On 23 December 1776, the great Thomas Payne wrote his first treatise on the expanding war between the American colonies and the then British Empire. The war was barely half a year old at that time, but already Payne could see many of the rebels were beginning to waver.
Despite having been born in England, he was deeply committed to the patriotic cause of those who sought America’s nationhood. The expanded work which began with that first essay – which is now known throughout the world by its name The American Crisis – opened with words any young student of history will be familiar with instantly.
Their poetry still has the awesome power to stir the heart.
“These are the times that try men’s souls,” Payne writes. It is a line which resonates down the ages, a timeless, remarkable line. “The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of his country; but he who stands by it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman.”
As Celtic fans, we have seen our share of “summer soldiers and sunshine patriots”, those who are with us in fair weather but in storms of rain turn on us and give us a kicking. A lot of them are in the media, men like Nicholas, like Walker, like Commons.
There are others, like O’Neill, Petrov, Sutton and Hartson, who have given advice when it was required, support when it was needed and criticism when it was warranted.
They have our thanks for that and our deep respect. I will not say that we would not be in such a good place right now if it were not for them but they kept on reminding people that they too had seen tough times and that this club always endures.
It is worth thinking about that.
There are people who think our club will collapse if we lose on Sunday, or if we lose Ange Postecoglou or if a couple of our players depart in the summer. They see our fans and think that we’re nothing other than “summer soldiers and sunshine patriots.”
But they have always thought that and they always will, because they cannot and do not think any further than their fondest wishes and their fondest wishes are for some calamity to strike Celtic which we do not survive.
Their finest hour was, in many ways, brought about not by anything they did themselves but by the general collapse in standards at Celtic, the result of mistakes which were all too obvious to many of us at the time but somehow were made by those running the show at Parkhead.
But I repeat, this club – the club itself – always endures.
Here’s another little bit of history, one I’ve written about before.
On 15 March 44BC a group of Roman senators, believing they were striking a blow for freedom, ambushed and murdered Gaius Julius Caesar.
They had expected the acclaim of the masses. They had, after all, killed a tyrant. Instead of celebrations, they were greeted with sullen silence. Caesar’s closest friend, Marc Anthony, capitalised on that. He negotiated a sham peace, and then at the funeral gave an oration that sparked a riot. The assassins fled, for their own safety.
Within two years, everyone involved in the plot to kill Caesar was dead. The Republic they thought they were saving, teetered and collapsed. The fate of those men is history’s great cautionary tale. You never know what’s around the corner, but if you’re smart and you look over the horizon before you act you can see where the troubles might emerge.
That’s where we went wrong in appointing Lennon. For reasons which will never be fully clear, they gambled that his faults would be counterbalanced by his strengths and thought the club needed a figure who “understood” it to see us through to ten in a row.
He was the wrong man. I’m not even sure that we needed, or should have had, a man who “understood” it. Even Rodgers may not have been the right person for that high-pressure season with all its off-field chaos on top of everything else. A man who could have taken Ange’s approach – pragmatic, systematic and Stoic – would have been a far better bet.
But Ibrox fans drew entirely the wrong conclusions from that title loss. They concluded that they “were back” and would now dominate the game here. But it was down to us. The decision making at Celtic was weak. The club itself never was.
Ibrox’s problem is that it has a wrong-headed view of history. They looked at our collapse in the ten in a row season and believed that it revealed a systemic problem when, in fact, it was the consequence of that poor decision making. But they assumed that their club had overtaken us and that they might be on top for years to come.
They fatally misunderstood two things. First was the inherent strength of Celtic, and the second was their own historical place in the Grand Scheme Of Things.
The first is something they’ve traditionally done throughout not just their history but that of their predecessor club. The second is more complicated.
Let’s start with this. Their attitude of today goes back to their predecessor club, and it’s there where we must look if we want to understand this gross underestimation of Celtic. There is a truth that these Peepul have never fully grasped, and it’s the reason I’ve stayed a believer in our club and in its inherent strength no matter what the “summer soldiers and sunshine patriots” have said, written or thought in the past. We are not like them.
