I think the situation in the UK is legitimately dangerous. The...

I think the situation in the UK is legitimately dangerous. The manipulators don't have mechanistic control over events, and they can't address the root causes of anger and dissatisfaction, even if they wanted to- which they don't. They've planted little batches of nitroglycerin all over the map, but it becomes less stable over time, and they are incapable of walking softly. Shit happens.

Posted by: Honzo | Aug 5 2024 18:38 utc | 221
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I agree.
It is too easy to label everyone useful idiots who don't know what they are doing and don't understand a thing. Here in the USA the "useful idiots of Iran" label has been attached to those protesting the genocide in Gaza. Yeah, right.

The British really are, traditionally, raised to be polite, which means showing forbearance, also in public settings. Saying nothing, tut-tutting instead of expressing hostility or disapproval openly.

But there does come a point. And from what I have seen Britain has been subjected to a huge load of obvious and not-so-obvious repression and control by the state. I was in England last year and I was really taken aback at the level of control---this in a land where "live and let live" is a value. Drivers are now controlled down to the km/hour. The structure of day-to-day financial transactions is incredibly controlled as there are almost no more normal banks on the high streets and it is all via apps and hence surveillable. The rules for entering or leaving one's own neighborhood are absurd. The whole energy policy is extremely ideological and controlling and absurd---and expensive. In fact, "absurdity" covers a lot of what I see going on in Britain.

Earlier waves of immigrants from the former colonies were assimilated fairly well. They did share a considerable portion of the social cultural behavioral landscape and expectations. (There were local problems of, say, Pakistani gangs perpetrating sexual violence that the police did not deal with. This is a huge offense, in legal and social terms--a slow burn there.)

More recent waves of migrants are a different animal. Thousands are being housed in traditional seaside towns, in cruise ships moored offshore in Dorset, etc. Then there is the increase in crime levels. They are causing real stresses economically and a lot of pepole are fed up.

Of course some politicians or intel or someone might try to channel this growing fury, but the reasons for the fury are there already. The decapitating of the Labor Party (Jeremy Corbyn) is also a symptom of the attempt to eliminate valid political expression/power to those on both the left and the right who are FED UP.

Maybe Corbyn and Farage should get together and form a National Front!

Posted by: Jane | Aug 5 2024 22:42 utc