Peter Rhodes on pride, prejudice and the best way to welcome Russian warplanes
Speaking at a literary festival, Queen Camilla praises the BBC's 1995 adaptation of Pride and Prejudice, declaring: “Who can forget the infamous scene of Mr Darcy emerging from the lake?” Well, ma'am, with all due respect, you seem to have forgotten it.
Truth is, there is no such scene. We see Mr Darcy (Colin Firth) or at least a stuntman, diving into the lake. We next see him walking home. There is no “emerging from the lake” moment. If you doubt that, check it out on YouTube.
How to respond to Russian warplanes entering Estonia's air space? The obvious way is to zap 'em which might be very satisfying but carries risks. The alternative is to greet the intruders by radio: “Welcome, Comrades. Be aware that you have our permission to fly over Estonia for a few minutes. Try not to leave too many vapour trails. ” If the Kremlin then ordered its warplanes to withdraw it would be seen as weakness. But if it told them to continue the incursion, mighty Russia would appear to be doing it with little Estonia's blessing, again looking weak. This may not be the perfect solution. But it does avoid World War 3.
