A Philosophical Glance at the Future of Britain

Despite government austerity and optimism, there can be little doubt that the UK - Britain - is in a hell of a mess.

Personal and corporate debt are at unsustainably high levels. Inflation has many families to the point of being unable to carry on; credit card debt is on the rise again and the Tory Government is still borrowing more - or printing - more money.

Greece hovers on the edge of complete collapse, despite the injection of billions of Euros by the EU. Britain, herself, was also forced to divvy-up around 1000 euros per family to help Greece, money we could ill afford.

So what will Britain do in the case that it becomes the new Greece, a not unlikely scenario in a couple of years?

Will the “sons and daughters” help? Britain is the key-stone of a faltering “Commonwealth,” an institution belonging firmly in the past, according to many in Australia, New Zealand and Canada, etc. These young and vibrant nations are forging ahead, along with the world leaders of China, Brazil, India and the rest. The modern citizens of these once outposts of the Empire see the only common ground as being language, and would certainly baulk at having to bail-out a floundering “Motherland” whose “tough love” for them in the past was forged with more self-interest than altruism.

Will these beleaguered islands be able to turn to the USA once again?

The ‘States has bailed Britain and Europe out for the last 100 years. If it were not for American bravery, unselfishness and generosity there would be no French, British and the rest, merely an extension of the Axis Powers, all speaking German and being ruled by some young Adolph.

The Brits find it hard to admit this, of course, and hide their insecure bitterness by criticizing North Americans, like vipers in some great hearth. There’s no hatred as virulent as the blind variety.

Even if the USA would be disposed to help the land of its forefathers again, they have little spare cash or resources to do so. The US wouldn’t see Britain fall to some foreign invader without helping, I am sure, but this would mean using the military and stored munitions, plus there is always spoils to go the victors. Lending us vast sums of dollars would be quite another case.

Britain has a lot of false pride. Unlike Ireland, Portugal and Greece, etc., the Brits would find it a tough nut to swallow should they need to go to Germany and France, etc., hat in hand. Britain has showed no little arrogance towards the European Union since Cameron took over, anyway; he might not get a warm reception and would certainly be asked to toe a line which would humiliate him beyond reason.

Britain in winter, 2012, is a powder keg barely kept from the smoldering fuse. The country is practically ungovernable and a holy mess with runaway alcoholism and barely controlled ill-health. Police came down hard on last year’s London riots, but they were mild compared to what we see in Greece and the Middle East.

Unemployment and inflation rise. The government seeks to ease the welfare burden by raising the age of state pensioners, forcing people into unpaid, menial work while threatening to stop their benefits. Those that can - such as bankers - still legally steal by awarding themselves huge salaries and bonuses.

Thousands of British families emigrate each month, but are replaced from legal and illegal immigration through Europe. Our borders remain porous and little is done by effete and ineffective ministers.

Billions are wasted on the Olympics which few want or can get tickets for, and are a security disaster in the making. More is wasted in foreign aid, purely national egotism, most of which does not get to where it’s most needed. We still have conflicts raging in Afghanistan and are paying for two in Iraq and Libya - the last which has “ended” with a full blooded tribal civil war in the making.

Yet Britain can’t shut up! Can’t stop playing the big man on campus. Can’t seem to learn the lesson of humility, modesty and quietude - as happened in Germany, for instance.

We still scream “Rule Britannia,” that idiotic jingle that perhaps meant something two hundred years ago when we had a navy. Or we still implore a disinterested universe to “Send her (Queen) victorious.” Victory these days for the poor old weary trout probably means a good dump!

Who are they trying to kid!!?? Watch any program, such as the long running “Question Time” on BBC. The audience snickers at all the puffery and political braggadocio. They know we are just a shadow of what we were even 50 years ago.

Oh, well, no sense belaboring the point…I suppose we’ll have to soon flog the dump to the Chinese - if they’ll have it!