I recently received this link from my friend Ramana who is a resident of the City of Pune, where one of the victims of the festive season violence lived. (Update … a total of 12 people were murdered during the period)
This rather alarmist report on “social life” in the UK today gives food for thought, but I’m not sure that I agree completely with the statement that … “Nowadays, wherever the British gather socially, you get the feeling that things could get nasty at any moment. The young British get drunk en masse, they scream and shout en masse, they make fools of themselves en masse, and they become aggressive and paranoid en masse.” … but there is certainly some truth in it, as anyone who dares to visit our town centres on Friday and Saturday nights will know only too well.
I won’t bore you with ”in my young days” comparisons, but I must say that when I look around I can hardly believe how this country has changed in the past fifty or so years, especially when it comes to the disgusting behaviour of some of our young people who show no respect for anyone or anything and follow their role model ’neanderthal’ football (soccer) stars and foul mouthed drunken ’celebs’ along the slippery path that leads to aggression, violence and the gutter.
Once if you accidently knocked over someone’s drink in a crowded pub, a “Sorry mate” and the offer to buy a replacement would end the matter, but now you have to be aware that a minor incident like this could lead to a glass in the face or far worse; and if you happen to glance at some yob on the street and hear .. “wot yoo f*****g lookn’ at ?” .. you could be about to experience a diet of hospital food for the next few days.
Yes, we certainly do have a problem in the UK, but I think that the image of a Britain where .. “The citizenry either joins in the menacing revelry itself or retires behind closed doors like the Transylvanian peasantry avoiding Dracula after dark” .. is a little ‘over the top’ to say the least.
However, once again, our government hasn’t the slightest idea of how to deal with the situation, so perhaps I should offer to bore them with some of those ”in my young days” comparisons …
… it might give them a clue as to where to start.
