God Save This Country: An Essay on Not Seeing the Sense in Patriotism
Maybe its because I was born in Germany (yes, with the war and the football) or because I'm just bitter and cynical but the country I live in gets on my tits sometimes.
Its the contradictions.
A nation of aloof repressed types with a legacy of sophistication and charm who obsess over the sordid affairs of larger than life celebrities. We frown on outspoken loudmouths but give us some juicy gossip or enough alcohol and we turn into one. We allow the tabloids to dictate us yet despise all other forms of control
The British sense of humour is renowned globally yet have you ever seen anyone smile on a bus recently. In fact I'm amazed foreigners bother to come over as the mere sight of one seems to drain the goodwill from our bodies. We pride ourselves on organisation and scoff at other countries yet can't run our railways or get a drink past 11pm. Can you believe that it was us polite bunch that invented the swinging 60s and its morals or lack of them and it appears these hippy liberals have spawned the offspring we see today prancing around like spoilt brats ruining everything.
We created a truly international language, the language of business, yet find it hard to use sometimes (I refer you to the mirthless bus example earlier). A nation which cultivated one of the largest and bloodiest empires in the world, now protest in their millions against another country's attempts. We hate America but we ape their neurosis and the resulting bloodlust. We are their poodles, so less of the snootiness. At least France made a stand and they're
French!
It's cold and wet and everyone's miserable. What a fucking shithole.
I love it
