NorthernGent
Posts: 8730
Joined: 7/10/2006 Status: offline
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This has been going on in England since the authorities set up public forces, which is why the police force created a uniform that looked like civilian dress (in the 1800s), and it's part of the reason why we have never had a large standing army - unlike many countries in the world - we've always resented the authorities encroaching on our space. Many inner cities in England were no go areas for the police well into the 20th century. We have problems with anti-social behaviour, of course, but when push comes to shove, we have a per capita murder rate that is one eighth of that of Scotland and Italy, one quarter of that of Germany and France and far, far less than that of the United States, which suggests that while, yes, we do have an element who have little respect for the law, the vast majority of Englishmen and women have considerable respect for one another: more so than many industrialised nations (using murder as a measure). For those who aren't English, what you see here is an English trait: it doesn't matter how good we've got it, some of us think we're doomed. Throw in the post-imperial malaise for good measure and the refusal to accept that not all Englishmen are upstanding gentlemen, and disorder will always be sensationalised in this country. I'd be interested in seeing a breakdown of what constitutes attacks, and how many of these attacks were no more than kids lobbing stones.
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I have the courage to be a coward - but not beyond my limits. Sooner or later, the man who wins is the man who thinks he can.
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