To make us love our country, our country ought to be lovely. (Edmund Burke, quoted in The Spectator)
2 Comments
Personally I think Britain is a lovely country. The countryside is beautiful, the villages are quaint and charming, the cities vibrant and exciting, the history valued and well preserved, the people charming and polite (mostly). Unemployment and inflation are low, life expectancy is high. The weather is tolerable, averse to extremes. The government, whilst hardly a model one, is far preferable to the corrupt regimes of southern Europe, the techonocratic and often xenophobic politicians of northern Europe, or the corporate whitewashes that permeate the rest of the English speaking world- let alone the authoritarian tyrants of Russia, China, the Middle East and Africa. Crime is in perpetual decline, as is racism and homophobia. We have a welfare state that takes care of our old, and an education system which was once seen as failing, but is now regarded by the OECD as one of the world’s best. We have world-class universities, we’re at the forefront of scientific discoveries and technological advancements. English literature is the world’s most successful. Even the cuisine, ridiculed by the world, has made huge improvements, fueled by a ‘foodie’ culture. I could go on and on. Suffice it to say that I’m a patriot. I won’t say that Britain is the ‘best’ country, I find such comparisons rather crass and subjective. But simply to be proud of one’s country: that is a most natural and noble state of being.
Personally I think Britain is a lovely country. The countryside is beautiful, the villages are quaint and charming, the cities vibrant and exciting, the history valued and well preserved, the people charming and polite (mostly). Unemployment and inflation are low, life expectancy is high. The weather is tolerable, averse to extremes. The government, whilst hardly a model one, is far preferable to the corrupt regimes of southern Europe, the techonocratic and often xenophobic politicians of northern Europe, or the corporate whitewashes that permeate the rest of the English speaking world- let alone the authoritarian tyrants of Russia, China, the Middle East and Africa. Crime is in perpetual decline, as is racism and homophobia. We have a welfare state that takes care of our old, and an education system which was once seen as failing, but is now regarded by the OECD as one of the world’s best. We have world-class universities, we’re at the forefront of scientific discoveries and technological advancements. English literature is the world’s most successful. Even the cuisine, ridiculed by the world, has made huge improvements, fueled by a ‘foodie’ culture. I could go on and on. Suffice it to say that I’m a patriot. I won’t say that Britain is the ‘best’ country, I find such comparisons rather crass and subjective. But simply to be proud of one’s country: that is a most natural and noble state of being.
Ggod for you! An excellent comment. It’s nice to see such a glowing appraisal, and you are right.