An Unexpected Discussion

Last Saturday night, over dinner in the bar of our hotel, Lorna and I had a discussion I never thought I would have. We talked about emigrating. In particular, we talked about moving to the US. (Lorna is a US Citizen, with long-term permission to reside in the UK. She's technically dual nationality.)

People who have known me for a long while will probably be surprised by this. I love Britain and have always been proud to be British, However, I'm seriously beginning to wonder if the Britain I love exists any more. As I watch gun crime spiral, social security abuse increase and any sense of pride in the UK vanish, I start to wonder "why?"

Why do I stay? Why do I love this country? Why do we put up with this? More and more of my friends grow frustrated with the way the tax money they've worked hard to earn is being spent. They grow more and more frustrated with politicians who seems unable to do anything but chase short-term popularity or line their own pockets. When you start missing Margaret Thatcher, you know something is deeply wrong.

Our Government seems not to have the guts to deal with growing crime, fraud, managerial incompetence within the public services and immigration. We seem unable to make a judgment about what is right and wrong, and make decisions based on practical expediency rather than moral standards or any degree of political philosophy. Society is breaking down because nobody thinks in term of society any more. They merely think in terms of their own pleasure and convenience. That doesn't work in the long-term, though. If you put no work into maintaining the society that facilitates your own pleasure and convenience, you'll soon find that your ability to achieve them is compromised.

Do I want to sit through that painful process, or would I rather be somewhere that has already found some answers to these problems?

Don't get me wrong, I think America has some serious problems. However, I think, as a society, it seems to be fundamentally more honest than the UK at the moment. Yes, Americans are extremely interested in themselves and their own pleasure, but they are open about it and, wonder of wonders, they seem to love their country for giving them the freedom to pursue their own happiness. More, they seem to be happy to fight to protect those liberties.

It was only a discussion. We're very far from making any form of decision. But, for the first time, the option is on the table.

A case in point

Now, let's see, gun crime has risen by over 40% since Labour came to power. Is this the fault of a government which has proved itself chronically incapable of cracking down on crime, with a marked tendency to be lenient towards criminals?

Well, according to the Government, it's not their fault, it's the fault of computer games and films. On, and rap music. Do I need to dignify that with a counter argument? Show some backbone, take some responsibility and do something about it.

I dislike living in a country where, should someone break into my house and I hit them with a big stick, I'm more likely to go to jail than they are... People are no longer afraid of being caught if they commit a crime, and are unlikely to face serious punishment even if they are. No wonder crime is booming.

A Good Idea

If you've ever spent any significant amounts of time on public transport, you'll applaud one American city's decision to ban smelly people from the buses.