‘Great Britain’ facing a mid-life crisis

The loss of face, power and status is traumatic to Britain. The ego boost power provided them in an earlier era has created an identity crises and fear of loss control

The British are facing a mid-life crisis. By the end of World War II Britain faced grave problems. The war had stripped Britain of virtually all its foreign financial resources, and the country had built up “sterling credits”—debts owed to other countries that had to be paid in foreign currencies—amounting to several billion pounds.

Its economy was in disarray. Important segments of the economy like the railway and coal mines, were in bad repair and desperately short of new equipment. It meant the country had nothing to export and thus, no way to pay for imports or even for food. Making matters worse the US ended lend-lease agreement, on which Britain had depended for purchase of its necessities.

Britain then had to go on bended knee, with begging bowl in hand to the US (its former colony) and to Canada (at that time still a British colony) for loans to tide over the difficult period. They had to negotiate a $3.75 billion loan from the United States and a smaller one from Canada. It brings to mind the crisis we faced during and after the ‘Aragalaya’. 

With its industry crumbling and in shambles, Britain’s newly elected Labour government began a process of nationalising its rail transport and coal industry. In addition, road transport, docks and harbours, and the production of electrical power, all of which were floundering were nationalised. 

On another side, perhaps there is a lesson here our NPP government can quote to IMF negotiators regarding the demand that our own loss-making state-owned industries be privatised. 

Britain also withdrew support from Greece and Turkey and called on the US to take its place. It was at this point US then offered the ‘Marshal Plan’ which offered -a massive programme of financial aid to the European continent. 

Britain was among the first West European countries to apply for this aid. It (‘Great Britain’) had by this time been reduced to the position of a beggar -no longer a world power. It fact it was a bankrupt nation. The loss of its empire added to its list of woes and dried up another major source of income. 

Though the British like to speak of its ‘special relationship with the US, this relationship is completely one-sided and is best expressed in US President Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff’s blunt dismissal of British premier Keir Starmer’s plan for an international force to support a ceasefire in Ukraine. Witkoff dismissed the plan as “a posture and a pose”

Witkoff according to the BBC, said the Starmer’s idea was based on a “simplistic” notion of the UK prime minister and other European leaders thinking “we have all got to be like Winston Churchill”!

Witkoff is leading the US ceasefire negotiations with both Russia and Ukraine and is set to hold separate talks in Saudi Arabia with Ukraine and Russia about a ceasefire at meetings over Sunday and Monday. But neither the UK (with its ‘special relationship with the US’) will be invited to participate. Such is Britain’s status in international affairs and the power structure in the world today.

The loss of face, power and status is traumatic to Britain. The ego boost power provided them in an earlier era has created an identity crises and fear of loss control. After long years of ruling the waves and waiving the rules, today it is difficult for the Brits to gracefully fade away. So they keep seeing the speck in others eye without recognising the plank in their own.

Britain is facing a mid-life crisis, a loss of its past gory days where it ruled the waves and waived the rules. Its sanctioning of four Lankan military personnel must be seen in this light. British needs to bloat its self-importance. 

So it imposes sanctions on others, yet remaining blind to its own crimes such as the Jallianwala Bagh massacre in India, the massacres during the Wellassa rebellion and the Mau Mau uprising in Kenya.

Let not our government waste time over what are mere distractions. We have more important matters to attend to like getting out of our foreign debt and controlling the rising crime in our cities.

Let Starmer and his ilk stew in the innocent blood they shed in Asia and elsewhere.