If you see two fish fighting there’s an Englishman nearby.
A Joke about British "Divide an Rule"
15:55
if you see two fish fighting there’s an Englishman nearby.
You know they cause [laughter] these problems between them. I think I think that’s from the the war in Cyprus is where that one comes from. But um
if you see two fish fighting there’s an Englishman nearby. Yeah, it’s I think it’s from the cipher wars where that came from. Anyway, you know, they went into these places and yeah, they’d always make friends with one of them.
Sometimes, you know, a chief that was kind of out of power and wanted to return to power, but one way or another, they they’d find friends there and then
just slowly move in over time. And that that is very much how the Romans expanded as well.
Yeah. And there there are some other things in here too that are interesting um that will remind you of let’s say
quotes from Colin Powell as well. Um but you you mentioned about this the early period. Um do you want to do you want to
help people out with the history of who the Samites were, the Latins, the the Atruscans and all that? We can call up a
map. I think we have a map of um of the Samite uh territories
uh to show. Yeah, here we go. Um you know, this early period that the Romans
went through to consolidate their empire. Uh it took quite a long time, did didn’t it? Um and or do do you want to just give us a little bit background?
It took them like 400 years to get oh just like 20 miles in every direction from Rome and in that same amount of time they reached their maximum in the
same next 400 years they reached their maximum territorial extent but there were endless small tribes most of which
no one’s ever heard of.
GEMINI:
Q: What does the following quote mean: "If you see two fish fighting there’s an Englishman nearby."
This quote is a sharp, metaphorical piece of commentary on colonialism, foreign intervention, and the “divide and rule” strategy historically associated with the British Empire.
Though it is often attributed as an old African or Turkish proverb, its core meaning boils down to a single idea: When two parties who previously coexisted are suddenly at war, look for the outside instigator who benefits from their conflict.
Here is a breakdown of what the quote implies:
1. The Strategy of “Divide and Rule” (Divide et Impera)
Historically, the British Empire often established and maintained control over vast territories by exploiting existing rivalries—or creating new ones—between local groups. By keeping the local populations fighting each other (the “two fish”), they were too distracted and weakened to unite against the colonial power (the “Englishman”).
2. Engineering Conflict from the Shadows
The metaphor of the fish tank or the river implies that fish don’t naturally fight to the death without a disruption to their environment. The “Englishman” represents an external force that alters the environment—perhaps by tossing in a single piece of food, drawing an arbitrary border, or favoring one fish over the other—to trigger the chaos from a safe distance.
3. Modern Application
While the quote specifically names the English due to the sheer scale of the British Empire’s historical footprint (think of the partition of India, or colonial borders drawn in Africa and the Middle East), it is often used today to describe any modern superpower or third-party nation that covertly meddles in foreign affairs for its own geopolitical or economic gain.
In short: It’s a warning to look past the immediate conflict and ask: Who manufactured this fight, and who stands to profit from it?
QUESTIONS:
Among a select group of people, the British’s use of “Divide & Rule” is well known? How well-know is this practice by the general public?
How closely did the British study the Roman’s use of “Divide & Rule”?
Are their countries that were previously estranged by “Divide & Rule” that have partially or fully reconciled once they realized that they had been manipulated?
Saudi Arabia and Iran a two countries that I suspect had a partial improvement in relations after mediation by China.