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stella41b -> RE: What a shitt society we live in (2/21/2010 6:31:00 AM)
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quote:
ORIGINAL: Aneirin
The problem as I see it, is a society that is not what it was, sure violence and drink related violence is a feature of the past, but now there is something else in there too. Perhaps it is we have become a too permissive society, where everything goes and we have created laws about human rights and stuff, laws that effectively stop those with powers invested in them to keep order, yeah the police, and from a one time respecter and supporter of their role in society, experience has taught me otherwise, they are a shabby let down.
I disagree here in that we're a too permissive society, I still see our society as an openminded and tolerant one on the whole but one which is struggling to handle some very complex social issues and a social transition caused by the crumbling and decay of what many would describe as 'the system' or even 'the Establishment'.
The basis of authority traditionally has been parents, schools and the community and by extension society and distant authority such as the government and religion - considering that within the black community the Church is still an authority as is the mosque among British Muslims - and to some extent this is still true today, but is under increasing competition for authority from the banks and the media. Certainly among young people authority from the banks and media is often respected more than the traditional basis of authority.
Yes we are a world leader when it comes to legislation on diversity and human rights and laws passed to protect different individuals, but for any law to be effective it has to be respected by people. This is the difference between the law forbidding smoking on public transport and the hate crimes legislation - everyone respects the former but not everyone respects the latter. This has got very little to do with the police. Cannabis has been decriminalized only in certain areas of London, but that doesn't stop people smoking it all over London. To me the responsibility doesn't lie with those empowered to uphold the law (the police) but over whether we choose to respect the law or not.
quote:
ORIGINAL: Aneirin
But the problem of booze in this country, its almost constant news report, it and it's effects, well my take on it, is go back to what it was before, booze available in off licences attached to pubs only, and go back to the old licensing hours. As to supermarkets, do what the Swedes do, only sell what is called Folkol, that is about 2.5 to 3% on the shelves, anything stronger one has to go to the government shop and there show identification to buy booze and only between certain times.
If you honestly think we have a problem with booze in this country then might I suggest you maybe spend some time living in either Warsaw or Moscow. There you get news reports of bus drivers and ambulance drivers being caught whilst over the limit and even negligence cases where doctors were in a pickled state when treating patients, such instances which are unheard of in this country.
quote:
ORIGINAL: Aneirin
It is obvious the Brits cannot drink responsibly anymore, perhaps it is time to do something about it, I for one have severely cut my drinking, I don't drink at home anymore, not done that for a few years and pubs, well it usually when I am there to see a band or do a pub quiz, I am more sociable after a jar or two, for I struggle with initiating conversation when out due to I am told asd problems, and because of these problems, maybe I read more into situations than is and miss other more obvious things.
To me it's obvious that some Brits lack a sense of personal responsibility which doesn't just affect their drinking habits but also their work ethic. The most notorious of these are the second generation yuppies, those with the unrealistic expectations from their lives and selves, the ones who are browsing porn at their computers in offices, the soccer hooligans, the irresponsible drinkers, the ones with the hate and the anger, the ones with the money and social privilege who tend to favour the BNP and who have jobs in the media and elsewhere and who would have you believe it's the working class, it's all the young people today, etc and so forth. The drinking problems are just another symptom, the problem is the lack of any sense of personal responsibility or that towards other people.
But you know, and this is what makes it such a hard problem for anyone to deal with, they're the minority intricately woven into a majority of decent, young, responsible Brits who are just as decent, just as responsible and just as talented and hard working as any other generation. It's only when they get together with their mates and go out on the town that they start to look like the majority. They're not. The majority is still elsewhere.
They would have you believe that it's the working class youths who are the problem. In a few isolated cases it might be true, but mainly it isn't, because nobody who's on benefits or on a low income in this country can realistically afford to go out to a pub or clubs and get pissed. These are more inclined to be the 109 Club drinkers (a litre of white cider 7.5% alcohol content costs £1.09, hence the term) or the 'six for a fiver' drinkers who are drinking at home with their mates drinking the six cans of Stella or Fosters bought for a fiver.
They would have you believe its the black youths with their hoods, bling, mountain bikes and yes, some of these guys do drugs and drink but that doesn't make them Yardie type gangsters (not least in my book). I live on the fringes of Stockwell in South London, reputed to be one of the most dangerous districts in London, on that part of the Northern Line and Victoria Line where you're even officially advised not to go travelling on your own late at night, and just like in the other 'dangerous' areas where I have lived such as Peckham and Hackney it's actually quite safe, provided you don't go looking for trouble. Yes there are negative types who fit the stereotypes but on the whole the black youth of today is rejecting their parents call to be 'bad' (the Brixton generation) and they're just trying to get on, doing college and stuff. Some of the 'homies' with the hoods have quite expensive Mac computers at home and are busy putting together 'tunes' - reggae, hip hop, soul, etc - which they're busy sharing among friends and putting through sites such as Facebook and MySpace.
This also explains why the black community has a whole doesn't have any racial tension between the former Jamaican ancestry blacks and the newer African ancestry blacks, they're all integrated fine. This is in sharp contrast with the racial tension which still exists in the white community between the Brits and the Eastern Europeans.
I'm from the North originally but I haven't been back there for years, so I don't know what it's like in the North or Midlands even, so I don't feel qualified to comment but from what I can see in the South and here in London it's only certain areas and maybe certain cities and towns and not everywhere as a whole.
Oh and you can find decent ale in pubs in towns and cities. Not all pubs serve bath water or cat's piss, you can find pubs selling really good beers, you just have to hunt them down and find them.
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