The Wisdom of Plato

The penalty that good men pay for not being interested in politics is that they end up being ruled by men worse then themselves.

Plato, 428-348 BCE

I've never run into this quote before...but it strikes me as being VERY pertinent in this day and age. I've just finished reading an interesting article from the London Daily Mail, newspaper, wherein those who lived through World War 2 have become deeply disenchanted with how British society has become twisted over the past 60 years.

The title of the article says it all: "'This isn't the Britain we fought for,' say the 'unknown warriors' of WWII" and is based upon a book by Tyneside writer, 33-year-old Nicholas Pringle. He began gathering letters and surveys from men and women in their 80's and 90's and lived during the war. What he found astounded him. In total, he received a few more than 150 letters that detailed the thoughts and feelings of these men and women about the turn that British society has taken.

When you look at the letters themselves there is a simple truth that quickly emerges, and that is these men and women have the government.

They feel, in a word that leaps out time and time again, 'betrayed'.
New Labour, said one ex-commando who took part in the disastrous Dieppe raid in which 4,000 men were lost, was 'more of a shambles than some of the actions I was in during the war, and that's saying something!'
He added: 'Those comrades of mine who never made it back would be appalled if they could see the world as it is today.

'They would wonder what happened to the Brave New World they fought so damned hard for.'

Time after time, letter after letter, this contempt for Political Correctness and Multiculturalism rises to the fore. But it is in the comments section where the disgust for the turn of the government away from traditional English/British/UK values really shines through. Here is a sampling:

"'Our country has been given away to foreigners while we, the generation who fought for freedom, are having to sell our homes for care and are being refused medical services because incomers come first.' Her words may be offensive to many - and rightly so."

In Heaven's name, WHY is that offensive?
- Ray, Birmingham, UK, 21/11/2009 5:06
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My dad died some years ago - funny, I was saying just the other day that if he came back now he just wouldn't recognise this country. Not only that, he'd be furious, indignant, disgusted and above all bewildered. A profoundly decent bloke, like many of his generation, he would feel betrayed by modern Britain's obsession with triviality, lies, filth and smut. What a contemptible nation we have become.
- John, Halton, England, 21/11/2009 4:48
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These brave men and women won't be around for much longer - much to the governments pleasure. The path will then be clear to complete the population replacement from 3rd world countries without their generations dissent.
- Bob McKenzie, London, UK, 21/11/2009 4:47
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I feel more at home here (France) than in my homeland ENGLAND!!! Can anyone here explain why Britain, especially England, had to become multi- culti? Why???
- ed, france, 21/11/2009 4:46
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.We are losing our National identity and are being bullied into submission by those in power. They know there is nothing that we can do. It is too late. We slavishly adhere to the various EU dictats, most of which are ignored on mainland Europe. We dutifully sort out our recycling items, putting them into the correct containers, whilst those paid to do the job, watch. H&S regulations and greedy, US Insurance giants are killing off traditions such as Bonfire Night. Police do nothing, or have their hands tied, when it comes to dealing with the yobs who roam the streets. The so called Human Rights Act is nothing but a sham. Another stick to beat us with. The only people that are protected by the equality Law are those from different ethnic backgrounds. Our titles, Mr.Mrs,Miss are no longer used, lack of respect again. society has been levelled according to the lowest common enominator. An elderly gentleman in our street always greets me by touching his cap. Manners.
- andrea m preston, glastonbury uk, 21/11/2009 4:39
Click to rate Rating 633

Multiculturalism is a failed experiment, and sadly, only the people who once knew a homogeneous Britain seem smart enough to understand that. But carry on, Britain, carry on putting your own native people in jail for thought crimes and wondering why Orwell's 1984 has come true on your very streets. Keep on getting laughed at by your own Government and by the legions of unappreciative immigrants who come to your country to specifically sit on the dole. Maybe when sharia law is instituted, you'll finally understand what the people in this article were talking about. A nation fit for kings, how did it come to this?
- Fenria, USA, 21/11/2009 3:06
Click to rate Rating 221

How right are these comments. The war veterans are not the only age group with these sentiments; believe me, there are lots of us out here. What to do about our country? The mainstream politicians are a sorry bunch who will not tread outside party lines or they will be deselected. This is the sad truth - individual thinkers not allowed. Some of our greatest leaders of the 20th century would definitely not be selected now. Winston Churchill? Forget it, he wouldn't even get to the interview stage these days. If we want our country to at least take some steps to repair the damage, then think very carefully who we vote for.

Don't vote along your traditional party lines - we will just elect another robot. Listen to exactly what our candidates are saying. Study their body language and sincerity. Are they in it for their own gain or do they really care? If things get much worse the British will rise up, and you know what suppressed anger is like when it finally bursts.
- Roger, London, England, 21/11/2009 1:52
Click to rate Rating 158

It's no wonder that the British National Party (BNP) won a surprising number of seats in the EU parliament this year. I suspect that in the coming election that UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown has been attempting to postpone in order to hang onto power just that much longer will be a shock to many people in the British political elites. I suspect that the BNP will win at least 20, but perhaps as many as 40 seats...that may not sound like a lot, but it will see them getting at least one ministerial portfolio as they will be the natural alliess of the Tory Party (conservatives).

How does this apply to the United States, you ask...ours is the first generation that has not demanded that recent immigrants become absorbed by our society. In the past 40 or so years, the "multi-kulti" has become the dominant theme. In the past, during the period of colonization, our fore bearers saw themselves as Englishmen first, Americans second. It was following the French & Indian Wars that there emerged the concept of being Americans first. The entire basis of our separation from England was that we, as a country, were being denied our basic rights as Englishmen. That we were not being allowed a voice in the general running of the then colonies. That period is the emergence of the concept that we were Americans FIRST! and not in fact Englishmen.

Now, with the leftist concept of multiculturalism, minorities/immigrants used to be polish-AMERICANS, italian-AMERICANS, with the emphasis on being AMERICAN. Now, we have completely reversed that concept: AFRO-americans, HISPANIC-americans, ASIAN-americans. This is having the effect of a general breakdown of social values, with the concurrent breakdown of "family-values". Our children are now being taught that there is nothing special about "America" and what it means to be an American. That in fact, America is the root of all the worlds ills...this despite the simple fact that many people around the world desperately want to come here and better themselves and the lives of their children.

If this trend continues, this country will be a very different place that what we were even 20 years ago. I don't think that this is a good thing. The "Hope & Change" that Mr. Obama is attempting to do is to merely make our country a mirror of Europe...along with all that entails...a much expanded government interference in the lives of the citizenry as well as a huge increase in taxation to pay for those who no longer are productive members of the work force.