Celtic has been a stable, well run club since Fergus McCann took over it. He bequeathed us, with the bigger stadium, a commercial advantage that they simply cannot bridge. But the deeper truth is not just about the power of Celtic but in the weaknesses of Ibrox.
Here’s something I’ve written before and is still much misunderstood.
You ready for this? Here goes.
The club they once followed, the one that was actually called Rangers, never existed any more than the one they are following now does.
Both were, as one Thrones character calls it, “a trick, a shadow on the wall.” Rangers never was a superpower any more than the club playing at Ibrox right now is. Everything they had they built with borrowed or stolen money. Every triumph they enjoyed would have been out-with their reach without major injections of cash that they didn’t have.
They are still living this hand-to-mouth existence today, refusing to budget properly and playing fast and loose with regulators at UEFA, who are now alert to the goings on over there in recent years and are no longer willing to soft-peddle around them.
Look, they are a club which for decades now has fatally undermined their own growth potential by embracing all this empire stuff, all this monarchy guff, the militarism and all this staunch Britishness shtick. We’re moving past that as a country and those ideas belong in another century anyway. Even in the North of Ireland these ideas are about being called time on except in a tiny and shrinking community. That’s their customer base; tiny, and shrinking.
They hang onto the hard-core. They have to. Which is why they pander to them every chance they get. But we are going to put that hard-core under more pressure than they’ve seen in a long time if we win this trophy at the weekend.
But if we lose it … well this is where their fantasy goes into overdrive. They envisage a general collapse at Celtic, one so bad we might not even secure the title. They think one trophy will be the launch-pad to a beautiful future.
Yet it will not change certain underlying realities.
The first of which is that much of their team will depart in the summer and there’s no money to replace them. So a triumph on the field of battle for a day might well be secured (I very much doubt it, but you never know) but the greater victory, title number 2 or 56 or whichever one they want to use … they still have no clear plan for getting there.
The Mooch can buy himself a little time, but that’s all. As Ange has pointed out, winning the Scottish Cup and getting to a European final was not enough to satisfy a fan-base which has a warped and quite ridiculous idea of their club’s place in the world … you want to talk about “summer soldiers and sunshine patriots”? All that matters to them is overhauling us in the league and unless he can manage that he’s going to find himself in bother.
And they will not wait too long to clamour for his removal.
“These are the times that try men’s souls.” What gets us through bad seasons and bad days is knowing that the underlying strength of Celtic remains. “The harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph. What we obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly.”
We will win because we suffered and bled and fought for it all. They won’t, not in the long haul, because they found some mugs and put everything on their credit card.
That’s a strategy with no future, and they, as a club, have no Plan B.
The sight of they Knuckodraggin Hun Bastards knocking Fuk oot each other on Sun Ngt will be TRULY GLORIOUS LOL!!
How can you claim Britain’s ‘moving past’ anything when you still have a monarchy, you still the damnable politicians and the corporate rapine has only just begun?
When you can’t even buy tomatoes or fresh greens because the supply chain has been deliberately destroyed?
And what do alleged events from over 2000 years ago that may or may not be true have to do with the fact Britain is on the verge of total corporate destruction far less a game of fitba?
Btw, Thomas Payne was considered a traitor at the time and was, of course, a Freemason, so anything he wrote, however seemingly noble, was not written for the betterment of mankind but solely that of his own pocket.
* You still TRUST the damnable politicians …
Freemasonry in the 18th century was a progressive and radical organisation Think Rabbie Burns, Thomas Paine and several of the American Revolutionaries, they were also part of the influences behind the French Revolution.
In the 19th century they were gradually infiltrated by the Establishment especially in Britain and throughout the British Empire. This has resulted in what we see today, a very conservative and establishment organisation.
