"If one extrapolates, England failed in Ireland because it hesitated. It was not prepared to render all Irish life extinct in the face of non-compliance. On the face of it it seems that that is exactly what Israel is prepared to do in Gaza."

Aye, point well made.

England had a respectable facade to maintain...

And we're still living under those utterly false cultural illusions today... While of course still participating in the same old bollox (check Blair and the plagiarised Phd. thesis fiasco!).