I just saw this on drudge report, I hope it isn't a dupe! I didn't know the old gal had it in her!!! Good read:



BRITAIN DESTROYING ITSELF FROM WITHIN
BY JOAN COLLINS
UK DAILY MAIL
THUS AUG 04, 2005

A great civilization is not conquered from without until it has destroyed itself from within, said the American historian Will Durrant about ancient Rome. This self-destruction of values is exactly what is happening in England today.

Yes, I still call the country of my birth England, in spite of the peculiar political correctness that insists that it be called 'the UK' and that we, its denizens, must be 'Britons'.

Even though the Welsh are proud to call themselves Welsh, as are the Irish and certainly the Scots, woe betide the Briton who calls himself 'English' -- a much-frowned-upon no-no.

I believe that when a country loses so much respect for itself that it can no longer even be identified by its historically correct name, insecurity and lack of respect filter down to its inhabitants.

Recently, I have concluded that London is no longer the 'seat of civilised society' that the world once considered it to be, and is certainly not the safe city I grew up in.

A particular incident demonstrated the lack of respect and manners that is but a small example of the horrible, encroaching decay of the country that I love dearly.

My husband Percy and I were at a ball at the Grosvenor House Hotel -- a black-tie event attended by the socalled 'elite' of the city.

As Percy held the door open to let me through, a 6ft tall, middle-aged, horse-faced male pushed past me, trod on the hem of my dress and rushed outside to climb into the taxi that the doorman had waiting for us.

This was a person who should, or at least looked like he should, have known better. The cause of his behaviour? The awful pervasive disregard that we have for civility today.

Bump accidentally into someone in the street these days and you are soundly cursed. Look at a poor derelict collapsed in a doorway for more than a second and they'll spit at you. Surely everyone has experienced the barely suppressed rage lurking behind the faces of a vast number of car drivers.

We've become the 'Whatcha lookin' at?' culture. Why do young people consider it cool to be arrogant, swaggering and rude? Why do so many people in England seem so cynical and self-centred?

I witnessed young, drunken yobs roaming the streets kicking cars, screaming insults, pushing people and even pushchairs out of their way, attacking each other viciously and then turning on the police when they tried to maintain order.

THE WHOLE scene evoked the image of hordes of inebriated Vikings sacking devastated towns. Even during the day, feral mobs roamed the cities with absolute disregard for anyone else's property or well-being. Traditional virtues of male chivalry and female propriety were very far from view.

After all, a lack of manners and politeness in a society can only be a reflection of what the society thinks of itself.

It's frightful how being told that you are no good makes you hate yourself, and hate others. And it's frightful how quickly a whole country of self-loathers can be bred.

Truer words were never spoken, although I ALWAYS call it ENGLAND, and the people from that country ENGLISH.  So Joan and I are on the same page on that one.  

She was pretty hot in her day.

At least the Vikings had a purpose.  These roving band of houligans have no purpose.

The "redneck" culture of brutality, incivility and violence is en vogue.  

www.townhall.com/bookclub/sowell7.html

disclaimer:  not to be confused with the Redneck culture of Nascar, guns and possum stew.

Every disarmed society is destined to implode.

I wonder if the EU-lovers will get pissy with her like they did with Bridget Bardot?

I'm waiting for the liberal response that will insist it's all her, and those like her, fault for being such an ostentatious display of wealth and elitism.  The Have's vs. the Have Not's and it's all the Have's fault for their hard work and intelligent financial decisions.  If only they'd give it all to the Have Not's then they're wouldn't be such a problem.

I'm sure it's already in full bloom over at DU headquarters and other similar hangouts where people are taught to operate on feelings rather than logic.

Kudo's to Joan, and she wasn't just hot, she was smokin hot and exuded class and style.  Still does for that matter.

Quoted: The "redneck" culture of brutality, incivility and violence is en vogue.   www.townhall.com/bookclub/sowell7.html disclaimer:  not to be confused with the Redneck culture of Nascar, guns and possum stew.

I'm not even sure I'd call it the "redneck" culture. My mother's family is from WV and whenever we got for a visit, the REAL rednecks are, for the most part, polite and courteous. More correctly, it should probably be called the "Mine!", or "Gimmie!" culture. We won't go into causes or anything like that but I bet you can figure that out for yourself.

Bub

Quoted: Truer words were never spoken, although I ALWAYS call it ENGLAND, and the people from that country ENGLISH.  So Joan and I are on the same page on that one.

Not quite sure where Joan was but I doubt that she was anywhere near these roving bands of thugs, who most likely can't afford the drinks or the train fare to the Grosvenor and would get lost if they strayed far from their local pub or football ground. Most likely she watched our version of 'Cops'. But a lot of what she said makes a lot of sense, but the way she portrays it, like it's mob rule just ain't right. A few city centres are a bit rowdy on a Saturday night after kicking-out time (when the  pubs shut) but most areas are fine.

She is right about the nationality thing though. The authorities don't seem to be able to handle anyone who wants to be called English, (BTW We're only English if we're from England, so don't go calling a Scot or Welshman English). I'm proud to be English, and I'm also proud to be British. Most Englishmen will call themselves English, it's just most forms you have to fill in won't have a tick-box for English as a Nationality.

It's the establishment that seem to want to apologise for England, the English and Englishness (whatever that is). On the last census our nationality question listed options as British, Scottish, Welsh, Irish, a host of asian and african nationalities and other. A lot of English put 'other' and filled in English in the space, but apparently it then got filled under British. There's descrimination for you.

I couldn't agree more.

How right she is.

England has gone downhill fast, and like it or not it seemed to coincide with the current prime minster and his government taking over.

Before moving to the US I spent 10 years living in France. Being so close we visited relatives in England fairly frequently. There were a few small changes, but nothing drastic.

Then in 1992  I moved to the US. Oregon being a bit further away than France, the visits were much less frequent. the English relatives all wanted to visit us anyway, rather than us visiting them. So there was a gap of close to 10 years before I visited again. Various relatives had described stuff we quite honestly found close to unbeliavable about the rise of crime and large no-go zones after dark in most urban areas. At least one quite seriously wanted to try to take my AR15 home with them.

So when we did visit, I have to agree - it is NOT the country I grew up in. My England did not have TV cameras every 10 feet, it did not have photo-radar every 1/4 mile, speed bumps on main roads, and it didn't have the suicidal lunatics driving on today's motorways (I was always the one who pushed it most on most roads, now I feel totally outclassed in that regard).

Needing to stick together in groups, and carry something like a Maglite when coming home from an evening out just isn't England as it was even 15 years ago. Its a strange and violent country, with an oppressive and intrusive government.

That trip to England made it a no brainer when I became eligible for US citizenship and had to decide if I wanted to do that or just renew my green card.

When it does explode there, its going to be very nasty....