Hopefully Celtic will show on Sunday that a team with movement skill and imagination will always beat a team of reasonable workmanlike footballers. I know the officials will try their damnest to influence the game in the huns favour, but I honestly think we’re good enough to overcome this.
I’m sorry, Michael, but Freemasonry was none of those things, that was just the public facade to keep folk onside with their real agenda, which was control everywhere TT, which, as today’s world proves, they’ve almost completed.
Even the great ‘Godfather of Freemasonry’ Albert Pike tells us openly in his Morals & Dogma that Freemasonry has always been a nefarious Luciferian cult, even laughing at people who refused to believe that at the higher levels they do indeed actually and literally worship and serve Lucifer.
Besides what could be progressive about any society that seeks to overthrow true freedom and genuine democracy with a chimera, an entirely false and backward representation of both and whose members commune secretly amongst themselves at the expense of all others?
If you read Morals & Dogma you’ll see the true aims of this Zionist organisation even at that time and how its deviant practices and dark rituals are steeped in the occult mystery schools of ancient Egypt.
It’s available as a free pdf online and I recommend it to anyone with an interest in how this world is really run and by whom and for what purposes.
Slán.
HH
* Retraction: Albert Pike was not in any way ‘great’ part from to fellow Freemasons.
Odd how no one complains that one of the Co founders of the Ku Klux Klan has the largest individual tomb in all of America and in central Washington at that.
So for all his wise words and relative honesty, for a Mason at least, he still thought it a fine thing to organise as many whites as possible to rape, torture and murder as many blacks and Hispanics as possible and for these despicable acts he is revered by white corporate Masonic America as not only one of their ‘great’ founders but that he deserves rewarding with statues all over the place and a tomb nearly as big as the White House itself, facts which don’t exactly point to Freemasonry being in any way progressive, even back then.
Slán.
I’m not here to defend Freemasonry, but quite honestly to compare Freemasonry with the KKK is a bit over the top, Please read my post, The KKK was founded in 1865 by ex confederate soldiers therefore during the 19th century and nothing whatsoever to do with Freemasonry.
I’ve got no doubt that some Freemasons have been involved in corruption over the years especially in Britain and its ex Colonies.
In Scotland since the industrial revolution it certainly helped to gain employment and promotion by being a member of the masons.
I’ve got no doubt that in Scottish Football to rise up the refereeing ladder it definitely helps to be a mason.
Although I’ve got to say I’m pretty sure any mason I’ve known doesn’t worship Lucifer. lol
Just want to say my views of Freemasonry are coloured by my Scottish experience. I don’t know much about how the Masons have evolved in the US.
I must say a lot of the Mason’s I’ve known over the years have been pretty fair minded individuals, but I’ve always had a problem with the secrecy and this is why I think a Mason in any position of authority should have to declare their membership.
And Albert Pike was one of those Confederate soldiers, Michael.
‘ Links to Arkansas Ku Klux Klan
Pike’s name often comes up as an early leader of Ku Klux Klan. According to historian Walter Fleming, Pike was the “chief judicial officer” of the Klan in 1905.’
This used to be common knowledge but there’s been an awful lot of online whitewashing these past few years proven by the fact hat they’re now trying to say that Pike’s involvement is ‘ a controversial subject’ despite it being an incontrovertible fact only a few short years ago.
Low level Freemasons know little to nothing of the Lucifer worship but Pike mentions it extensively throughout his written work and made sure there was no mistaking who their true ‘leader’ is.
Check out his Morals & Dogma for free online and you can read his proud boasts for yourself.
HH
Here are some examples, Michael
‘ Strange and mysterious name to give to the spirit of Darkness! Lucifer, the Son of the Morning! Is it he who bears the Light, and with its splendors intolerable blinds feeble, sensual, or selfish souls? Doubt it not!’
‘ Masonry is a search after Light. That search leads us directly back, as you see, to the Kabalah.’
