It's being said, mostly in those sad, loud, envious right wing circles, that because of our ever closer links to the EU, we are destroying "our historical past". The sad thing is, it's just not true.

Instead we are well remembered around the world as the nation, and the people, who plundered land that wasn't ours, pirated the high seas, destroyed cultures as far apart as North America and Australasia, and put the s' firmly in slavery.

Oh, if only we could destroy our shameful historical past, dump it all in history's dirtiest dustbin and start all over again. And you know what? There might just be a way.

A truly united Europe, a new beginning, a new people, a new country with a new vision for a still-new century.

The question is, are we big enough or will we allow nationalism to do what it's programmed to do, destroy us?

As it destroys everything in fullment of the Biblical prophecy, "Before destruction goeth pride", nationalism is about pride.

It's a fact that whenever people are asked to name or nominate their country's greatest, it's almost always some strong nationalistic type, usually a military person or politician.

Winston Churchill won this award from his country. This is the man who, in a 1930s speech, said that he saw nothing wrong with Britain taking (stealing) land from others, America, Africa, Asia, Australia, and we complain about foreigners coming here, it's that other biblical prophecy being fulfilled, "What you sow that will you reap", so stop whining, it's our own fault.

Also, in what is supposed to be a Christian country, wouldn't you think we'd go for a different type of person?

Surely the likes of William Wilberforce, Emily Pankhurst, Elizabeth Fry and Florence Nightingale are preferable to such a hard, cruel man. They gave not took, created not destroyed, served not dominated. In fact, we can be sure that in their time they would have been called "Damned interfering do-gooders". Sounds familiar.

And you know I almost pity those naive types who say "my country", or "our country", it's not their country, the poorest 80 per cent have less wealth between them than the richest one per cent, and land ownership is the same.

The most the poor get out of "their" country is a mortgage and by the time they've paid it off, the lender has received enough to buy three similar types of houses, and repossessing yours makes it four, how's that for slick capitalism?

Down the centuries nationalism has proven to be a lethal poison, patriotism a drug for the feeble minded, and national flags pieces of coloured cloth used to drape the coffins of the mostly poorly educated men who sign up to die for "their" country.

The Bible tells of a time when nations will no longer fight each other, but it can't happen unless, and until, nationalism and all its evil works is destroyed for ever.

We have the chance to become the generation that dispatches it to history, and, who knows, maybe a future generation will stand in silence to "Those who defeated the true enemy - nationalism."

We have the chance to fulfil Biblical prophecy.