The UK is Sicker than Italy

July 1, 2008 · Filed Under UK · 17 Comments 

Over on Man of Roma’s thoughtful blog, I made a bold statement. What I said is that the UK is in a greater state of decline than Italy.

Now, I can’t go around saying things like this without giving some evidence, so here it is.

  • Senseless violence - stories of knifings and shootings seem to be an almost daily occurrence, and the culprits, more often than not, come from cultures which are not strictly English. This leads to the second piece of evidence.
  • Appalling levels of integration. Britain opened the flood gates to immigrants many years ago, but did little else. Now there are Islamic terror cells springing up all over the place. I mean, was it a good idea to encourage people with such diverse religious beliefs to come to the UK? Or are we just seeing the results of yet more politicians who simply stay in power and do little else?
  • State education quality is dire. The politically correct bunch have managed to achieve their dubious aim. This aim was to eliminate competition and make it easy for anyone with less than half a brain to obtain some qualifications. And just about anyone can get degrees now, and good ones too. Why? Simple, the universities receive greater funding if more people pass, especially if they pass with better grades. Even secondary education has become so performance oriented that quality is at rock bottom levels.
  • Many English people want to leave the UK. English TV is full of programs about finding a dream home in any number of locations around the world. You can find more than a few Brits dotted all over the world, including quite a number in Italy. People are proud to be British, but pleased to escape.
  • The formerly venerable House of Lords has become full of government cronies who are politically correct to the point of insanity. They seem to take respect for human rights to extreme lengths. In the UK now, if you come from some country with a crackpot regime, murder a few people, and are caught, you need have no fear of being deported. All because the lovie dovies fear that you may come to a sticky end in your country of origin. Really those who continue to practice their wicked ways need to be kicked out and face the consequences of their actions, then at least others would think twice about coming to the UK and wrecking lives.
  • The great British bobbie has been legislated out of existence, just about. Would you believe that British policemen are actually leaving the country to find work in countries where their services are better appreciated? You can read more about the former English policeman behind the Copper’s Blog who is now in Canada in my ‘The Dark Side of the UK and the Free Press‘ post.

I’m sure others can give more examples as to why post-Blair Britain is no longer great. Do I think Blair did great things for Britain. No. If anything, the man dragged the place down even faster.

At the end of the day though, it’s not too much of a surprise that the UK should be spiralling downwards even faster than Italy. The UK is ten years ahead of Italy in many respects, which means it hit a trough more recently. And the UK suffers, in the same way as Italy, from that bane of modern society - the career politician.

Remember Neil Kinnock - former head of the Labour party? He hated people with posh accents, but with his knighthood, and all the dosh he makes from the European Parliament, this good socialist is laughing all the way to the champagne bar, as many career politicos do. They would make, sorry, are great actors.

You can say what you like about Italy, but at least the place has not become politically correct to the point of self destruction.

Does the UK have equivalents of Di Pietro and Beppe Grillo, or, even better Clementina Forleo? I’m a bit out of touch, so enlighten me. If the UK does not, it sure as heck needs them.

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When life isn’t - unless you are a mouse.

June 14, 2006 · Filed Under England · Comment 

Dictionary.com

life (Slang.) A sentence of imprisonment lasting till death.

The above definition has always been my understanding of what is often referred to as a ‘life’ prison sentence.  In simple terms, life imprisonment meant that the guilty party would spend, if not the rest of his life, a very long time in prison.  Very long time = 20 years plus.

However, under English law ‘life’ prison sentences now bear little relation to the life of those convicted in what seems to be an ever increasing series of cases.  Unless you consider that the life to which they refer is the lifespan of your average mouse.  

There have been two particularly nasty cases of child abuse in the UK press recently, one of which is mentioned in this article.  There is the other horrific case here - it is appalling, so be warned.

In both situations ‘life’ sentences where handed out; only the legal definition of ‘life’ seems to have changed from the traditional concept, unless, as I mentioned before, you happen to be sending mice or possibly rabbits to prison.  

The cases I’ve linked to this entry are by no means in a minority, or so it would seem from what I have been reading, which is why I have decided to write something.  Supposedly, Blair and his mob have been changing the sorry state of the law in the UK to take into account the effects of crime on its victims and not treat those who react to crimes against them or their property as criminals.  Before Blair’s attempts, you might as well have invited a thief into your house and said ‘help yourself, mate.’, because if you had hit the poor chap and injured him, you would have been treated as the bad guy in the situation and would have ended up in one of HM’s prisons, whereas the chap who had called all the upset would have probably walked free and had a go at suing you for compensation.  Absurd, totally upside down.  Now, at least this situation has been, partially, put right.  Only they still seem to be treating criminals as a down trodden minority in need of mercy.  OK, sometimes this is true, but when certain individuals re-offend almost as soon as they set foot outside of prison, then something, somewhere is not right.  

I can see this, why can’t the politicos?  Good question.  Or is it possible that the MP’s are too busy powdering their noses and worrying about their public images to be actually doing anything useful.  Nah, this could not be true.  Silly thought. Forget I even said it.  Maybe.

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