Spa Tek

Complaints

A lovely lady from across the Pond has complained that I criticise the United States of America too much. I'd argue against that, and point out that this Blog does have a comments facility - slag me off if you don't agree.

Wisely she does suggest that both our countries are being severely altered by immigration, and by the demands of people who are not our citizens.

Our government's present concern is with Africa. Allegedly we are giving millions in aid to that continent. Putting aside the separate concern that much of this aid is little more than back-handed support for our own industries, there is no doubt there are fundamental problems.

Africa has plenty of resources, so why is it so unsuccessful? It's several decades since the white man left the continent, but we are still being blamed for all its problems. I'm not in a position to do anything more than reflect, and to say how it seems to me but the indigenous populations (if there is such a condition) seem to waste time, waste resources, and are too keen to obtain the advantages of industrial vigour without doing much work. There is corruption, and although the white man is blamed for slavery it is apparently still a way of life in some African cultures.

When you are trying to catch up with the rest it is too tempting to blame others. Our societies, in Europe and North America, are based upon centuries of hard work. Other cultures recognise the need for dedicated work, and nobody works harder than those in China, India or the rest of Asia. Yet Africa continues to bicker, to exploit, to laze around in the sun waiting for handouts.

There's no doubt we need to sort out something, if only because Africa's population is set to treble over the coming years. If they all decide that Europe or America present better opportunities then we shall all suffer.

Having lost all our best men through two disastrous wars we made mistakes. Desperate for labour we encouraged the world to come to our countries. As a result I no longer know what it is to be English. My culture is now lost, smothered by a barrage of different cultural influences, all of which I must tolerate and accept.

That's all very well, and the English are very good at assimilation, but I no longer know who I am. I'd emigrate but very few countries will accept a ragged old Englishman.

posted by Suffolk Notes @ 9:07 am