Friday, July 6, 2007
Britain Gone to the Dogs?
Patrick Lockyer
As a Brit living in Florida and having traveled to almost
every city in Europe I have had the opportunity to see Britain
periodically from foreign shores. I came to America predominantly for
the weather in my latter years and don't miss the bitter cold and
neuralgia in the winter and the stress of trying to teach nervous
clients to drive in wet and windy Peterborough. I had survived several
near misses in accidents and the worst one was where a Securicor Bullion
truck smacked into the back of the vehicle I was teaching in as we sat
at a roundabout and it pushed us into the path of speeding commuter
traffic on a very wet Good Friday in 2000. I sat helpless, a driver and
advanced driver and a once driver chosen to drive for the Queen as you
can read if you google patrick lockyer, watching several drivers
spinning around as they tried to adjust from speeding to unexpectedly
needing to STOP. I saw the looks on their faces as panic and fear rose
and quelled as they managed all to broadside in and gently slap the side
of our stricken vehicle right in their paths. I knew right then that I
had had many scrapes in my 30 years as a driving instructor and had been
pushed forward at roundabouts at least three times before and that it
was time to forget the lucrative reasoning for continuing with this
career. My father had also recently died unexpectedly at 65 and three
months with great plans for his retirement. I sold everything off and
came to the USA.
I have always loved the USA and had visited LA and Florida before but
was surprised at the surliness of Atlanta airport as an ally even though
right after 9/11. The heavy patriotism of Pensacola Beach with 100,000
swooning to the Blue Angels air display as I could not help but wonder
what it was like living in a dust bowl location with no early warning
system and air raid shelter strong enough to hear the scream of a jet
fighter above you? America has seemed to be a little 'sick' in the mind
since then in some ways although the people I meet day to day are gems.
There has not been sufficient interest in what goes on in ones name
though in my estimation. That is being gradually corrected and the good
name of the USA will shortly be restored.
Now About Britain:
I am proud of Britain. I love being able to rely on certain things. I
can rely on the people to 'stand up and be counted' they are not cowered
and they are not indifferent. They do NOT see it as treasonable to
object to the leadership. They are not kept in a treadmill mentality
whereby no one or nothing matters apart from the weekly paycheck . Brits
are liberated by having no health worries for sure and reading that 50
million here do not have that health security might explain the reasons
why Americans seem so insular collectively. Britain is cosmopolitan and
I accept that. I do not feel threatened by other languages as Enoch
Powell used to scaremonger in the 60's. I see that happening here now.
With the discrepancies between life style here and over the border it
is no wonder. I despair at the talk of building walls when making sure
your neighbor does not go hungry should be the mantra. No European
nation butts up to a poor neighbor like America does? America better
make it their business to do some share out before the revolution talked
about is not the one over Britain but the one against them/us?
Britain has it right. The things that matter are RIGHT. No one is
hungry and no one is without health care and ease of mind that health
care brings. Here there are couples who cannot conceive of children. I
mean mentally? No couple have to worry about conceiving in Britain. Not
from the point of not being able to work nor about the expenses of child
bearing or rearing. Indeed single mothers are able to consider child
rearing and for sure it is exploited but I know which factor I prefer.
The fact that Brits are over taxed is a good thing, less opulence, less
lear jets and swimming pools and SUV's but also less obesity and ill
health in old age. Less reliance on procedures and chemicals. Perhaps
more tax here would be a good thing. Certainly for the poorer citizens?
Listening to talk radio makes me cringe.
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