‘ To you, Sovereign Grand Inspectors General (33rd Degree Masons), we say this, that you may repeat it to the Brethren of the 32nd, 31st, and 30th degrees: ‘The Masonic religion should be, by all of us initiates of the high degrees, maintained in the purity of the Luciferian doctrine.’
‘ Fictions are necessary for the people, and the Truth becomes deadly to those who are not strong enough to contemplate it in all its brilliance.
In fact, what can there be in common between the vile multitude and sublime wisdom?
The Truth must be kept secret, and the masses need a teaching proportioned to their imperfect reason.’
Albert Pike
‘
Here he ‘predicts’ not only World War 2 but also it’s main players and for what purpose each side will be used, 40 years prior to the event.
‘ The Second World War must be fomented by taking advantage of the differences between the Fascists and the political Zionists.
This war must be brought about so that Nazism is destroyed and that the political Zionism be strong enough to institute a sovereign state of Israel in Palestine.
During the Second World War, International Communism must become strong enough in order to balance Christendom, which would be then restrained and held in check until the time when we would need it for the final social cataclysm.’
They really do know what they’re doing with this agenda of theirs as Pike told us all about it over a century in advance.
Read the book and you’ll see we are now on the verge of that final social cataclysm as he elaborates even further as to how the Third World War will be created and by what methods, methods we’ve already seen at play since Spring 2020.
‘ He joined the anti-Catholic Know Nothing Party at its founding,[6] and, in the summer of 1854, helped introduce the party in Arkansas.[9]
He attended the national convention in 1856, but walked out when it failed to adopt a pro-slavery platform.[6] In the lead-up to the Civil War,
Pike signed a pamphlet which proposed expelling all free African Americans from Arkansas.
It said that the “evil is the existence among us of a class of free colored persons.’
Yeah, he was a real charmer alright …
And the problem with Freemasons in leadership positions is the same as with the Scottish refs, that is if they were ro declare their allegiances there would be no leaders left.
Their power and reach really is that extensive.
I agree with everything you are saying, James although I feel you are getting caught up in their narrative and losing sight of the fact we just need to take care of our club and basically ignore the pish that gets spouted from the majority of their fans who will never give us any credit regardless. What I would say is there is a small section of their supporters who do realise the peril their club is in. Sunday is a massive game for them arguably the biggest in their short life if they win the delusion will continue if we win which we should Beale’s bullshit will have been exposed and it could take them years to recover again.We will recover after defeat due to the reasons you stated they will implode again.
Radio clyde trying to kid on they covered the sakalo “other mob” shite. This is an employee of the rangers international football club. Not an ordinary fan, as they laughed and giggled their way to yet another commercial break. HH
Oh how I hope you’re right on them having no future with league titles in it, that’s definitely worth seeing.
What they represent makes me sick but unfortunately they aren’t going anywhere, so don’t hold your breath. I just want to win the league every year and make it hard for them to compete other than that I try not to think about them.
For the life of me, I don’t know how celts within Scotland, especially Glasgow, can tolerate the stink of shite that comes from hun scum.
There level of desperation is unreal with fantasy, lies and bollocks and this amount of shite coming out of the scum won’t stop until we slaughter the bastards on Sunday.
Then cue the revolt of the mutants, as usual.
Future remains very predictable in Glasgow especially, and that it’s “Green and white” and will remain for ever more.
I wouldn’t trust Petrov or O Neill as far as I could throw a 2cwt bag of cement.
They too have acquired a taste for the cheap soup.
They’ll still be here for a long time yet. We’ve been hearing about their demise for too long now and it gets a bit boring. There’s nothing I would like better than to see them disappear
completely but the sad fact is that Celtic Park would be empty every game if all they had to beat are the dross that makes up Scottish football.
Just want to say my views of Freemasonry are coloured by my Scottish experience. I don’t know much about how the Masons have evolved in the US.
I must say a lot of the Mason’s I’ve known over the years have been pretty fair minded individuals, but I’ve always had a problem with the secrecy and this is why I think a Mason in any position of authority should have to declare their membership.