What has the UK become?

BrianW said:
“I realise that patriotism is not enough, I must have no hatred or bitterness towards anyone.” Nurse Edith Cavell, before her execution, in 1916.

The problem with patriotism is it seems to be as much about hating the other as it does about loving one's own. I have come to despise nationalism, in all its forms, for that very reason. It leads to evil. If you can find a form of patriotism that is positive, and excludes hatred of 'other', then that is a noble thing. It amounts to wanting the best for your country and its people.

I don't hate this country. I want it to improve. To draw a parallel, if I had a son or daughter at school who was pissing about and falling well short of their capabilities, my wanting them to buck up would not mean I hated them. Au contraire, in fact.
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Yes. Cavell's words are on her statue at the bottom of Charing Cross Road near the Post Office.

And as others have said, Orwell got his patriotism right.
 
Giving Mayors so much power smacks of the Fuhrerprinzip to me.

However, for example, we once had the Greater Manchester Council, and someone, I forget who, decided it was unnecessary as her party never controlled it. So we had to lash up an alternative, which was inherently less democratic. And this in turn led to the establishment of an elected Mayor, which is where we are at. Whether you like Burnham or not, he gets stuff done more effectively than the old lash-up did.

Of course, the FPTP voting system does not help one bit. In Greater Manchester, it happens (generally) to favour Labour. For example, the City of Manchester has not one single Tory councillor. Do Tories not live there? I think there must be at least 10%. But guess what? The Tories are changing the Mayoral elections from a form of PR to - you guessed it - FPTP. Political genius!

Having said all that, all too many of our citizens do not bother to vote anyway. And then moan about what they get. 'Oh, they're all the same!' they say, as they wallow in apathy.
 
We’ve become accustomed to staying quiet “do not rock the boat do not protest or support striking miners” miners that was the 70s generation
But we all sit back and watch the current No10 incumbents destroy our essential services “Heartbreaking“
We are paying for ministers to wreck the NHS, Education slowly being privatised by the back door in favour of the US model and blaming immigrants for it all.
The news is nothing but Tory propaganda imo but sadly let’s face it we don’t care enough.
 
Kirkstall Blue said:
We’ve become accustomed to staying quiet “do not rock the boat do not protest or support striking miners” miners that was the 70s generation
But we all sit back and watch the current No10 incumbents destroy our essential services “Heartbreaking“
We are paying for ministers to wreck the NHS, Education slowly being privatised by the back door in favour of the US model and blaming immigrants for it all.
The news is nothing but Tory propaganda imo but sadly let’s face it we don’t care enough.
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Meanwhile in France, Bordeaux’s town hall is set on fire because of plans to increase the retirement age
 
dronefromsector7G said:
Meanwhile in France, Bordeaux’s town hall is set on fire because of plans to increase the retirement age
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That’s the thing that set me off the Kings visit postponed in France because of rioting over an increase of 2 years on pension at 60 years
Our children will not be able to retire until 68 yrs. some will never draw a pension it’s a crafty move, most people who grafted for a living will be dead or not fit to work over the age of 60yrs

The other thing for me was the teacher who committed suicide over branding her school inadequate. Academy is the back door to private education, failing schools will become an Academy “private“ trusts.
The government will no longer be in control of the schools US style education.
 
Kirkstall Blue said:
That’s the thing that set me off the Kings visit postponed in France because of rioting over an increase of 2 years on pension at 60 years
Our children will not be able to retire until 68 yrs. some will never draw a pension it’s a crafty move, most people who grafted for a living will be dead or not fit to work over the age of 60yrs

The other thing for me was the teacher who committed suicide over branding her school inadequate. Academy is the back door to private education, failing schools will become an Academy “private“ trusts.
The government will no longer be in control of the schools US style education.
Click to expand...
I hate our government more and more. They’d privatise oxygen if they could
 
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