Are we men or wimps? - by Richard... Friday, August 12, 2011

Are we men or wimps? - by Richard... Friday, August 12, 2011

The thought occurs to Frank Mitter, who rather sadly comes to the conclusion that we are the latter. It is interesting how an idea emerges, and it will be equally interesting to see whether this takes root. But, as we observed, the bottom line is that we are a nation scared of our own children.

More importantly, we are selling the pass to the statists. Search amongst the rhetoric from the big, brave right wingers, these defenders of the free state and the free marketers, and where amongst them are the voices that say we should sort this problem for ourselves?

"Right wing" in this case seems to be the "hang 'em – flog 'em" brigade, no different from the Left in wanting a state solution. The only difference is the extent and nature of state action called for.

And how readily do the statists play on this – witness the aversion to "vigilantes" and the reluctance to allow communities to take control of their own streets. It is fine, it seems, for the gangs to do so, or for the plod to take control, closing down the Queen's Highway on a whim, to suit their own operational purposes. But the idea that people should repossess their own streets fills them with horror.

"They must not take the law into their own hands", go the siren voices. How dare they! It is ourlaw, not theirs. Our biggest mistake was to let the professionals grab it, treat it as their own and make the decisions for us. Its rightful place is in our hands.

But where are the voices of the Right? They complain about welfare dependency, but themselves run to nanny the moment they have a problem. The dependency of the Right on statist solutions is no less than that of the benefit-seekers, of whom they are so contemptuous. Thus it is that you see the supposed Right winger Tim Montgomerie swooning over his statist hero, the Big Brave Cameron, as the latter ladles out state solution after state solution.

The Special Constable solution was not mentioned. The system is tied up in red tape anyway, and thus emasculated. But to reclaim the streets, we need people on the streets, with armbands and baseball bats – not uniforms and months of training.

The tragedy of this is that none such is mentioned. Despite our knowing that the state is the source of our problem, despite knowing that, by giving it more powers, we give it license both to make a bigger mess and oppress us further, we allow the media hype to drive us into the arms of the state, cap-in-hand, as supplicants.

Says Minter, "As the English hand their government more of their individual liberty — and thereby their self-reliant manliness — their government becomes more authoritarian. Individuals have diminished means for protecting themselves and their property, which should have made London's looting, vandalism, and other crimes very predictable".

He claims to have had several recent conversations with Englishmen, which have led him to conclude that the English people will continue to hand over their liberty in the hopes that one day — despite all the lessons from history and human nature — "their government will create the peaceful, socialist utopia they've long been promised".

That is just what we have been seeing over the past week. The wimps and statists amongst us bay for more police powers, more police of the streets, more statism, more state control. Truly, we are indeed a nation of wimps, of girlie-men who have lost the plot. We have lost the power to think, and go running to nanny to kiss our little fingers better when we have a hurt.

Sadly, that is how it will remain until we do, on our own behalf, reclaim the streets, not only from the gangs, but from the government. And it is the latter which is the bigger (and more costly) threat.

A fool unto himself - by Richard...

Make rash promises that you can't keep, in circumstances where you have no direct control, and you end up looking a fool. Big Brave Cameron is getting very good at that ... and he's getting a lot of practice.

You really do wonder, though, what these people do for brains.

Consider it a rehearsal - by Richard...

"David Cameron, Ed Miliband and the entire British political class came together yesterday to denounce the rioters", writes Peter Oborne: "They were of course right to say that the actions of these looters, arsonists and muggers were abhorrent and criminal, and that the police should be given more support".

In like vein he continues, telling us that, "there was also something very phony and hypocritical about all the shock and outrage expressed in parliament. MPs spoke about the week's dreadful events as if they were nothing to do with them".

"I cannot accept that this is the case", he says. "Indeed, I believe that the criminality in our streets cannot be dissociated from the moral disintegration in the highest ranks of modern British society. The last two decades have seen a terrifying decline in standards among the British governing elite. It has become acceptable for our politicians to lie and to cheat. An almost universal culture of selfishness and greed has grown up".

We, of course, got there first, and have been saying as much for days - and, frankly, much better. But, if the great Peter Oborne says it, it really must be true – who are we lowly bloggers to complain? And that said, you can't really fault the tone of the message.

The double standards from Downing Street, adds Oborne, "are symptomatic of widespread double standards at the very top of our society". While the so-called feral youth seem oblivious to decency and morality, "so are the venal rich and powerful – too many of our bankers, footballers, wealthy businessmen and politicians".

Thus does the Great Man conclude: "It is not just its damaged youth, but Britain itself that needs a moral reformation". Nevertheless, as long as we have ruling classes that don't look in mirrors and have no self-awareness, this isn't going to happen. These are the people who think everybody's shit stinks, except their own. "Phony and hypocritical" they most certainly are, and their stench gets stronger every day.

But they can be so brave and so righteous because they are beating up on the children. And you can be soooooo brave doing that when you have your concrete barriers, your armoured limousines and your machine-gun toting guards. By evading their own responsibilities, though, they are turning the last few days into a rehearsal.

To get rid of the stench, us lowly mortals are going to want their own independence day. Despite lacking the sheer brilliance, the élan and the perspicacity of the Great and Wondrous Oborne, we will be doing it properly next time. And the grown-ups won't be such a push-over for the plump old Etonian.

Still more looting - by Richard... Thursday, August 11, 2011

It just never stops. But never fear ... Ed Miliband is on the case. "There can be no excuses, no justification. This behaviour has disgusted us all. It cannot be allowed to stand; we will not allow it to stand", he says.