Corbyn is a bit of a twit

Simon-in-Suffolk posted:

BTW - excuse my ignorance - but what is Chamberlianism - I can only think of Neville Chamberlain and his unfortunate letter - but I assume you are referring to something else?

Simon

Simon,

Sorry to use the obfuscating self-invented word 'Chamberlainism'.

I've been working in IT for about 18 years now, and many years together with English people (seen all your airports). I've observed a remarkable paradox - at least in my perception. However English people can be very, very effective in getting things done, influence people and have the capacity to lead teams, countries and even the world (your hymns have clear traces of this), I feel more and more reluctance from the English people to do so. It seems that the English push forward decisions, let things go and avoid leadership. I see this in business within my network, but also in UK politics now (e.g. handing over the brexit decision to the people).

I refer to Chamberlain stepping out of the plane and saying 'Peace for our time!' and therefore push forward a decision or an inspiring message, leadership.

I know that England can do. So why does one country behave so?

Is this the nature to retreat to Albion?

I've true interest in this phenomenon. I could be utterly wrong, but just noticing.

Thanks, Harry. I better understand where you're coming from now.  I recognise much of what you say, and maybe I'm overly optimistic in appraising things, but when I look back to my later childhood when I was more aware of what my parents' lives were like and the world around me I'd suggest there are quite a few areas where for today's generation life is much improved.  For example, the environment is much cleaner, rivers no longer dead through industrial waste poisoning, beaches no longer blighted by sewage; equality and tolerance is much advanced (remember Till Dead Do Us Part?); while some prejudice remains, on the whole I think most people are much more tolerant these days (I remember my parents and particularly grandparents as having views that today would be regarded as pretty racist); it's now easier for those from working class backgrounds to get on if they have a talent; while the gap between rich and poor has probably widened, the 'poor' today have much better lives than they did is say the sixties & seventies with social housing being of good quality and everyone expecting to have big flatscreen TVs, smart-phones etc; deference to institutions and 'authority' is much reduced and today people believe, rightly, that their views matter; medicine has advanced hugely e.g. survival rates from cancer much better and aids pretty much defeated.  Yes, there's still much to be done but I feel that on the whole we are still progressing.

Glass half full or half empty? It's a choice we make every day.

Mike