adamsunman's diary

Bush in his state of the Union Adres stated both that the USA  was 'leading the World on Climate Change'    ( was this from his pollution-ridden hummer at the front . it would be quicker...)    and that  Iran is enriching Uranium , creating a weapons threat. this was denied by his own report released just before christmas.  

 Bush clearly, as usual is relying on neo-conservative fueled hysteria to create yet more 'war nation' feel for the upcoming presidential race, where Republicans would benefit from a strong, nationalist (Christian) position . Statistics show that had America been free from the shackles of the 'War on Terror' then Kerry would have been elected, but Bush was seen as the better wartime leader.  

 Frankly the State of the Union is pretty Dire, and the new President could not come quickly enough  

Incidentally, as an afterthought.  I was watching a documentary on BNP wives, (youtube it  theres a lot of fareham in it)  and led me on to thinking, how much is the BNP's support based on Nationalism and how much is it based on Xenophobia?  

We cannot deny that Britain is multicultural. I am proud of that, I myself am a 2nd Generation immigrant, and I feel that Multiculturalism one of the pillars of a  civilized society. However, as we all know there are those out there preying on the fear many feel when posed with the 'threat' of foreign migrants. 

But how much of this is Britain's desperate plea for a national identity?  America is well known as a 'melting pot society' , but yet retains it's world status of the 'leader of the West'. perhaps this is a result of it's status during the Cold War. Since a number of Factors, including Britain's retreat from the Suez canal with it's tail between it's legs, have dumbed down Britain's idea of national unity.

 I believe that Britain should pride itself on it's ability to be such a diverse and inclusive nation, and this liberty to think and feel what you believe is one of the most important factors in combating terrorism. Terrorist organisations love nothing more than to see states clamp down on their citizens with reactionary curtailing of civil liberties. 

I am not advocating the preaching of any hate on our streets, but I do feel that Britain should be the Jewel in the West's crown as the nation that can co-exist as an island of the peoples of the World, which would be a change from the adamant spreading of 'liberal democracies' around the World. Capitalism itself breeds inequality, and if Britain is able to show that it is able to understand and accommodate all views and ideas, I believe it can once again be the ideological and political capital of the World as it has been before. 

This rant is partly inspired by the news that the image of Britannia is to be removed from 50 pence coins.  I think this is a huge step forward as it represents England's maritime dominance of most of the world and it's part in the inexcusable promotion of the slave trade.  While I can understand the idea of a national symbol of pride, and the Historical pride held in the British Empire, this empire has been glorified throughout history in a bid to conceal the inexcusable human atrocities it committed. In a conversation with Ben Norman today, his wise words were :  "it was traditional to burn witches in the middle ages, but we don't do that anymore do we"   and I think that applies here,  yes, British people have a proud history, but Britain is no longer a power that controls over 75% of the World's population, but instead welcomes it and incorporates it into it's society.