Firstly, this is not a slur or attack on my friends. If it were, I'd make it personal and tell them I didn't like them anymore. Any friends reading this ought to know this is just a rant.
Recently, there has been the worst kind of counter-argument from both the public and the UK government in regard to the state of the United Kingdom, and it goes a little something like this:
"Other countries are worse off so we should all stop moaning. Stop being unpatriotic. If you don't like it in the UK, then leave."
Point one - I truly hope that this kind of two-bit psychology isn't applied to other aspects of peoples' lives. For example, "So you've got emphysema? Other people have worse illnesses than you, so stop moaning!" Yes, other places and people may be going through worse issues than others, but that does not instantly make the "lesser" problem magically vanish. It simply makes the troll look callous. And no-one should ever have to think along the lines of "I've got a serious problem, but I'd best keep quiet in case someone has a bigger problem and tell me off for it." Would these trolls like if they got some bad news from the Doctor? "Yes, you've got HIV. But my last patient found out they have cancer, so stop moaning because they are worse off than you!" Or about a job you desperately need? "Yes, you may not have got the job meaning you're on the verge of losing your home. But there are people out there who can't even get a job because they are homeless, so stop whinging!"
Point two - Unpatriotic, eh? I'd say the opposite, in that if someone is so incensed and angered at how their country and it's people are being treated and want to see a positive change then they ARE being patriotic. And that someone who wants us all to "Shut up and put up" and they are happy to watch the people get down-trodden can't have much love for the country.
Point three - I can't believe anyone would be so gullible as to believe that a country's leader is not responsible for what is going on. If they have let things happen without their knowing about it and have taken no action to resolve the issue, then they are incompetent and unfit for their role. If they don't know what is going on and allow the issues to continue, then they are culpable and unfit for their role. The best two examples of this in the UK are a) ATOS forcing people who are unfit for work off of benefits, only for those same people to be told by the Job Centre "You can't work. You're physically/mentally unable to.", thus rendering them without any money. And b) the NHS scandal where hundreds of needless deaths occurred due to complete lack of care (E.G. people without water resorting to drinking from flower vases, old disabled people at home being forgotten about and found dead from lack of regular home visits, etc.). In scandals which are affecting large groups of people, the nation's leader has to shoulder some of the responsibility. Simply saying "I may be in charge but I didn't know. It was someone else's fault." is an admission of incompetence as well as sounding juvenile. "Don't tell me off for stealing sweets! My mate's made me do it!"
Yes, other countries and their people are going through very difficult times. But they are there, we are here and both knowing of each others problems isn't going to make things better or the issues magically vanish.
A lady on BBC's Question Time programme last week stood up and said "People in Iraq are having a much worse time than people in the UK, so the UK ought to count itself lucky." I turned off because the imbecile had lost their validity at using such infantile tactics to steer the discussion away from the simple fact that the people of the UK in general are unhappy.
What does make a difference is the population of the UK showing some solidarity for a change, raising our voices and showing our displeasure at the status quo, venting spleen to our friends and thus raising awareness of issues.
Unless, of course, you don't give a damn and secretly despise those you claim to be friends with :)
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