Monday, February 20, 2017

So What's England Like?



There's a lot to love about England, the pubs, butchers, cheap food, being able to walk around the towns, beautiful countryside and the history of the place. All that and more, such as the greatness of the Victorians who pretty much built, with bricks and mortar, what we see today. 

Greatness

Go to Trafalgar Square and look out at the buildings and consider the Victorians who built them as they conquered the world. They were giants, obviously, but are today's Britons pygmies? Has the Sceptered Isle that produced Palmerston, Gladstone and Disraeli become a cossetted realm of beta cucks sipping foamy coffee in plush onesies as they cuddle their favourite unicorn?


LSP Goes Postal

I don't think so, go ask your nearest Millwall fan and see how far it gets you. That said, perhaps Great Britain's been co-opted by the Caliphate and you'd be forgiven for thinking that, given London's Muslim Mayor and the Church of England's fondness for the call to prayer. But no, the England I saw wasn't lost in the grip of the global Jihad, thank God. If anything it was overrun by Russians, who are clearly a Putinist 5th Column intent on subverting what was once a great liberal democracy.

So all that's good but is there a downside? Unfortunately there is. England's very regulated. For example, pretty much wherever you go you're being filmed. Driving, shopping, walking around town, whatever, smile, you're on camera. Are there microphones in the hedges? Who knows.


Smile, You're on Camera

Maybe this has something to do with geography and size of the population, some 60 million people crammed into a country the size of a shoe box; without a lot of rules there'd be chaos. Perhaps, but it's a far cry from Britons never, ever, ever shall be slaves. And of course today's Englishman, sorry Englishperson, isn't allowed to defend themselves, that's up to Nanny.


I Love Pubs

America in general and Texas in particular, seems to have a broader horizon. It's less settled, it's much larger, and the frontier isn't that far behind. That lends itself to an expansiveness and sense of opportunity which England doesn't have. And hey, I can go out and buy a Glock and a deadly assault rifle and blaze away without being sent to gaol via CCTV. You can defend yourself here and you can't in England, who's more free?


The French House Flies The Union Jack

Still, there's a greatness to England and maybe that's getting greater now that the country's decided to throw off the dead hand of Brussells and BREXIT. Let's see how that goes. I'm looking forward to a return visit.

Cheers and Rule Britannia,

LSP

9 comments:

LL said...

Britain was great enough to vote for BREXIT so that it was not subsumed by the EuroCulture. I'd say that it's great and that it can be great again, greater than ever before. (where have I heard that before?)

LindaG said...

I've never been. But hubby did several TDY's there in support of what used to be the greatest (or maybe still is) intelligence gathering platform. Yes, I will go with that, instead of spy plane, haha. Thanks for the pictures and post. Glad you had a safe trip, Parson. :-)

Jules said...

Obviously I'm a big fan. What a beautiful country I live in.
BUT...THE CAMERAS! I HATE, HATE, HATE THEM. I am 6 (or 3) points from losing my licence for speeding when in FACT I am one of the most sensible and confident drivers on English roads. It makes me SICK. There's no point in having a nice car anymore since you can't let it rip without being flashed, fined and berated. I may as well get a poxy Cinquecento and save some money. And as for the M25, well, I can walk faster. AND it wouldn't cost me $9 a gallon!
Apart from that, what's not to love about English countryside, amazing pubs, smart, quirky people, stunning Victorian architecture and The French House?
#RuleBritannia

LSP said...

LL, Brexit wasn't going to happen. It was absurd, preposterous, fascist, catastrophic, apocalyptic. Bob Geldoff, the smug libelite press and their rulers in the elitocracy told us so.

Then it happened. It's all eerily familiar.

LSP said...

I had great fun, Linda!

LSP said...

I was taken aback by the spread and extent of the surveillance, Jules... LOVE the French House.

Borepatch said...

I'm glad that I got to live there 20 years ago. London was a little demoralizing when I visited two years back - in many ways it doesn't feel English anymore.

LSP said...

London's very much its own thing, Borepatch, and it has changed over the last 20 years. Mind you, I found the whole central London thing pretty much the same as it was in the '90s. Lots more Russians/East Europeans though.

Anonymous said...

and parts of the UK are turning in their knives too:
http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-tees-37800148

-breadandbullets