense aright, it might be a fine thing for all of us in the small matter of Brexit negotiations – especially seeing that the destiny of the United Kingdom is at stake right now. It is for this reason that I commend for your consideration a great poem by Benjamin Franklin, ‘For the want of a nail.”
For the want of a nail
For the want of a nail the shoe was lost,
For the want of a shoe the horse was lost,
For the want of a horse the rider was lost,
For the want of a rider the battle was lost,
For the want of a battle the kingdom was lost.
And all for the want of a horseshoe-nail.
Leadership in Turbulent Times – Doris Kearns Goodwin Pulitzer Prize-winning author and historian and Jon Snow Presenter, Channel 4 News. For more details visit: https://www.thersa.org/